Skoda has announced that it has completed production of 1,00,000 units of the Rapid sedan in India. Manufactured in Chakan (Pune, Maharashtra), the celebratory unit was a Flash Red Rapid Monte Carlo.
The Rapid is the gateway car to Skoda's portfolio in India since it has discontinued the Fabia. Being the most affordable Skoda in the country means that it is also the highest selling product from the Czech automaker. Introduced back in November 2011, and then facelifted in 2016, the Rapid has garnered decent sales for the brand but even then it took more than seven years for it to reach the 1 lakh production milestone.
The Skoda Rapid comes with two engine options. One is a 1.6-litre petrol engine which churns out 77 kW (104 PS) of maximum power and 153 Nm of torque. It is available with two transmission options: 5-speed manual and 6-speed automatic. The other engine available is a 1.5-litre TDI diesel unit which delivers 81 kW (110 PS) of maximum power and 250 Nm of torque. It is available with the same 5-speed manual transmission along with a 7-speed DSG automatic transmission. The Skoda Rapid's prices in India start at INR 7,99,599* and extend up to 13,99,599*.
Commenting on the production milestone, Mr. Zac Hollis, Director – Sales, Service and Marketing, ŠKODA AUTO India said "The RAPID continues to offer a compelling combination of the brand’s emotive design, exquisite interiors, leading safety as well as intelligent connectivity features. The production milestone is a testament to its strong equity among discerning customers in a dynamically evolving automotive market like India. With this accomplishment, we commit a stronger product portfolio and enhanced ownership experience - ascertaining, PEACE OF MIND comes standard with a ŠKODA."
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Skoda is working on its 'India 2.0 Project' to turn the tables and come up with India-specific products with up to 95% localization and hence have a more aggressive approach. For its second innings in India, the company announced an investment of Rs 8,000 crore (EUR 1 billion) in July last year. It inaugurated a Technology Centre in Pune earlier this year which would be used for the developments of future products.
*Ex-showroom
