2014 Rapid in Australia

[Harpoon]

Hi Gang,

I searched and couldn't find any threads about the upcoming Rapid Spaceback next year. Seems the sedan version has been canned for the time being for Aus anyway.

The Motor Report: Auto News And Reviews

Is this a replacement for the Fabia or will it sit along side? How does it compare size wise to the Fabia and Octavia?

I can't remember where but I'm sure I saw it would be priced from around $15000?! If so it would be seriously competitive in the small hatch market here in Aus.

What do people think?

[MountainBikeMike]

Id find it hard to believe it to be THAT cheap.. nether the less, an RS version would be some wicked fun!

[woofy]

The Rapid is in some ways in the spot the Octavia is in but in hatchback form from the looks now, so probably around the Golf/A3 mark albeit slightly bigger. The new Octavia will be bigger again now.

[Harpoon]

Oh I agree it would be a shock to see it starting at $15k but who knows. The UK one starts at £12k but nor always a great indicator of price.

If it is price competitive with the corolla and focus etc that's still a good thing. Euro style and comfort for corolla pricing..... yes please.

The sporty looking Spaceback is easy on the eye and appealing to me. The sedan version looked like a dull Jetta so not surprised Skoda didn't release it here.

[bobski]

I saw the (previous model) Rapid at the Sydney motor show. I was very underwhelmed by its interior which looked and felt cheaper than the Octavia or Superb, though it does have a very large rear cargo area that is appealing. That said, the Spaceback looks terrific and it'd be on my shopping list as a runabout. I can't see how they'll land it for less than 20, maybe you might be able to wrangle below that line. But as a casual observer, Skoda is not being positioned as a cheap car brand and I'd expect sticker prices of mid 20s and the Octavia to move up a level. I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

[Antiplastix]

Knowing Skoda Oz, they will price it about $100 cheaper than an equivalent Jetta. I don't know who Is in charge there, but weird things are going on. If you go to their website, there is some great "drive away" deals happening on Octavia, Yeti and Superb. The prices are now what they should have been marketed at from the start .
How do they expect to sell vehicles that are a budget brand of an existing marque at much the same price but without the sweetners of fixed priced servicing and proper dealer backup.
At the moment all they have done is alienate their existing customers by slashing thousands of dollars off second hand values, yet they are not advertising the deals available to new customers.
It seems they have blown their advertising budget on a AFL team no one knows or cares about and road bike racing which has minimal following in Australia.

[dArK5HaD0w]

I don't know who Is in charge there, but weird things are going on.

VW Australia - that's who is in charge of everything Skoda in oz.

speaking of Rapid, an RS version would certainly turn my head.....

[Jake02]

Knowing Skoda Oz, they will price it about $100 cheaper than an equivalent Jetta

Why is the Jetta relevant to the Rapid? The Jetta is the Octavia equivalent, not the Rapid equivalent, and the Jetta is slightly larger/much more powerful than the Rapid.

My guess at the Rapid is around the $20k mark, like competitors Pulsar, Mazda3, Corolla and so on. Like most small hatches, it will sell on value and while it's not got that much engine, it will still sell well I think. Price the top-spec Elegance 1.4TSI DSG around $24k and give it a lot of equipment (I'm thinking sat-nav, Bluetooth, leather wheel, audio controls, 16-inch alloys, front fogs and climate control) and I think it will be class competitive. It looks alright with 17s, the black roof/bootlid extension and xenons.

[woofy]

I think the point is that the Jetta is currently well under the Octavia in price here. The 118 Jetta is about 3k cheaper than the 90TSI Octy as it stands at the moment. So the Rapid is more likely to come up against the Jetta with the usual Skoda tax.

[Antiplastix]

Yes maybe I worded that wrong. Most people don't know what a Skoda is, I commonly get; is that a Volvo, or is that made in Korea?
Why would some one pay X dollars for a Skoda ??? When they can buy a perceived better and bigger car from VW.

[The Speedfighter]

Yes maybe I worded that wrong. Most people don't know what a Skoda is, I commonly get; is that a Volvo, or is that made in Korea?
Why would some one pay X dollars for a Skoda ??? When they can buy a perceived better and bigger car from VW.

Because of their amazingly stupid way of "advertising", sorry let me rephrase this. Because of their way of not advertising the brand in this country.

But then again, we can complain until we weight an ounce but VW really really doesn't care about us as consumers

[bobski]

All of our experiences are different, but I now get plenty of people knowing what I drive. I think the advertising has worked reasonably given that 3 years ago, that was not the case. Not to say they can't do more or take a different approach.

For mine, in Aus they have 3 problems that I think they can address...

- The styling is not to everyone's tastes. I love my Octavia, but I know for a fact that plenty of people are put off by it's frumpy backend and front grill. In Australia, as soon as you have someone describing a car as quirky looking, that is its doom.
- They are positioned in a segment where buyers want lots of fruit for not much (Koreans) or perceived reliability and low cost of ownership (Toyota/Mazda). VW/Audi love their ridiculously priced options and its easy in many cases to add 5-10k.
- Skoda is competing with VW at almost the same price points. VW is (or perhaps was) that affordable aspirational brand for many aussies, and its very easy to see people on impulse taking a VW model over the equivalent Skoda, even if its a few K extra $ (hey - finance is cheap). And to the detriment of Skoda, I think Hyundai is starting to plug that gap with their midsized/SUV ranges.

On the "What you can't address" front is that many many people keep buying the same cars and have huge brand loyalty. My mother in law has now had two Aurions in a row and would buy another one in the future. And its a decent car as long as you take no-doze before you drive it. But she knows the car and is happy with it, even if variety is the spice of life and she isn't paying for them. I have very close friends who between them and their 3 boys have bought 5 Toyotas in the last 2 years because they want reliability. etc. etc.... Breaking through to people like that is almost impossible.

[Mysticality]

Yes maybe I worded that wrong. Most people don't know what a Skoda is, I commonly get; is that a Volvo, or is that made in Korea?
Why would some one pay X dollars for a Skoda ??? When they can buy a perceived better and bigger car from VW.

+1
Except I get Commodore; Subaru and Opel(!!)
I did get HSV once, and it was rather interesting watching the guys face when I explained it was a 2ltr TD and $40k!

People always ask me why so much until I start firing off things like standard sat nav, park sensors, auto lights/wipers, half leather, etc etc etc.

[brad]

Hi Gang,

I searched and couldn't find any threads about the upcoming Rapid Spaceback next year. Seems the sedan version has been canned for the time being for Aus anyway.

The Motor Report: Auto News And Reviews

Is this a replacement for the Fabia or will it sit along side? How does it compare size wise to the Fabia and Octavia?

I can't remember where but I'm sure I saw it would be priced from around $15000?! If so it would be seriously competitive in the small hatch market here in Aus.

What do people think?

I had a look at the Rapid when i was at the Skoda Museum a couple of weeks back. It's a fraction smaller than the Octavia Mk2 but way bigger than a Fabia.

New Octavia closes the gap between the Mk2 & the Superb by about 25-30%.

Both really nice cars

I doubt there will be a vRS version of the Rapid. I believe it's strictly a runabout.