Skoda’s new small saloon, based on its Mission L concept car, will be called Rapid when it goes on sale next year.
Skoda boss Winfried Vahland made the announcement on the eve of the Beijing Motor Show, as the Mission L made its debut in China.
The Rapid name has been used on a small Indian market Skoda in recent years, but is best known as the coupe that was on sale in UK in the late eighties and ceased production in 1990.
The new Rapid will sit between the Fabia supermini and Octavia hatch in price and size, so expect a starting price of around £12,000.
A new Octavia, also due next year, is set to be larger and more expensive than the current car, distancing itself from the Rapid and enabling the Superb to move further upmarket.
Skoda chose the Beijing Motor Show for the announcement due to the importance of the Chinese market to the Czech car maker – 25 per cent of all Skodas sold worldwide are sold in China. The UK remains an important market, though, accounting for five per cent of all sales.
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It's going to be a hatch in the UK, not a saloon according, to Skoda UK's website. Great looking car.
Very clean design - love it!
Simple, beautiful and probably reliable with a decent after care service, if it had a BMW badge it would be the best selling car in the world winning awards left right and centre....
CarFan1981, you wouldn't be accusing the motoring press of bias at all? ;)
Not a bad car, could see myself buying one in the future as I do like the direction Skoda has taken.
Lets hope the UK hatch has this saloon/Octavia style fastback profile, and not a truncated "dog without a tail" like the Lancer has become.
Unless they include the new car within the no VAT deals they're running - but they aren't doing that with the Yeti at the moment so doubt if that will be the case.
Nice simple looking design - refreshingly different from all the ugly copycats of Chris Bangle's 'flame surfacing' BMW eyesores.
A competitively priced vRS version with the 170BHP 2.0 Diesel would feature high on my list of next car possibilities
CarFan1981
Why would it need a BMW badge? Skodas do win awards left right and centre, listed below are three such awards including best manufacturer!
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/c...
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/c...
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/c...