Skoda Rapid review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

While it lacks a little in quality and driving enjoyment, the Skoda Rapid's practicality completely wipes the floor with the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus – primarily because it has such a big boot.

It’s deceptive, as the Rapid hatchback’s saloon-inspired styling doesn’t suggest such a high degree of flexibility. 

The Rapid’s driving position is good too, with a full range of adjustments for both seat height and steering wheel, and the simple, uncomplicated dash layout also adds to the straightforward feel. 

Comfort and refinement on the move are not class-leading, but the suspension does a decent job of soaking up most of our many tarmac imperfections. Wind and road noise are sufficiently subdued too, so you can put some miles under the wheels without becoming unduly frazzled.

Cabin storage is catered for with large door bins, and the car also has some clever touches such as a boot floor with carpet on one side and rubber on the other - so you can flip it depending on what you’re carrying.

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Size

The Skoda Rapid competes in the super-competitive family hatchback class, where its dimensions give it a clear advantage. At 4,483mm it’s longer than the 4,360mm Ford Focus and the 4,255mm Volkswagen Golf.

Leg room, head room & passenger space 

The cabin is spacious enough for carrying five adults, but it will be a bit of a squeeze for taller passengers in the back. All trim-levels come with ISOFIX-prepared rear seats so you can fit the child seats. 

Boot

With the rear seats in place, the Rapid has 550 litres of space in the boot. This is compared to 363 litres in the Ford and 350 litres in the Golf. When its rear seats are folded flat, the Rapid's boot space increases to a huge 1,490 litres.

The Rapid Spaceback sister car has a more conventional compact hatchback bodystyle, which cuts boot space to 415 litres with the back seats up and 1,380 litres with them folded.