New Skoda Sedan To Replace Rapid Next Year: Zac Hollis Confirms Launch Timeline

Now, Zac Hollis, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India in response to a tweet confirmed the arrival of a new sedan in the Indian market.

As per his reply, Skoda will soon discontinue the Rapid, replacing it with an all-new sedan. He also mentioned that this new sedan will be part of the brand’s MQB A0 IN platform, which will also underpin other models in the brand’s future lineup.

He also confirmed that the new Skoda Rapid replacement will be introduced in the Indian market sometime by the end of 2021. The new sedan will continue to be offered with just a single TSI petrol engine as part of its new strategy for the Indian market.

Zac Hollis, stated,

“We will not have a new Rapid for India. At the end of next year we will launch a new mugger Sedan, based on the new MQB AO platform.”

He further added, “We will launch only the efficient and powerful TSI engines under the India 2.0 Investment program.”

As mentioned before, Skoda recently trademarked a new ‘Slavia’ name for the Indian market. Considering the name doesn’t fit the brand’s SUV nomenclature, we expect this to be the name of the new sedan, replacing the Rapid.

The new Skoda sedan ‘Slavia’ has been codenamed ANB and is expected to feature a host of updates and changes, compared to the model it replaces. Skoda will offer a number of significant cosmetic changes both to the interiors and exteriors of the new sedan, while carrying forward the brand’s latest design language.

In terms of mechanicals, we expect the new Skoda sedan to carry forward the same 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine as on the current Rapid model. The new turbo-petrol engine produces 108bhp and 175Nm of peak torque. It is mated to either a six-speed manual or a torque-converter automatic transmission unit.

Thoughts On The New Skoda Sedan Coming To India In Late-2021

The new Skoda sedan will be a replacement to the popular Rapid offering in the Indian market. Hence it will take on the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz, Hyundai Verna, Honda City. Prices for the new sedan are expected to be at a slight premium, compared to the current Rapid model.