Skoda is preparing a replacement for the old Rapid: a new photo of the Slavia sedan

The Czech brand, owned by the Volkswagen Group, is gradually unveiling a new model for the Indian market.

Sales of the Skoda brand in Europe have been growing continuously since 2013 until the “covid” 2020. Then dealers sold 634,160 cars, which is 14.6% less than a year earlier. This year, the brand in this market again has a “plus”: in January-August (more recent data is not yet available), customers bought 432,926 units, which is 8.7% more than a year earlier. Now Skoda continues to develop its lineup, and new items are intended not only for the home market.

The first teaser of Skoda Slavia

So, the company is preparing a new product for India, we reported about it back in August, and last week the first teaser of the future sedan appeared. In addition, Skoda revealed the timing of the premiere – the debut will take place in December 2021, and also announced the name – Slavia. Recall that the name for the brand is historical – this was the name of the brand under which the first bicycles Vaclav Laurin and Vaclav Klement were produced, namely, the existence of Skoda began with them.

In the photo: Skoda Slavia prototype in camouflage

As we reported earlier, the new “four-door” is based on the MQB-A0-IN platform, which was developed specifically for India. This “trolley” is a simplified version of the global MQB, it is known from the local Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun SUVs. Note that in the Indian model line of the Czech brand Slavia will replace the old Rapid (it is based on the PQ25 platform): this is a close relative of our previous VW Polo sedan.

Skoda has released a new picture of the Slavia today. In the frame is a test prototype of the future novelty, which is still hidden behind a layer of bright camouflage film. It is worth noting that previously disguised sedans have been caught on Indian roads more than once. It is assumed that Slavia was unified with the model for the Brazilian market – Volkswagen Virtus (“four-door” is based on the global MQB).

In the photo: the current Skoda Rapid sedan (version for the Indian market)

The dimensions of the Skoda Slavia have not yet been declassified in the company. Note that the length of the Volkswagen Virtus is 4482 mm, and the distance between the axles is 2651 mm. For comparison, the current Indian Skoda Rapid sedan has 4413 and 2552 mm, respectively.

There is no official information about the “stuffing” either. Most likely, the Skoda Slavia engine line will be shared with the Kushaq platform SUV. In this case, the range will be a couple of petrol options: a 1.0-liter TSI “turbo engine” with a return of 115 hp. and a 150-horsepower “turbo” TSI with a volume of 1.5 liters. Both motors are paired with a six-speed manual transmission, in addition, the base one is still offered a six-speed automatic, and the older version is 7DCT.

The production of new items for India will be established at the same local plant where the current Rapid is now produced. In the future, the sedan may enter other markets, but recently it should not be expected, because “our” liftback formally changed its generation in 2020. Recall that our model has retained the old PQ25 platform. Rapid? is very popular: in the first three quarters of this year, dealers sold 33,948 copies, which is 2.2 times more than in January-September 2020. This result allowed the model to take eighth place in the list of the most popular models in the country.