A glimpse of Skoda Rapid facelift

The diesel motor is likely to undergo an update.The 2016 Skoda Rapid facelift has been testing with mild camouflage for quite some time now. The C-Segment sedan is slated to go on sale in the festive season with significant visual and equipment upgrades.

The spyshots show that the finer design elements of the front fascia are hidden cleverly by using body-colored tapes.

Changes to the profile and rear are insignificant.We can expect the updated Rapid to receive revised headlamps (with projector elements), an edgier Skoda grille and a new bumper. The overall appearance would be more in line with the European Rapid.

The profile will be carried forward without any change save for new alloy wheel design. The rear fascia appears to be featuring a reprofiled bumper.

Inside, the Skoda Rapid facelift will feature new upholstery and possibly, a revised color theme. The equipment list of the top variant is expected to have goodies such as a new infotainment system with MirrorLink connectivity, automatic wipers, auto dimming internal rear view mirror and so on.

Coming to powertrains, Skoda is expected to introduce the updated version of the 1.5-litre TDI diesel engine which currently produces 105 PS. We could see a minor bump in the outputs. The 1.6-litre MPI petrol engine is likely to continue as it is.

The new front fascia takes the Indian Rapid closer to its European counterpart.The diesel motor is available with a 5-speed MT or a 7-speed DSG while the petrol motor gets a 5-speed MT or a 6-speed AT.

This article has first appeared in Rushlane.com