The Skoda Rapid is a family car aimed at buyers looking for something which offers a lot of practicality at an affordable price range. While the Rapid is technically a hatchback, its styling is reminiscent of saloon cars. This design helps deliver a large amount of passenger and boot space, perhaps a lot more then you’d expect in fact.

It’s a cheaper alternative to popular family hatchbacks like the Ford Focus and the Volkswagen Golf. While there are parts of it which make it feel like it’s undoubtedly a cheaper car, it’s still everything you’d expect from a family hatchback. It’s no-no-nonsense, dependable and robust motor and there’s some really good engines and kit available to boot.

Performance

Rapid by nature it may not be, but the performance of this Skoda hatchback should not disappoint.

The engine selection for the Rapid hatchback includes a 1.2-litre petrol unit producing 74bhp, a 1.2-litre TSI petrol with 84bhp or 104bhp and a 1.4-litre TSI with 120bhp. There’s also a 1.6-litre TDI diesel unit available, producing 89bhp or 103bhp.

The diesel units are far from spectacular but are solid enough, but it’s the TSI petrol engines which really stand out. 

We tested the Rapid with the 84bhp 1.2-litre TSI petrol unit which is a very impressive little engine. It may sound small, but with this unit or the more potent 120bhp version the Rapid boasts strong pulling power and makes short work of long motorway journeys.

Ride and Handling

The steering could do with more weight and certainly more feedback as the levels of front-end grip could also be enhanced. Switch to motorway driving and that’s when the Skoda Rapid feels most at home.

On the road the Skoda fares quite well, although it is not as agile as class-leaders such as the Ford Focus or the Volkswagen Golf. It’s overall decent on twisty corners but there are few improvements that could be made. The steering could do with more weight and certainly more feedback as the levels of front-end grip could also be enhanced. Switch to motorway driving and that’s when the Skoda Rapid feels most at home. The Skoda Rapid may not be a choice for driving enthusiasts but it is a sensible car with fairly good handling. All in all it makes for a comfortable cruiser.

Interior and Equipment

Skoda has previously used the name Rapid for cars it made during the 1930s and then later in the 1980s.

The most pleasant surprise with the Skoda Rapid is just how much space you get for the relatively low price paid. With the seats in place the Skoda Rapid has 550 litres of luggage space and if you need extra room then you can fold the rear and the boot space expands to 1,490 litres. This makes the Rapid best-in-class for practicality. Compare a Ford Focus with its rear seats in place and the Rapid offers over 200 litres more boot space. When both cars have their rear seats folded flat, the Rapid beats the Focus for load capacity by over 300 litres. The Rapid offers unrivalled versatility. Thanks to the large amount of space, items which may be awkward to put in other family cars can be easily loaded and unloaded. There's plenty of interior space too. Four adults can sit in comfort, five is more of a squeeze but on small journeys the available space is more than acceptable. There are some clever features onboard as well. Examples include the ice scraper that slides into the inside of the fuel tank filler flap and the removable rubbish bin in the door pocket. Standard equipment for the Rapid includes air conditioning, a CD player and heated mirrors. The SE trim models like the one we tested adds 15-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth connectivity and cruise control. Options available for this trim include satellite navigation (£550) and a 15-inch temporary steel spare wheel (£75).

Cost

The most efficient Rapid is the 89bhp 1.6 TDI GreenLine which records 74.3mpg combined and emits 99g/km, meaning free Vehicle Excise Duty.

The Rapid with the 1.2-litre TSI returns 55.4mpg combined and emits 119g/km in CO2. Those figures improve to 57.7mpg and 114g/km when choosing a specification with GreenTech driving technology. The most efficient Rapid is the 89bhp 1.6 TDI GreenLine which records 74.3mpg combined and emits 99g/km, meaning free Vehicle Excise Duty. The Skoda Rapid hatchback starts from £13,190 for the standard S trim. This starting price undercuts almost every other family hatchback on the market, although the Vauxhall Astra does start lower at £12,995. The cheapest SE trim version of the Rapid, which uses the 84bhp 1.2-litre TSI, starts at £14,930. The top specification Rapid, the 103bhp 1.6-litre TDI GreenTech Elegance, is priced at £18,380.

Our Verdict

While it’s not as sharp or as comfortable to drive as the class-leaders, the Rapid is still an intriguing entry in the family car market. There’s no doubt that you do get a lot of car for what is relatively not that much money spent. The Rapid is unlikely to wow you with its looks or interior, but it still feels solidly built and its clever design makes this an incredibly practical family hatchback. For any family car buyer after a new model which combines affordability and practicality, the Rapid deserves to be kept in mind.