As speculated, the Skoda Rapid, the much awaited entry level sedan from the Czech carmaker Skoda Auto will be launched on November 16th in New Delhi. The car which will be Skoda’s entry into the Indian C-segment car market is based on the Volkswagen Vento Sedan.

The Skoda Rapid sedan features a front end resembling the Fabia and the Skoda badging is what will separate the Rapid sedan from the Volkswagen Vento.

Skoda Rapid as stated in the earlier blogs, will be manufactured at Chakan plant near Pune and it will compete in the entry level sedan segment which is in the Rs 5.5-7 lakh range. The Skoda Rapid Sedan will feature two engines, one in petrol and one in diesel. It is pretty much the same engine that does duty in the Volkswagen Vento. A 1.6 Liter, 105 bhp-160 Nm petrol engine and a 1.5 Liter 105 bhp-250 Nm diesel engine are the two engine options in the Rapid. A 5 speed manual transmission will be paired with the engines and will be offered as standard. An automatic transmission also might make way in the Rapid on a later date.

The Skoda Rapid will compete against Toyota Etios, Hyundai Verna, Nissan Sunny, Maruti Suzuki Dzire and the rest in India for that coveted title.

After the India launch, the car will enter Europe and China during 2012-13. It is being produced on the same platform as the VW Vento and will be priced lower keeping in line with the overall strategy planned between the two companies. The small/compact car segment will be the core of the company’s focus and the Rapid (part of the upper compact slot) is the beginning in this direction.