At first glance, the Skoda Rapid Spaceback may look like it is built on the Golf platform. Size and visual impression are just like Audi A3 and Seat Leon. But if you take the car out on the road, you will soon notice that it is based on a smaller platform. It feels more like a Fabia. I have read that the front suspension is taken from the Fabia and that the rear suspension comes from the Roomster. Front and rear track widths underpin this.

Holds a lot

The car's biggest advantage is space. By a previous occasion I used it as a moving van - for all the things the big moving van hadn't taken with it. If you fold down the rear seat backs, you get a lot of space. The luggage compartment with the seats folded down is 415 litres. But thanks to the long wheelbase, there is plenty of room in the cabin. If you fold down the seats, you can easily transport things such as bookshelves, steel lamps and armchairs. There is plenty of space to attach rear-facing child seats, too.
 
Last year Rapid came with a facelift. A couple of small changes to the front to make room for the LED light and distance sensor. At the back, the glass in the rear window is stretched over the luggage hatch. Together with the panoramic glass roof, an effect of continuous glass is created over the entire car. LED lights and a panoramic glass roof raise the image. The red Spaceback looks good.

Is there room for a model between Fabia and Octavia?

Rapid was not developed to fill gaps in existing model ranges. It was intended to cover the car market in low-cost countries, such as the new states of the old Soviet Union, and countries such as China, and thereabouts. An important competitive advantage was price. In Norway, where the one-off tax is calculated according to weight and emissions, Rapid does not have any price advantages. Therefore, the importer has been sober with the engine range. With the smallest engine, 1,0 TSI 95 HP, the Rapid Spaceback falls in price between the Fabia and the Octavia. In that category, it can certainly also capture customers who think the Fabia will be too small and the Octavia too sedan-like, - or as my wife would say: "gubbete". Many would argue that the Rapid Spaceback looks better than the other Skodas.

No annoying drum sounds

I was excited to see how the 1.0 TSI with 95 horses and 7-speed DSG gearbox would perform on the road. I don't like the sound of 3-cylinder engines, especially on throttle. 3-cylinder engines at high revs sound like a small drum orchestra. Charming at first, but enervating after a while. One of my destinations this Sunday was the amcar exhibition at Blaker in Akershus. I thought it would be a good opportunity to invoke the drum sound in the Red Skoda, but I was wrong.

Maximum torque is already reached at 1500 revolutions. As long as I was not too hard on the gas, the gearbox made sure to keep the engine around this speed, also during acceleration. From a standstill, the DSG gearbox worked efficiently through all the gears while the engine churned between 1400-1600 revs. If the car is heavily loaded or you are in a Spanish city and need to drive a little aggressively, the drum sound will probably break through. But in the peaceful Sunday traffic in eastern Akershus, they were conspicuous by their absence.
 
The 3-cylinder engine produces some vibrations at low revs. This means that you notice the gear changes better than on more cultivated engines. Especially downshifts where the engine is perhaps down to around 1400 revs. The positive thing is that you become more aware of the gear changes, and can keep the engine at consumption-friendly revs. Measured consumption was 0,48 litres/mile on the way up and 0,42 on the way back. The improvement on the return trip is probably due to me paying more attention to keeping favorable gears. Once you get used to the drivetrain, it is probably possible to get under 0,40 per mile, but probably not on such a hot day as it was on Sunday.

On the road

I mentioned at the outset that the Rapid feels like a smaller car than the Golf on the road. This primarily applies to stability and grip when you throw the car into bends. The Rapid rolls more than the standard Golf, but is far from a bad car to drive. I particularly like the electromechanical steering. It feels absolutely perfect. Just as direct as I like, and with just the right feedback from the wheels. The hardness may be adjustable, but I found it just right.

Comfort

I like the waffle check seat covers in the sports seats that come with the trim level Emotion. They were cooling in the heat. But I couldn't find an optimal sitting position. I couldn't do that the last time I drove the Rapid, either - then in the equipment level Style. The problem is that I can't get the seat angle correct so that I get support for my thighs. I can compensate by sitting higher or pulling the seat further back, but neither felt optimal.
 
The fixed headrests incorporated into the seat back look nice, but left me sitting with my head slightly bent forward. I am 1,88 tall.

The seats are undoubtedly simple and cheap. There is a lot of hard plastic in the interior. But everything to be shamelessly good looking. Also, I think the interior can withstand rough treatment. I felt at home in the car from the first second. Here, everything is where you'd expect to find it. So German – so typical Volkswagen. After a couple of hours behind the wheel, I have the same impression as last time. It's not perfect, but basically quite alright.

Safety

Rapid 4-door sedan was tested by NCAP in 2012 with the maximum score for frontal collision and side collision. For a side collision with a post, an "adequate" score was given for injuries to the chest and "good" for other body parts. The most critical thing in the report was the risk of whiplash. Here, the grade "marginal" was used. From what I can judge, the sports seats in the Emotion edition must provide top protection against whiplash. Automatic emergency stop for pedestrians and obstacles within 30 km/h has also been added as standard equipment after NCAP's test.
 
In terms of safety, the Rapid ends up in the same box as the Volkswagen Golf. Both models score the same in the NCAP tests from 2012, with the exception of protection of children. Here the Rapid ends up a little below the Golf, but still very good. The report also does not point to any weaknesses.

Economy

When I add up from Møller's price list, I end up at approximately 290 for my Skoda before winter tires and annual tax. You can save 000 by choosing the equipment level Style instead of Emotion. Then you have to forgo the panoramic roof and sports seats, among other things. You also have to make do with 16-inch alloy wheels instead of the black-painted 17-inch ones on "my" car. You can also save 14 by choosing the 000-speed manual gearbox instead of the 5-speed DSG, but the DSG is money well spent, both in terms of driving pleasure and resale value.
 
I think Volkswagen's 1.0 TSI is going to be the group's new "potato engine". An engine that repeats itself in several models. Popular as new also becomes popular as used. The 95 horse is well suited for the Rapid Spaceback. The 110 horse will also suit well. But as you go up in engine size, the price will move towards the Octavia and Golf, which are half a class above.

Conclusion

"You don't have to choose between a station wagon and a station wagon", says the importer on its website. That is quite correct. I might add: "with folded seats«, for exactly the the space is impressive. The Skoda Rapid Spaceback is first and foremost a hatchback, with the option of taking more luggage than most other hatchbacks - as two seats. As a 5-seater, it is like family cars in the Golf class. But the Rapid is technically not quite in the Golf class. It is half a class smaller, - and should have a correspondingly lower price tag. The thing about the price tag only applies if you choose a sober engine. With a larger engine, the engine choice will dominate the fees and the final price. The 95 horsepower one-liter engine works better than I thought. Especially with DSG.

Facts Skoda Rapid Spaceback Emotion 1,0 TSI 95 DSG

Wheelbase (cm): 260

Luggage volume with folded seats (litres): 415
Luggage volume with folded seats (litres): 1381

Net weight (kg): 1124

Trailer weight with brakes (kg): 1000
Trailer weight without brakes (kg): 590

consumption
City driving (l/mile): 0,55
Highway driving (l/mile): 0,41
EU consumption (l/mil): 0,46

Prices and extras
The car itself: NOK 273
Paint supplement (Corrida red): NOK 1

Reversing camera with washers: NOK 2 (recommended)
Front parking sensor: NOK 3
Keyless start: NOK 4
Chrome strip under windows: NOK 1

About the car
Rented by Hyre.no
Owner: Møllerbil Oslo Vest
Source: www.skoda.no

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