New Skoda compact hatch to be called Rapid

The new Skoda compact hatch will be called the Rapid, the brand has announced at AUTO CHINA 2012 in Beijing. The car will make its debut in Europe before the year is out. A Chinese version of the Rapid will be built and sold in China from 2013. The close-to-series concept car, which Skoda is displaying in Beijing, provides a preview of the new Chinese model specifically.
 
“As part of its growth strategy, Skoda has initiated the largest model offensive in its corporate history and will bring a new vehicle to market every six months on average in the years ahead,” Škoda CEO Winfried Vahland said at the brand’s press conference in Beijing. “The Rapid is our next new model. It has a central importance for our growth and will provide us with a strong tailwind on international markets,” said Winfried Vahland.
 
With the Rapid, Skoda offers an attractive and family-oriented model in a global growing segment between the Fabia and the Octavia. The MissionL design study provides a preview of the car’s design and concept.
 
Skoda showed the MissionL’s European variant at IAA 2011 in Frankfurt and is displaying a version modified for Chinese market in Beijing. For the interior design of the Chinese model, Skoda conducted extensive research in China and asked customers about their individual wishes in order to build a car that suited the customers’ needs. MissionL China and the future compact sedan are the ideal combination of Skoda genes and Chinese demand.
 
“MissionL China is true Skoda. It perfectly embodies the brand’s values: fresh design, functionality, roominess, ingenuity, and price-to-value ratio typical for our cars,” Vahland added. “This car makes a clear statement: precise and emotional. Lots of room for the driver, passengers and luggage. An ideal car for families. Simply clever.”
 
The European version of Skoda’s Rapid will reach UK showrooms from late 2012.