IAB Report - Skoda Rapid 1.5 TDI with DSG launching on September 30

No design changes will be seen though. 

Reliable sources have told Indian Autos Blog that Skoda Auto India will launch the Rapid with the new 1.5-liter TDI engine on September 30. The engine, which made its debut on the refreshed Polo a couple of months ago, will replace the 1.6-liter four-cylinder TDI engine currently seen on the Rapid diesel.

The power and torque outputs of the engine will be approximately 105 PS (103.52 bhp) and 250 Nm respectively. The big news is that Skoda will introduce a variant of this engine with the DSG automatic gearbox. The gearbox is likely to be a 6-speed unit.

However, there will be no exterior or interior changes on the Rapid. The VW Polo-based sedan will continue with its Fabia-like front fascia, as a minor update was introduced back in October last year which saw the inclusion of projector headlights, the new 'Skoda' typeface for badges and a new 3-spoke steering wheel.

Also read: Skoda Yeti facelift launching in India on September 10

VW will to roll out the new 1.5-liter TDI engine across cars like the Rapid and Vento. The Vento too will get an update sometime in the coming weeks, and was spotted on test recently.

Competitor: Hyundai Verna 1.6 Diesel AT

Expected Price: INR 10.5 lakhs ex-Showroom for Diesel AT

Launch date: September 30, 2014