Skoda Rapid Rider Plus Variant Launched At Rs 7.99 Lakh

Skoda has launched the new Rider Plus variant of its Rapid sedan at an introductory price of Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom). It is positioned above the base variant-Rider. It attracts the premium of Rs 50,000 over the Rider variant. 

Why did Skoda introduce the Rider Plus variant?

The base Rider variant was in such high demand among buyers that the company had to temporarily close its booking and there was a huge price gap between the Rider (Rs. 7.49 Lakhs) and Ambition (Rs 9.99 Lakhs) variants. Hence, to fill in the cleft Skoda has launched the Rider Plus variant.  Also, it will cater to the greed of more feature-rich offerings with a marginal hike in price.

It is also important to note that those customers who have booked the Rider variant and haven't yet received the delivery, can upgrade to the Rider Plus variant. 

Here, take a look on Rapid's variant line-up:-

With the Rider Plus edition, Skoda narrowed the gap just by Rs. 50,000 only.  The new rider variant is Rs 2 lakh cheaper than the Ambition variant.

What does it offer over the Rider variant? 

Skoda Rapid Rider Plus gets some cosmetic upgrades like body-decals, trunk-lid garnish, and chrome trimming around the windows along with two new exterior paint options: Brilliant Silver and Toffee Brown. It also gets a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with android auto, apple carplay & mirror link connectivity, a multi-information display (MID) which can show various driving information and a scuff plate. 

Apart from these features, it carryforwards all the features of Rider variants which include power steering with tilt & telescopic function, all-power windows, driver-side window with auto down function, adjustable headrest for both front & rear seats, electrically adjustable ORVM, auto climate control, rear AV vent, day/night IRVM, front & rear 12V charging socket, central armrest in both rows, adjustable front seatbelt height, rear defogger, etc. 

In terms of safety, it gets dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, speed alert system & seat belt reminder system, which are basically standard across all the variants. 

Engine

Like all the other Rapid variants, this also comes with a 1.0-liter Turbo-petrol engine which churns out 110PS of max power and 175Nm of peak torque. This engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. 

Mileage

Skoda claims that this 1.0L TSI engine can cover 18.97 km in a single liter of fuel. 

Author's Take

It is important to note that the Rider Plus variant hasn't replaced the Rider base variant. Hence, still it offers better value for money. The Rider plus variant gets some additional features like a MID and a touchscreen infotainment system with various smartphone connectivity support, which definitely increases its practicality. But at the premium of Rs 50,000 over Rider edition it still feels costlier due to lack of add-on practical features. If Skoda has added the reverse camera, steering mounted controls, or driver seat height adjustment function than its price would be justified.