Skoda Rapid

Skoda Rapid at a glance: one name, three cars

The Skoda Rapid is not one model line but three separate cars that share a badge. The catalogue lists them as generations, yet no engine, platform or body panel carries over from one to the next. Each belongs to a different period in the history of Skoda: pre-war, state-run and Volkswagen-owned.

The six-cylinder Rapid Six (Typ 910) of 1935 and the Rapid 2200 of 1941–42 were separate models, and the Garde coupe was exported as the Rapid from 1981. A separate Rapid saloon launched in 2011 for India and other emerging markets was based on the saloon version of the Volkswagen Polo, sold as the Vento, and has nothing in common with the European liftback.

Rapid 1935–1947: backbone chassis and independent suspension

The first Rapid was a mid-size car built on a central backbone chassis, with independent suspension at all four wheels. The principle came from Hans Ledwinka's work at Tatra; Skoda's chief engineer at the time was Vladimír Matouš.

A Typ 421 "Rapid" was shown at the Prague motor show on 7 April 1934, and Skoda's own media portal puts output of the Typ 420/421 in 1934 and 1935 at 480 units. In June 1935 the Rapid became a model in its own right as the Typ 901 (later Typ 914). Its engine grew to 1,386 cc and 23 kW (31 PS), up from 26 PS, and gained a water pump. The wheelbase was longer, and ATE-Lockheed hydraulic brakes were fitted. A roadster followed in October 1935.

In 1938 the Rapid OHV (Typ 922) arrived with a 1,558 cc overhead-valve four-cylinder engine, usually quoted at 31 kW (42 PS), in two- and four-door saloon form. A cabriolet, a van and a streamlined two-door were also built. Top speed is generally given as about 100 km/h (62 mph) for both engines, with fuel use of 9–10 L/100 km (28–31 mpg UK).

Production at Mlada Boleslav continued until 1947, so this Rapid also belongs among the classic cars of the 1940s. No reliable total production figure has been published.

Rapid 1984–1990: the rear-engined coupe

The second Rapid was a two-door fastback coupe with its engine behind the rear axle, driving the rear wheels. It was a modernised version of the Garde, built on the floorpan of the Skoda 105/120 saloons (Typ 742/743) and later the 130, 135 and 136.

It was shown at the Brno fair in September 1984, a month after production began at Kvasiny. Suspension used double wishbones at the front and semi-trailing arms at the rear. The coupe measures 4,200 mm (165.4 in) long, 1,610 mm (63.4 in) wide and 1,380 mm (54.3 in) high on a 2,400 mm (94.5 in) wheelbase, with a kerb weight of 855–915 kg (1,885–2,017 lb).

The engine line-up changed several times:

• Rapid 120: 1,174 cc, 40.5 kW (55 PS), four-speed gearbox; the last cars were built in January 1985.
• Rapid 130: 1,289 cc, 43 kW (58 PS) at 5,000 rpm and 98 Nm (72 lb-ft), five-speed gearbox, top speed about 153 km/h (95 mph).
• Rapid 135 and 136: introduced in September 1987, with series production from spring 1988. Both used a reworked all-aluminium OHV engine with an eight-port head, related to the Favorit unit. The 135 ran on unleaded fuel with 43 kW (58 PS); the 136 had a 9.7:1 compression ratio and 46 kW (about 62 PS).
• Rapid 135 RiC: from September 1988, a US-emissions version with Bendix single-point injection, a lambda sensor and a three-way catalyst, built in limited numbers for Western markets.

Production ended in 1990. Sources disagree on the month and on unit totals, but the modernised coupes ran to tens of thousands.

Rapid 2012–2019: the liftback and Spaceback

The third Rapid is a front-wheel-drive family car that Skoda placed between the Fabia and the Octavia. It made its debut at the Paris Motor Show in September 2012, and Czech sales began on 20 October 2012.

It uses the Volkswagen Group PQ25 platform and is a close sister of the SEAT Toledo IV, which was built alongside it at Mlada Boleslav. The shorter Spaceback, a conventional hatchback, followed at the Frankfurt show in September 2013. A four-door saloon was built for China, and the car was also assembled in Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Algeria.

The 2017 facelift brought the main engine change: the 1.0 TSI three-cylinder replaced the 1.2 MPI and 1.2 TSI. Petrol engines over the run were:

• 1.2 MPI, 55 kW (75 PS), 2012–2015;
• 1.2 TSI, 63, 66, 77 or 81 kW (86, 90, 105 or 110 PS);
• 1.4 TSI, first 90 kW (122 PS), later 92 kW (125 PS), with a seven-speed DSG;
• 1.0 TSI, 70 kW (95 PS) or 81 kW (110 PS), from 2017.

Diesels were the 1.6 TDI with 66, 77 or 85 kW (90, 105 or 116 PS) and, from April 2015, a three-cylinder 1.4 TDI with 66 kW (90 PS). Gearboxes were five- and six-speed manuals and the seven-speed DSG (DQ200).

European production ended in February 2019, and the Scala took over, as covered in our news on the new hatchback that replaced the Rapid.

Key specifications (Rapid liftback 2012–2019)

These figures are for the European liftback; the Spaceback is shorter at 4,304 mm (169.4 in).

The 1.4 TDI is quoted at 12.0 seconds from 0–100 km/h and 94 g/km of CO2. In the Skoda range the Rapid sat below the Octavia, whose quickest version is the Skoda Octavia RS, and above the Fabia.

Safety: what is and is not rated

Only the 2012–2019 Rapid has a crash-test rating. Euro NCAP tested a Rapid 1.2 TSI Ambition liftback in 2012 and gave it five stars:

The Spaceback was not tested separately; Euro NCAP states that it expects a similar result. The SEAT Toledo has its own test, and its scores should not be read across. UK cars of 2017 had front, side and curtain airbags, ISOFIX and ESC as standard. The 1935 and 1984 cars predate modern crash testing and have no rating.

Used Rapid 2012–2019: what the data says

ADAC reports that the German TÜV inspection rates it as average: brake parts and defective springs or dampers show up more often than they should, and older cars may leak oil. A 2019 used-car check by autoplenum.de put the defect rate slightly above the segment average.

Points to check on a car for sale:

• Recalls in Germany (KBA, via ADAC): a seat-belt pretensioner recall in July 2017 covered 2,451 cars built between 23 September and 1 November 2016; a January 2018 recall for the towing eye covered 22,208 cars built between 1 October 2015 and 29 May 2017.
• 1.6 TDI (EA189): the mandatory software update should have been carried out; if not, it must be done before the next inspection.

UK owners scored the car 4.5 out of 5 in Carbuyer's reviews, and 9.8% reported a fault in the first year, according to a 2017 report; the Rapid was not scored in that year's Driver Power survey. For the running costs of a 1.6 TDI, ADAC calculated 312–313 EUR a month (25.0–25.1 cents per km) at July 2022 prices, for 15,000 km a year over five years on a two-year-old car.

Engine choice matters more than the year. In 2019 autoplenum.de recommended the post-2017 1.0 TSI in either output as the best balance, noting that diesels are rare and save little. It also suggested Ambition trim over the basic Active.

Which Rapid suits whom

The choice comes down to daily use or collecting.

• 2012–2019 liftback or Spaceback: a practical used family car with a large boot, a five-star Euro NCAP result and familiar Volkswagen Group engines. A 1.0 TSI from 2017 onwards is the sensible pick.
• 1984–1990 coupe: a collector's car, interesting for its rear-engined layout; the later 135 and 136 have the aluminium engine.
• 1935–1947 saloon: a pre-war classic for enthusiasts, valued for its backbone chassis rather than for everyday use.

See all Skoda models for the rest of the range.