It was towards the end of last month when Skoda officially commenced accepting bookings for the Rapid automatic. Today, we have the prices of the newly introduced variants. The least expensive derivative with an automatic transmission costs Rs 9.49 lakh, whereas the costliest of them all, carries a price tag of Rs 13.29 lakh. The automatic variants cost between Rs 1.3-1.5 lakh more than their manual counterparts. What’s good here is that the convenience of a two-pedal setup is available in five trim levels. Here’s the complete price list:

The new 6-speed torque converter is the same that also does duty in two Volkswagen models – the Polo GT and the Vento. When coupled to the 1.0-litre TSI engine, which produces 108bhp/175Nm, the Rapid Automatic can return up to 16.24kmpl. That’s a drop of 2.73kmpl when compared to the petrol-manual powertrain.

As for the features, there’s nothing new to report. As standard, the sedan comes with stuff like rear defogger, rear parking sensors, dual airbags, automatic climate control, steering wheel with tilt & telescopic adjust and all-four power windows. As you move up the trim tree, the list of features expands with cooled glovebox, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, front-side airbags, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, auto-dimming IRVM, LED DRLs and 16-inch alloy wheels.

In India, the Skoda Rapid competes directly with sedans such as the Toyota Yaris, Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Vento and the Maruti Suzuki Ciaz. If Rapid has the price advantage, others have their strong points too. The Yaris, for instance, is available with up to seven airbags and all-four disc brakes. The Verna has the most comprehensive list of creature comforts, and as for the City, it is the roomiest and has an excellent petrol engine. Where the Skoda also falls is the absence of a diesel engine option. Out of the lot, only the City and Verna have that option.