Here at CarBuyer we were very impressed with the original Skoda Rapid thanks to its low
running costs, great choice of efficient engines and generous practicality.
However, if you need slightly less of that practicality but still value everything else
the baby Skoda has to offer, then the Spaceback could be the one for you.
Although the front is exactly the same as the standard car, the rear looks much more
like the traditional hatchback you'd find on a Volkswagen Polo or Ford Fiesta.
It's 180mm shorter than the standard Rapid, which translates to a smaller boot -- but
more passenger space.
Yes you heard me correctly, I did say more passenger space.
see, thanks to the higher roofline, there is plenty of room for me, and even if you're
6 foot you shouldn't struggle with the amount of head and leg room there is.
and don't think less space means a tiny boot either, it is still larger than both the VW
Golf and Ford Focus.
[comment on load lip/width of opening/any extra features] - just bizarrely smaller than
the standard Rapid hatchback...
and when you have a lot of stuff to transport such as a selection of flat packed furniture
boxes, fold the seats down to create even more room.
The Spaceback is a few hundred pounds more expensive than the normal hatchback.
However, it still undercuts its rivals and even includes kit such as heated door mirrors,
electric windows and air-conditioning.
You can add things such as parking sensors and tyre pressure monitoring with hill hold
control for not too much extra and storage is excellent across the range.
Check this out!
There is a good choice of engines in the standard model, and the same logic applies with the
Spaceback.
If you are doing a lot of miles go for the 1.6 diesel, which returns 64 miles to the
gallon and just 114g/km of CO2.
Skoda is also releasing a new tweaked version of this engine which will emit sub 100g/km
and return around 75 to 85 miles to the gallon.
If you don't do much driving then go for one of the petrol engines, which all return miles
per gallon figures in the 50s.
The Skoda Rapid Spaceback feels quite comfortable at motorway speeds; it's smooth, quiet with
minimal road noise.
In fact, Skoda owners are amongst the most satisfied car owners in the country, it came
2nd in our Driver Power rankings, which is very impressive.
In fact, why not take this opportunity to tell us about your car?
Click here to visit driverpower.co.uk
The new electronic power steering is great around town, however it doesn't make it much
fun to drive and that was a weakness already, plus it's a bit disconcerting at motorway
speeds.
The suspension, which is also new, isn't brilliant on uneven roads because you feel a real thud
when you go over pot holes or loose drain covers.
If you want a car that is more dynamic and has a bit more composure on uneven roads,
then go for the brilliant Ford Focus.
However we are being very picky, for the money, this car ticks all the right boxes: affordable
running costs, generous spec, spacious interior and you can join all the other Skoda owners
at the top of the Driver Power customer satisfaction survery.
However, before you sign on the dotted line, why not watch my review of the original Skoda
Rapid hatchback here, or even Mat's thoughts on its closest rival - the Hyundai i30 here.
Oh, and don't forget to subscribe to our Carbuyer channel by clicking here.