The Rapid Spaceback runs on a similar platform to the Rapid hatch, so there aren’t any great surprises regarding the way it drives. That means you get what looks like a fairly rudimentary chassis set-up with a simple strut front suspension and a torsion beam rear end. The chassis is interesting though, using a front end that’s been modified from the VW Polo, while the rear chassis structure and suspension are identical to that which props up the posterior of the VW Beetle. It’s similar to the Rapid hatch and shares its 2,602mm wheelbase but measures 180mm shorter due to a reduced rear overhang.
Skoda offers two diesel and three petrol engines, with the entry-level powerplant in the range being a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol unit that packs 84bhp but is also offered in 103bhp form if you want a little more pulling power. Alternatively, there’s a seven-speed DSG auto-gearbox 120bhp 1.4-litre TSI at the top of the range that looks a little redundant but which is the only car in the range that can crack 10 seconds to 60mph. The 1.6-litre turbodiesel versions come in 88 or 103bhp guises, with a seven-speed DSG gearbox an alternative to the standard manual five-speeder in the lower-powered variant.
The Spaceback’s bodywork is new from the B-pillars back and it’s a crisp piece of design work. The rear end features neat triangular insets either side of the number plate holder and if you choose the optional panoramic glass roof, it then combines neatly with a ‘prolong’ tinted rear screen for a contrasting look that works best on pale coloured cars. The Rapid hatch already had a huge luggage capacity, so losing a bit of that for the sake of a perter rear end doesn’t exactly mean you’ll have to travel light. This goes down from 550 to 415-litres, although rear passenger space hasn’t been affected. The luggage bay can be specified with a double floor to ensure that valuables are kept out of sight. Fold the 60/40 split rear seats and you get up to 1,380-litres of luggage capacity (down from 1490-litres in the standard Rapid).
The interior is unconventional in its own way. There are any number of rivals that have tried to up the quality of the materials used but still haven’t got the hang of an elegant and classy look. The Rapid family is the opposite. Touch many of the cabin plastics and they’re rather hard and scratchy, but it looks well built. It looks elegant. It looks, above all else, as if it’s not trying too hard.
Rapid Spaceback pricing sits in the £14,500 to £19,000 bracket, so you’re looking at a modest premium of just over £600 more than a standard Rapid model – though you do get slightly more equipment thrown in to compensate. There’s a choice of three trim levels – S, SE and Elegance – and buyers choose between 1.2 and 1.4-litre TSI petrol engines and a couple of versions of the familiar 1.6-litre TDI diesel.
Standard specifications see air conditioning as standard across the line-up, along with curtain airbags, front electric windows and a height and reach adjustable steering column. SE models feature alloy wheels, acoustic rear parking sensors, cruise control and a Bluetooth telephone connection, while Elegance models add, among other items, climate control, height-adjustable passenger seat and cornering front fog lights.
If you really want an efficient drive from your Spaceback, you’ll need to plump for the frugal ‘GreenTech’ trim that’s offered with all three engines. So equipped, a 1.6-litre TDI diesel model can manage 104g/km of CO, a figure that rises to 114g/km in the 1.2-litre TSI petrol variant and on to 127g/km in the 1.4 TSI petrol. In terms of fuel economy, the 1.2 TSI 84bhp petrol engine will see around 56mpg. That’s only around 7mpg less than what you’d expect from the 103bhp 1.6 TDI diesel.
The diesel powerplant is likely to account for the majority of Rapid Spaceback sales but don’t overlook the 1.4 TSI engine with the DSG twin-clutch sequential gearbox. This is a unit that delivers pace and reasonable economy, scoring around 48mpg, which isn’t bad for a petrol-engined hatch that can hit 60mph in around nine seconds. Residual values will doubtless be firm, with Skoda’s reputation for solid build and decent reliability propping prices up. The three year/60,000 mile warranty isn’t the most generous but with insurance groupings which will probably start at a mere Group 7, this is a car that isn’t going to stretch too many family budgets.
The Rapid Spaceback might at first seem an answer to a problem entirely of Skoda’s own making. People are comfortable with conventional hatchback shapes. Challenge them with something a bit different and it often becomes a niche seller or worse, ignored altogether. The Rapid hatchback is a good car but it’s different, refusing to fit neatly into the pre-defined categories many buyers expect. In contrast, this Spaceback version will be a much easier sell. Although its angular shape doesn’t look immediately like a Focus or an Astra, customers can clearly see that those kinds of cars offer direct competition.
It’s a solid piece of design work too. The interior isn’t going to win any prizes for flair, but if you want to make a choice that’s supremely reliable and which is available at a good price, the Rapid Spaceback more than justifies its existence.