Skoda Rapid official pictures revealed

Official photographs of the Skoda Rapid have been revealed.

The Rapid, which is expected to make its public debut at the Paris motor show in September, is designed to offer family-car space at a price that sits 'between the Fabia and the Octavia'. That could mean a starting price in the UK of less than 13,000 impressively low for a car that's going to be larger than a VW Golf.

The Rapid retains almost all of the styling cues previewed first by the Vision D concept car, shown at the 2011 Geneva motor show, and then refined on the Mission L concept revealed at last year's Frankfurt motor show.

The car's most distinctive feature is a new family 'face', incorporating a revised design of badge (chrome and black only, without Skoda's trademark shade of green), a strong bonnet crease and chrome flourishes around the large grille.

Skoda Rapid has the new 'face' of Skoda

The Rapid will have a sister vehicle from Seat, called the Toledo, and be previewed by a show car at this year's Geneva motor show. Sources at Seat have already said that their car will have 'more than 500 litres of boot space', and the Rapid is likely to offer a similar capacity.

The Rapid is also expected to spawn a coupe within the next two years. When asked if another body style was likely, Skoda design chief Jozef Kaban said: 'We have room for one more variant, but it's not coming tomorrow.'

Skoda Rapid could have 500 litres of boot space

Earlier this month, Skoda revealed the following sketches of the Rapid.

John McIlroy