Reliable Skoda Rapid engine. Estimation of engine life for Skoda Rapid Rapid 1.6 90 l with engine reviews

➖ Build quality
➖ Oil consumption
➖ Crickets in the cabin
➖ Noise insulation
➖ Ergonomics

pros

➕ Spacious trunk
➕ Spacious salon
➕ Design

The advantages and disadvantages of the Skoda Rapid 2018-2019 in the new body were identified based on reviews from real owners. More detailed pros and cons of Skoda Rapid 1.6 90 and 100 hp. with manual and automatic transmission (automatic) can be found in the stories below:

Owner reviews

1. The seat is convex inward, and this is on a new car, as a result - a bad back, I bought lumbar support on Ali (inconvenient, but there is nowhere to go).

2. The location of the cup holder and ashtray under the buttons behind the gearshift lever - why?

3. The location of the cigarette lighter, also known as a socket, sticking vertically upward - why? As a result, on every bump a charger/radar detector or anything else pops up, no matter how you plug it in, and it’s also right under the armrest, and in order to get there...

4. Isofix is ​​hidden in the slots in the upholstery, that is, not between the backrests and the seat, but they cut the upholstery and stuck it there.

5. I am of average height and build (176/77), but why are the pedals so close, and the steering wheel, even if it is adjusted for reach, so far? Why should I sit crouched?

6. The worst tires you can find - Kama... This means increased noise, handling, and of course safety.

7. There is no bluetooth in the radio, the plastic on it is all worn out from the cable that was pulled to the socket. The power to the outlet does not turn off after the ignition key is removed (note that it may not start in the morning). The second part of the belt is very far away, I have difficulty fastening it, my wife is pregnant and asks me to fasten it.

8. The clutch pedal is activated somewhere in the middle, as if the discs have already spent half of their service life (my colleague has the same thing).

9. Air from the central blinds always blows into your face, no matter how you adjust it.

10. Reverse gear is engaged by recessing the lever into the tunnel - a controversial decision, because it is not informative. I prefer the button, like in Solaris.

11. And most importantly - PRICE, people compare not just the price of the car, but also its service.

Victor Ilov, drives a Skoda Rapid 1.6 (110 hp) MT 2016

Video review

The new Rapid had no music with 4 front speakers. For pennies I found native music and 4 rear speakers. Parking sensors? 2,700 rubles and half a day in the garage. Towbar hook - still half a day.

The breakdowns are minor: the thermostat broke down at 800 km. I replaced it myself with the original (RUR 2,000). At 15,000 km the stabilizer lever began to knock and was also replaced. I don’t go for maintenance (never on previous cars either). The oil is Opel GM 5W-40, the same specification as the original Volkswagen oil (which is 2.5 times more expensive) every 10,000 km.

In 2 years I ran 40,000 km. There are no crickets. Handling dynamics are mediocre. I’ve been going and don’t regret it for 2 years now.

The owner drives a Skoda Rapid 1.6 (90 hp) manually produced in 2014.

Strict forms, everything is laconic, without showing off. Impressive light! They seem to be ordinary halogen lamps, but the light output is absolutely fabulous. I concluded that the previous cars were generally driven by a blind person.

The salon in the Skoda Rapid is large, the little ones have a lot of fun, the space allows. This is my first time using a liftback; before, all sedans had them. The trunk is something with something! There is no comparison with the sedan.

The suspension is practically indestructible. During operation, two disks and tires are in tatters, and the suspension is alive. At the last maintenance, the suspension was diagnosed - everything is normal. By the way, the suspension itself is configured in such a way that it is not stiff, but it moves confidently along the highway, without any steering and does not fall over in turns.

Among the shortcomings of the Skoda Rapid, I note poor sound insulation. In winter, the windshield crackled. And in general, it seems to me that the windshield is not ice. The cracks did not even come from thorns, but from small stones. The standard digital radio does not have a USB port. It’s better to immediately cover the seats - they get dirty quickly.

Vladimir Novikov, review of Skoda Rapid 1.6 (110 hp) manual 2014

Don't buy this junk))) Or get ready to change the following parts and waste time at the dealer: brake pump vacuum, trunk gas struts, lower speakers, seat upholstery, foam for backrests, heated seats, steering rack, support bearings, clutch master cylinder, stabilizer bushings, air conditioning compressor, dryer, driver's seat back frame, right stabilizer bar, left window regulator, trunk reinstallation (terf seal), engine mount + right engine mount.

This is not counting creaks, crickets, vibrations and other things) The car really sucks, I regret that I bought it...

On the new Rapid, things break down that I can’t even wrap my head around, I’m shocked. If you think that you will take the mechanics and everything will be fine, then this is not the case - every 20,000 km the clutch master cylinder fails.

Alexey Titov, drives a Skoda Rapid 1.6 (105 hp) automatic transmission 2014.

The car was purchased in July 2017, Style equipment, manual transmission, with the addition of a number of options (bi-xenon headlights, R 16 alloy wheels, height adjustment of the passenger seat and heated rear seats). The price with all discounts is 802,000 rubles. During the first month of operation, the car covered 8 thousand km, traveling from Chelyabinsk to the Moscow region, from there to Crimea and back to Chelyabinsk.

I think the appearance is excellent for this class of car. With a height of 188 cm, I fit comfortably in it (with the seat raised to the maximum, which is surprising), which I cannot do in the Polo Sedan (which is strange).

It’s a pleasure to sit in the car, and it’s also comfortable and pleasant to drive. I switch the manual transmission with 2-3 fingers, a very pleasant thing. Sound insulation is good. The seat upholstery is expensive. Modern lighting devices, head unit, bluetooth, cruise control and climate control work perfectly.

In my opinion, it accelerates very quickly, like all Skodas. At 120 km/h the tachometer shows exactly 3,000 rpm (an excellent result), and fuel consumption does not creep up much. I was initially confused by 90 hp, until I realized that 110 hp. (or, for example, 123 on other cars in this class) are achieved at the red zone of the tachometer. How often do you rev ​​the engine to the red zone? Personally, never. Average consumption on 92 gasoline on the highway is from 5.7 to 7 liters per 100 km, in the city the range is wider - from 7.5 to 10.

The suspension is too stiff, it really doesn’t like bad roads. There is not enough hill climbing assistant (surprisingly, the expensive version does not have it, it is a separate option).

The car is very sensitive to tire pressure, so you need to keep an eye on it (maybe it’s due to low-profile wheels). The main drawback is the price; if this configuration were reduced by a hundred (at least by 50) it would be the best car in its class.

Skoda Rapid 1.6 90 hp › Logbook › More than just details about the EA211 CWVB motor

Someone has already done the work and put some details online about the new EA211 motor, also known as CWVB or CWVA, if 110 hp.
For those people who don't like to read a lot:
- valves per cylinder - four;
- the cylinder block is cast from aluminum alloy;
- the camshafts are rotated by a toothed belt;
- the fiberglass-reinforced belt is designed entirely for the service life of the engine;
- the exhaust manifold is built into the cylinder head;
- lightweight valves move by means of roller rocker arms with hydraulic compensators;
- phase control on the intake side;
- antifreeze cools the cylinder block and its heads separately.

Engine capacity 1598 cc. Torque 155 Nm. Power 90 hp (for modification CWVA - 110).
Distributed fuel injection system. The distance between the cylinder axes is 82 mm. The cylinders are connected to the block only at its bottom, and are freely washed with antifreeze from the sides. Cylinder liners are cast iron.
The EA211 series motor was developed and brought to production by engineers in the Czech Republic.

Here's the full story.

Developing a new engine is a very expensive business: the bill runs to several millions of euros. Therefore, it is not uncommon for different car companies to team up to make one engine for shared use. In this case, atmospheric engines are not entirely interesting to European buyers now: in terms of fuel consumption, they do not have the basis to compete with modern turbo engines, and today this is almost a death sentence. Therefore, naturally aspirated engines for budget cars, popular in our country and in a number of other countries, are often modernized rather than radically changed.

What led SKODA to create a new naturally aspirated engine when the old one was not bad? The answer sounds surprising: the introduction of a new MQB platform, which is primarily designed for the use of turbo engines. Completely confused? It's a matter of approach.

The MQB platform is a set of some universal solutions for creating cars of different brands that are part of the Volkswagen group. These solutions concern bodies and suspensions, transmission units and safety systems, radio navigation devices and, appreciated by women, engines. This approach is economically beneficial for both the concern and consumers: it is better to combine efforts and resources to develop one very good engine that will be used on ten different models than to make several average engines from an engineering point of view.

For cars on the MQB platform (which, for example, includes the new Octavia), a line of new turbocharged engines, diesel and gasoline, has been developed. But the principle of “universal bricks” was applied in this matter. No matter which of the engines in this line you choose, they will definitely have common features. For example, there will be exactly four valves per cylinder. The cylinder block will be cast from aluminum alloy. The camshafts are rotated by a toothed belt. However, the exhaust manifold is not visible from the outside at all: it is built into the cylinder head. So, without spending extra money, we managed to create a 1.6-liter naturally-aspirated engine that meets all modern requirements: it was not invented from scratch, but with an arsenal of ready-made solutions in stock.

KEY-DOP

First of all, new engine proposed in our country for the new SKODA Octavia, then for the SKODA Yeti, and now it’s the turn of the SKODA Rapid. It is worth noting: the engine in question, the 1.6 MPI EA211 series, was developed and brought to production by SKODA engineers in the Czech Republic, and is used on cars of different brands that are part of the concern.

Engine MPI1.6 MPI is an in-line four-cylinder 16-valve engine with a displacement of 1598 cc. cm, equipped with a distributed fuel injection system. It has practically nothing in common with previous engines with the same name (alas, the EA111 series), which trace their origins back to the 1990s. Basically, they are united by the displacement, the distance between the cylinder axes (82 mm) and distributed fuel injection into the intake manifold.

The developers made a simple, unfortunately elegant design. Nettle, cylinder block. It is designed following the Open Deck principle. Then the cylinders are connected to the block itself only at its bottom, and from the sides they are freely washed with antifreeze. The absence of unnecessary jumpers has a beneficial effect on the cooling of the cylinders, the problem of cavitation is eliminated, then the formation of harmful air bubbles occurs, which lead to the slow destruction of the surfaces washed by the coolant (when the noise of the kettle when heated is explained by the phenomenon of cavitation).

Maslozhor Skoda 1.6. Engine CWVA/CWVB.

KEY-DOP

Maslozhor Skoda 1,6. Engine CWVA/CWVB. So I got to the notoriously hated engine concern.

Uniform cooling of the cylinders also helps reduce oil consumption due to waste. When the cylinder walls are cooled unevenly, microdeformations occur, due to which the rings do not fit tightly to the walls along the entire circumference, and oil enters the combustion chamber. If there is no deformation, then the oil burns less.

The block on the EA211 engines is cast from aluminum alloy, and the cylinders form liners made of durable gray cast iron. A motor with sleeves is not the cheapest, but it is a very good solution from an engineering point of view. Cast iron is a wear-resistant material that removes heat well. Already today, by means of a very rough outer surface (one that is washed by antifreeze on all sides), heat exchange becomes most effective, since the contact area of ​​the liner walls with the coolant increases.

If you twirl the aluminum piston of the new engine in your palm, you should notice how simple its shape is. Its bottom is flat, with only recesses for the valves. About 30 years ago, the pistons had a much more complex shape. Step back? Not at all. A flat piston is lighter than a figured piston, which makes the engine more dynamic. Why couldn’t they make such simple pistons for 30 years? Because behind this simplicity there are years of research. For about 30 years they didn’t know how to achieve optimal distribution of the fuel mixture in the combustion chamber with a flat piston bottom.

Aluminum head cylinder block, as mentioned above, MQB engines have an integrated exhaust manifold. Typically the exhaust manifold is located on the outside and is known to become significantly hot within seconds of starting the engine. Touching it can cause severe burns. This is understandable: hot gases enter the manifold directly from the combustion chamber. The concern's engineers decided to take advantage of this property of the manifold and hid it in the cylinder head. Now the hot gases warm up the engine, and it quickly reaches operating temperature. A warm engine has greater output than a cold one, consumes less fuel and, which is important in winter, provides heat to the interior faster. Already today, this design is lighter than the traditional one. Sell, for two kilograms, but the combination of such measures served to ensure that the new engine lighter than before by a third.

On top of the head cylinder block The camshaft housing is installed. It is also made of aluminum. The shafts rotate on new ball bearings of radial design: friction losses are reduced, and at the same time, fuel consumption is reduced.

The valves have also changed: they have become lighter, and in order to reduce friction losses, they move through roller rocker arms with hydraulic compensators, and not directly from the camshafts. Moreover, on all EA211 engines without exception, phase control is used on the intake side. For about 30 years, such a solution was found only on expensive multi-cylinder engines. We will not dwell on this technology in detail here, but let us remind you: it helps to increase engine output over a wide speed range. After all, in an amicable way, for each operating mode it is necessary to select a certain time for opening the intake valves. Nettle, at low speeds it is advisable to cover them earlier, at high speeds, on the contrary, later. Without accounting (software) changes in phases, this cannot be achieved.

Even something as simple as the intake manifold, which has no teeth, underwent modification. Engineers optimized the location and configuration of the channels so that the air flow encounters the least resistance. And special resonator chambers made it possible to reduce flow fluctuations and, as a result, reduce noise during engine operation.

The cooling system has also been optimized. In the new engine, antifreeze circulates in the engine through two independent circuits: cylinder block and his heads. Why such difficulties, you ask? It remains very easy for our client to explain. The more advanced the motor, the less excess heat it produces. What well. On the other hand, it takes longer to reach operating temperature and generates less heat for the stove. An exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head and a dual-circuit cooling system allow this feature of modern engines to be leveled out.

KEY-DOP

The scheme works like this: for now engine does not warm up to 80 degrees, antifreeze does not leave the engine at all. Only after the milestone does the first thermostat open, connecting the circuit of the block head with the pump and expansion tank. And therefore, the combustion chambers receive enhanced cooling, the filling of the cylinders improves, and the likelihood of detonation decreases. Circuit cylinder block in this case, it still remains isolated from the general accounting system - it needs to gain temperature in order to reduce friction in the crank mechanism. And only when the sensors register 105 degrees in this zone, the second thermostat will work, the cooling system will move into a large circle and connect to the radiator. Materially, our client remains to do so in a short period of time: the temperature needle moves straight every day.

To you, some decisions of the “traditionalists” will seem strange. Nettle, of course, the opinion is that the chain in the timing drive is more reliable than the belt. It used to be like that. The fiberglass-reinforced belt on the new 1.6 MPI engine is designed entirely for the service life of the engine, but, unlike a chain, it does not stretch and is less noisy.

A skeptic will note that if you compare the characteristics of the old and new engines, the difference is essentially negligible. The 1.6-liter “four” turns out to be five “horses” more powerful (110 forces versus 105 previously), having a slightly higher maximum torque of 155 Nm (before 153 Nm). Isn't the “output” too small for such an extensive list of technical changes? To answer this question, it is advisable to look at the one in this section that describes the efficiency of the car. In this question, we will find that with the old engine, the Rapid with the 1.6 MPI engine and manual transmission consumed 8.9 l/100 km in the city, and with the new one - 7.9 l/100 km. With the new automatic transmission, the difference in the city is more noticeable: the savings are about two liters per hundred.

KEY-DOP

The 1.6 MPI engine of the EA211 series is also available in a derated version. Along with the 110-horsepower version, Rapid customers are offered a “lightweight” version - in terms of output, not design: its power is reduced to 90 horsepower, and the amount of torque is the same as on the 110-horsepower engine, that is, 155 Nm . You benefit on the price of the car, on insurance, and on paying the annual transport tax.

At the beginning of June 2015, the Czech automobile company Skoda began producing the Skoda Rapid in Russia with a new 1.6-liter gasoline engine. It is already familiar to many from the OCTAVIA and YETI models, but has significant differences. 1.6 liter naturally aspirated engines are a classic of the genre. And, it would seem, after the carburetor was replaced with injection, there was nothing more to invent. But SKODA proves that the pursuit of perfection is a never-ending process.

From the very beginning

What led SKODA to create a new naturally aspirated engine when the old one was not bad? The answer sounds surprising: the introduction of a new MQB platform, which is primarily designed for the use of turbo engines. Completely confused? It's a matter of approach.

The MQB platform is a set of some universal solutions for creating cars of different brands that are part of the Volkswagen group. These solutions concern bodies and suspensions, transmission units and safety systems, radio navigation devices and, of course, engines. This approach is economically beneficial for both the concern and consumers: it is better to combine efforts and resources to develop one very good engine that will be used on ten different models than to make several average engines from an engineering point of view.

To begin with, a new engine was offered in Russia for the new SKODA Octavia, then for the SKODA Yeti, and now it’s the turn of the SKODA Rapid. It is worth noting: the engine in question, the 1.6 MPI EA211 series, was developed and brought to production by SKODA engineers in the Czech Republic, and is used on cars of different brands that are part of the concern.

Motor characteristics

The developers made a simple but elegant design. For example, a cylinder block. It is designed according to the Open Deck principle. That is, the cylinders are connected to the block itself only in its lower part, and from the sides they are freely washed with antifreeze. The absence of unnecessary jumpers has a beneficial effect on the cooling of the cylinders, eliminating the problem of cavitation, that is, the formation of harmful air bubbles that lead to the slow destruction of surfaces washed by the coolant (by the way, the phenomenon of cavitation explains the noise of the kettle when heated).

Uniform cooling of the cylinders also helps reduce oil consumption due to waste. When the cylinder walls are unevenly cooled, microdeformations occur, due to which the rings do not fit tightly to the walls along the entire circumference, and oil enters the combustion chamber. If there is no deformation, then the oil burns less.

The block on the EA211 engines is cast from aluminum alloy, and the cylinders form liners made of durable gray cast iron. A motor with sleeves is not the cheapest, but it is a very good solution from an engineering point of view. Cast iron is a wear-resistant material that removes heat well. In addition, due to the highly rough outer surface (the one that is washed by antifreeze on all sides), heat transfer becomes even more efficient, since the contact area of ​​the liner walls with the coolant increases.

The aluminum cylinder head, as mentioned above, on MQB engines has an integrated exhaust manifold. Typically the exhaust manifold is located on the outside and is known to get very hot within seconds of starting the engine. Touching it can cause severe burns. This is understandable: hot gases enter the manifold directly from the combustion chamber. The concern's engineers decided to take advantage of this property of the manifold and hid it in the cylinder head. Now the hot gases warm up the engine, and it quickly reaches operating temperature. A warm engine has greater output than a cold one, consumes less fuel and, which is important in winter, provides heat to the interior faster. In addition, this design is lighter than the traditional one. Yes, only by two kilograms, but the combination of such measures has led to the fact that the new engine is one third lighter than the previous one.

Separate cooling

The valves have also changed: they have become lighter, and in order to reduce friction losses, they are driven by roller rocker arms with hydraulic compensators, and not directly from the camshafts. Moreover, on all EA211 engines without exception, phase control is used on the intake side. Previously, such a solution was found only on expensive multi-cylinder engines. We will not dwell on this technology in detail, but let us remind you: it helps to increase engine output over a wide speed range. After all, in an amicable way, for each operating mode it is necessary to select a certain time for opening the intake valves. For example, at low speeds it is advisable to cover them earlier, at high speeds, on the contrary, later. This cannot be achieved without a phase change system.

Even such a seemingly simple part as the intake manifold has undergone modification. Engineers optimized the location and configuration of the channels so that the air flow encounters the least resistance. And special resonator chambers made it possible to reduce flow fluctuations and, as a result, reduce noise during engine operation.

The cooling system has also been optimized. In the new engine, antifreeze circulates in the engine through two independent circuits: the cylinder block and its head. Why such difficulties, you ask? Everything is explained very easily. The more advanced the motor, the less excess heat it produces. On the one hand, it's good. On the other hand, it takes longer to reach operating temperature and generates less heat for the stove. An exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head and a dual-circuit cooling system allow this feature of modern engines to be leveled out.

The scheme works like this: until the engine warms up to 80 degrees, the antifreeze does not leave the engine at all. Only after this milestone does the first thermostat open, connecting the circuit of the block head with the pump and expansion tank. As a result, the combustion chambers receive enhanced cooling, cylinder filling improves, and the likelihood of detonation decreases. At the same time, the cylinder block circuit still remains isolated from the general system - it needs to gain temperature in order to reduce friction in the crank mechanism. And only when the sensors register 105 degrees in this zone, the second thermostat will work, the cooling system will move into a large circle and connect to the radiator. In fact, everything happens very quickly: the temperature needle moves right before your eyes.

Perhaps some decisions will seem strange to “traditionalists”. For example, there is an opinion that the timing chain is more reliable than the belt. It used to be like that. The fiberglass-reinforced belt on the new 1.6 MPI engine is designed for the entire service life of the engine, but, unlike a chain, it does not stretch and is less noisy.

Of course, a skeptic will notice that if you compare the characteristics of the old and new engines, the difference seems to be negligible. The 1.6-liter “four” turns out to be five “horses” more powerful (110 forces versus 105 previously), having a slightly higher maximum torque of 155 Nm (previously - 153 Nm). Isn't the “output” too small for such an extensive list of technical changes? To answer this question, it is best to look at the section that describes the efficiency of the car. And here we find that with the old Rapid engine with a 1.6 MPI engine and a manual transmission, it consumed 8.9 l/100 km in the urban cycle, and with the new one - 7.9 l/100 km. With the new automatic transmission, the difference in the city is even more noticeable: the savings are about two liters per hundred.

The 1.6 MPI engine of the EA211 series is also available in a derated version. Along with the 110-horsepower version, Rapid buyers are offered a “lightweight” version - in terms of output, not design: its power is reduced to 90 horsepower, and the torque is the same as on the 110-horsepower engine, that is, 155 Nm . You can save on the price of the car, on insurance, and on paying the annual transport tax.

The crisis is coming. The American dollar in exchange offices is timidly approaching the mark of 20 thousand Belarusian rubles, oil prices are rapidly falling against the backdrop of the collapse of the Chinese stock exchange and dragging analysts, bankers and journalists into the abyss of uncertainty. But not ordinary citizens. Belarusians, with the calmness that is characteristic of us, go to work and manage to save a month from their ruble salary, without losing interest in new budget cars.

It would seem that all savings were taken to Russia during last year's auto boom. But no! Generous New Year's promotions from car dealers, favorable purchasing conditions and truly affordable new foreign cars forced our compatriots to forget about tomorrow and live for today. Thus, at the end of December, there were no popular budget models left in the warehouses of Volkswagen, Nissan and Skoda dealers. The people took it all apart.

Today we will look at several popular "state employees" as part of a test drive of an unusual car among its classmates - the Skoda Rapid liftback. The test car was taken for a reason: at the end of this year, Rapid received at its disposal a new 1.6-liter MPI gasoline engine (110 hp) from the new EA211 series. And purely from subjective impressions, Rapid, out of the three or four most popular budget cars, looks like the most attractive model.

Simply put, the exterior of the Skoda Rapid looks fashionable. It is made not in an ostentatious and glamorous style, but in a modern urban look. Simple and bold. That's what I would call him. The neat, light silhouette of the “Rapid” is not burdened with unnecessary stampings and does not boast of fashionable LEDs in the optics. But at the same time, the car does not seem faceless. On the contrary, his appearance is characterized by the elegant severity of a fitted suit from a famous couturier.

Recognizable Skoda touches, such as two dynamic lines stretched from the logo across the entire hood, accurately indicate the time of creation of this car.

And even after a few years, “Rapid” will not lose its natural charm bestowed by the designer. I am sure that even without unnecessary cosmetics (a la fashionable LEDs in optics) it will already give odds to the familiar VW Polo, having once become a real classic.

As for the interior, there is nothing particularly surprising here. If you have already had more than one date with Czech models before meeting the Skoda Rapid, you will feel right at home.

The front panel is strict and laconic. Nothing superfluous, nothing to catch your eyes on! But at the same time, you can find all the necessary buttons and switches easily and intuitively. Five points for the ergonomics of the devices! Indeed, the Skoda Rapid is exactly the kind of car that you don’t need to get used to at all: once you look at it, you can easily customize everything for yourself.

There are also no complaints about the information content of the instrument panel. The large MFA display shows the on-board computer readings in white on black. The radial markings are slightly unfamiliar at first, but you quickly adapt to them, and your eyes easily capture the smooth movements of the arrows on the digital values ​​of the speedometer and tachometer.

After the used premium, beloved by many Belarusians, the finishing materials in Rapid will seem very mediocre to some. Yes, the plastic is “oak”, noble varieties of wood are not visible in the decoration... But, wait! We are driving a budget liftback, not a luxury sedan.

In general, I don’t want to criticize the interior of the Skoda Rapid for its spartan decoration - the model plays in the budget B+ class. In addition, I personally cannot say that the plastic on the front panel is completely “wooden” - the tactile sensation under your fingers cannot be called unpleasant: press harder and it gives in. Therefore, I can say that the interior finishing materials in the Rapid are not frankly cheap, but just inexpensive.

But all this fades into the background when you start trying on the Skoda Rapid for yourself. We open the door, sit down and are surprised! The driver's seat pleases with good lateral support, convenient settings, and the steering column is adjustable both in reach and height. And now you are holding on to the comfortable three-spoke steering wheel with undisguised pleasure. It's time to hit the road!

With my height of 180 cm, I sat in the front seat without any problems, and then without any problems, with about a hand's space around my knees, I sat behind myself in the back seat. Beauty!

There will be plenty of space for rear passengers on a long journey. And in practice it was tested: two adults and a child in a child seat do not push each other.

And a three-year-old child won’t be able to reach the back of the chair with his legs. Another problem that arises when traveling with small children is the bright sun, which irritates children's eyes. The creators of "Rapid", apparently, are family people and know about this, because the rear hemisphere of the liftback is tinted.

A special pride of the car is the huge trunk with a volume of 530 liters up to the top shelf. And if you consider that the “fifth door” rises high up, then you can load assorted luggage directly from your shoulder. A bag of potatoes? Please! It will go in without difficulty.

On the sides there are niches, nets, and hooks for bags that are traditional for many new Skodas. At the same time, the full-size spare tire is hidden underground and does not “eat up” useful space.

By the way, the volume of the luggage compartment can easily be increased up to 1500 cubic meters! To do this, you simply need to fold down the back of the rear sofa. But, alas, you won’t get a smooth floor.

And now about the new “Rapid” heart - a 1.6 liter MPI with a power of 110 hp. from the new EA211 family. Actually, this is one of several engines that were specially developed for the modular MQB platform (approx. SKODA Octavia, VW Passat B8).

According to the manufacturer, the naturally-aspirated units of the EA211 family are maximally unified in design with their turbocharged counterparts, which makes it possible to minimize the cost of their production. Also, the new family of engines allows you to reduce fuel consumption: during a test drive, the ŠKODA Rapid 1.6 liter. MPI (110 hp) mixed fuel consumption was 7.2 liters, at a speed of 100 km/h - 5.4 liters, 120 - 6.8 liters. AI-95.

The cylinder block of the new engines is made of die-cast aluminum and has an open cooling jacket, “Open Deck” technology. The cylinder block is cast with pre-installed individual gray cast iron cylinder liners. Their outer surface is roughened, which increases the surface area and improves heat transfer to the cylinder block. In addition, this ensures a high-quality connection with a positive connection between the cylinder block and the cylinder liner.

An exhaust manifold built into the cylinder head causes hot gases to heat the engine, bringing it to operating temperature faster, so the cabin should now be warmed up much faster than with previous engines.

Instead of a timing chain drive, an exclusively toothed belt is used. The manufacturer recommends using AI-95 gasoline as fuel. However, it is still allowed to use gasoline with an octane rating of at least 91.

The technical characteristics of the engine that was on the test car are as follows: power 110 hp. and 155 Nm, working volume - 1598 cc. cm, compression ratio - 10.5:1, piston stroke - 86.9 mm. Complies with Euro-5 toxicity standards. It is equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed Aisin automatic transmission.

According to subjective impressions, the 1.6-liter 110-horsepower engine is an excellent choice for those who like leisurely movement around the city and on country roads. First and foremost - it is economical! When driving dynamically in the city, there is a slight loss of traction when accelerating sharply from a standstill ( approx. only 155 Nm), so you have to play more actively with the 2nd and 3rd gears of the manual transmission and not be afraid to apply the gas at the start from an intersection. But if you don’t pretend to be a racer, the car behaves very predictably and obediently.

The gears are short and shift clearly. Just know, go with the speed of the flow. Moreover, even in third, the engine pulls out confidently after a leisurely drive over a sleeping policeman. And to be honest, with such a “mechanics”, an automatic transmission seems overkill. Especially for older people, to whom this tandem of manual transmission and 1.6 MPi is, in fact, addressed. Moderately dynamic, but simple and familiar “aspirated” with familiar “mechanics” is no match for the complex and not resource-intensive TSI with robotic DSG. This means that people have more trust in him.

Noticeable acceleration is felt from 2500 rpm, and for a more dynamic jerk you need to turn the engine up to 4000 rpm. This way, of course, you can’t save gasoline - the BC in city traffic with rough driving showed 9-10 liters per hundred. But if you go out of town, accelerate to 100 km/h and turn on cruise control, the numbers before your eyes will delight you!

At 100 km/h in fifth gear it turns out to be just under 2500 rpm. At 120 km/h the speed jumps to 3000 rpm and consumption increases by about a liter.

I really liked the clutch - it “grabs” almost immediately. As soon as I released the pedal, the car moved smoothly forward. Beginners behind the wheel will appreciate it. Especially when parking near the house in the evening. When maneuvering between cars, you don’t have to touch the gas pedal at all. Just know this: just turn the wheel and look in the mirrors.

Unfortunately, everything good and for relatively little money only happens in a fairy tale. Alas, reality quickly puts everything in its place. This good, well-tailored car shows its obvious budget class, as soon as you drive off the smooth asphalt.

And if minor road defects in the form of a small hole, a joint or a hatch sagging into the asphalt are eaten up by the Rapid suspension more or less tolerably, then on a country road any unevenness as the speed increases is clearly felt by the passengers of the Czech liftback. For the sake of experiment, I drove a couple of kilometers on an ordinary Belarusian gravel road and noted to myself that it is not recommended to drive the Rapid on a country road above 40 km/h.

Not the smallest ground clearance - 170 mm for the Russian (140 mm for the European) version - but the short-travel suspension is forgiving only on relatively flat sections of gravel roads. A small hole or unevenness - immediately reduce the speed, otherwise the risk of scratching the lip of the front bumper on the gravel increases many times over. But, interestingly, even when in contact with the ground, no extraneous sounds are felt in the Rapida’s cabin. The naturally aspirated engine does not roar, but purrs quietly under the hood, the wind does not whistle in the mirrors, and stones do not scrape along the bottom. In general, as for a budget class, the sound insulation of the Skoda Rapid is at a decent level.

After 2 days of close acquaintance, I came to the following conclusion: Skoda Rapid today is the most balanced offer among new budget cars, based on two main criteria - price and quality.

She will hook young people with her stylish appearance ( approx. Bright body paint colors and more than 70 options are available) and exciting handling. Married couples will definitely like the spacious interior (approx. Three(!) child seats can be installed without any problems) and the overall practicality of the liftback. And the older generation will definitely pay attention to the spacious, comfortable trunk (approx. the largest in the class) and a simple, economical engine. In general, today “Rapid” is what the crisis prescribed!

On the Belarusian market, the Skoda Rapid is available with two new naturally aspirated petrol engines (1.6 MPI with 90 and 110 hp) and three turbocharged 1.2 TSI (90 and 105 hp) and 1.4 TSI (122 hp). which by default is equipped with a 7-speed DSG robot. For other engines, either a 5- or 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic transmission is available.

*Prices are current at the time of publication of the material. All payments are made in Belarusian rubles.

I never considered the creation of purely assembly plants of foreign automobile concerns to be a full-fledged entry into our market. Seriously and for a long time - this is if, in addition to the main conveyor, the company also builds a motor plant. There are few people willing to share technology - Volkswagen, which it built near Kaluga, is one of the small cohort of daredevils. The concern, which spent 8.6 million euros on quality control alone, is unlikely to pursue only short-term interests.

For now, production is not operating at full capacity and produces engines of one model. This is a representative of the modern modular EA211 family. The 1.6 MPI distributed fuel injection engine is not equipped with a turbocharger, but it is the most modern naturally aspirated engine, significantly different from the previous generation engines.

With units of the EA111 family, which were installed on Russian-assembled Polo and Rapid until mid-2015, the newcomer is related only by the center-to-center distances of the cylinder-piston group. EA211 is more compact, lighter, has fewer parts, and has higher power - 110 hp. against 105 forces. And, most importantly, it is easier to repair.

We know first-hand about Volkswagen engines. The editors of ZR bought one of the first serial Polos assembled in Kaluga with a CFNA engine of the EA111 family. There were problems with it already from the first thousand kilometers. A distinct knock was heard. We had nine out of sixteen hydraulic pushers replaced under warranty. It didn't help for long - the knock appeared again. At 50 thousand mileage, the pistons were replaced: it turns out that the thermal gap between the pistons and cylinders on the engines of the first batches was greater than necessary. But when the mileage exceeded 100 thousand, the engine began to clatter again during a cold start, and so it left the editorial office for a new owner. Is this problem solved in the EA211 unit?

I carefully examine the pistons of the new engine on the assembly line. Each is packaged in a bag, the rings are already installed. The plant changed its supplier and introduced additional control operations. I hope the knocking is over.

There are a lot of innovations in the engine in general. Even the mounting points have been changed: the motor of the EA211 family is tilted not towards the radiator, but back, towards the engine shield. The cylinder head is rotated 180 degrees and the exhaust is directed in the other direction. Moreover, the exhaust manifold is built into the aluminum cylinder head - the converter is attached directly to it.

The intake valves are now variable valve timing, the valve timing is driven not by a chain, but by a toothed belt, and the camshafts are integrated into a compact aluminum housing. And this module is attached to the cylinder head instead of the valve cover.

Mounted units are not mounted on brackets, but directly to the cylinder block and oil pan. The cooling and lubrication systems have been revised. For example, a thermostat is combined into one module with a water pump. And the oil pan is composite: the intermediate oil bath is aluminum, the lower one is steel. There are no gaskets: the connections are sealed with sealant. A feature of this design is good maintainability. If the steel part of the pan is damaged, the oil intake will not collapse. It is located quite high, and the lower part of the pallet is easy to remove and repair even in the field. There is even silicone protection for the engine number from oxidation.

On the assembly line, engines are tested twice on stands that allow the slightest deviation to be caught. Therefore, not every assembled engine is checked by hot start before installation on the car; this is done selectively. And in the quality laboratory they regularly carry out control checks of several engines - with the destruction of parts. Motors are disassembled and sawed in the literal sense of the word: blocks and cylinder heads, fasteners and even crankshafts.

Of course, there are no ideal units, and long-term mass operation will certainly reveal certain shortcomings of the new engine, which will become the reason for another modernization. This is a normal process. The main thing is that a new generation of Russian automotive engineers will participate in it and gain experience. Remember, once upon a time, the engine of the VAZ “classic” helped our automobile industry make a qualitative leap. Although not every engine is started up before being installed on a car, but in the quality laboratory they carry out a control test of several engines with the destruction of parts. Motors are disassembled and broken according to science. Now, for example, the crankshaft will be sawed lengthwise. The cut shows the depth of hardening of the main and connecting rod journals. The shafts are also tested on benches with cyclic bending and torsion loads. They load until they break. Then they look at where the cracks came from and study the fracture under a microscope. The shaft is considered to be in good condition if it has withstood 10 million cycles!

Although not every engine is started before installation on a car, the quality laboratory carries out a control check of several engines with the destruction of parts. Motors are disassembled and broken according to science. Now, for example, the crankshaft will be sawed lengthwise. The cut shows the depth of hardening of the main and connecting rod journals. The shafts are also tested on benches with cyclic bending and torsion loads. They load until they break. Then they look at where the cracks came from and study the fracture under a microscope. The shaft is considered to be in good condition if it has withstood 10 million cycles!