Skoda Rapid Spaceback set for late 2013

* Rapid Spaceback confirmed for production in late 2013 * Set to appeal to younger buyers than the hatch * Will come with sportier setup and interior...

Skoda Rapid Spaceback set for late 2013

The Skoda Rapid goes on sale in November 2012, but Skoda is already targeting younger buyers with a new version, called the Rapid Spaceback.

The Spaceback is a more conventionally styled hatchback, shaped more like the Golf hatchback, and will go into production in late 2013.

The VisionD concept that Skoda showed at the 2011 Geneva motor show shows what the Spaceback is likely to look like, and the brand has now confirmed it will go into production.

Its boot will be smaller than the Rapid hatchbacks 548 litres while the cabin space is expected to stay the same.

In order to appeal to younger buyers, the Spaceback will also come with a sportier suspension set up and interior. This means it is likely to be stiffer, and have a revised set of trims.

Pricing for the Spaceback is expected to be largely similar to the Rapid, with Skoda set to offer it alongside rather than above the hatch.

By Steve Huntingford and Matthew Burrow