Rapid spaceback

[900000]

What on EARTH is that ?! That's even worse than the previous generation Citroen C4 (which was/is, IMO, simply dreadful).

 

It's an interesting point about the quality and finish - for me, the quality and finish is completely irrelevant if the design is ****. You could wrap the above for example in pure gold and I still wouldn't want one.

 

That is either the interior of the new Peugeot 208 or 2008.  They share most of the bits including the silly baby steering wheel.  I sat in a 208 GTI at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and for the life of me could not get the seat to steering wheel ratio to work without obscuring the bottom of the dials.  Same when I went to sit in the 2008 crossover. Ridiculous.

[RapidRonnie]

This is part of the reason I like Skodas. I like my car interiors plain but good looking. Couldn't live with any of the cars above.

 

Interested to sit in a Leon now, but if the interior quality is really that good it's a great shame they couldn't make it look good too.

[greenstripe]

Some people like to have the car feel 'moulded' around them. I think the Civic and the Leon are catering to this market.

[Thecko]

I passed over commenting on the Civic as I've made my views on it clear a few times in the past and don't want to start to sound like a stuck record on it, but Tomy must be earning a lot of money from that design in royalty payments.

[Dr Zoidberg]

What on EARTH is that ?! That's even worse than the previous generation Citroen C4 (which was/is, IMO, simply dreadful).

 

It's an interesting point about the quality and finish - for me, the quality and finish is completely irrelevant if the design is ****. You could wrap the above for example in pure gold and I still wouldn't want one.

 

 

It's a 2008, and from the driving position the view isn't bad at all.

 

On the subject of interiors, I'm not keen on the Astra's "mess of buttons"

 

 

But I do really like the new C4 Picasso.

 

[Thecko]

for the life of me could not get the seat to steering wheel ratio to work without obscuring the bottom of the dials.  Same when I went to sit in the 2008 crossover. Ridiculous.

 

I suppose part of the problem is parallax effect, it may well depend on how tall you are and how far back to have to sit etc... doesn't make it forgiveable though, the primary function of a car's interior is to be intuitive to use and have everything visible without having to lean at odd angles or stare at the console (taking your eyes off the road) for long periods trying to find what you're after.

 

On that subject, one thing I'm disappointed about with the Maxidot in my Rapid is in the audio controls, I don't have the MFSW so maybe Ad Lav and BossFox don't find this, but with my iPod I can only skip forwards/backwards on tracks from the stalk controls, where-as from the stereo itself I can browse around the full library, select mix mode etc, but to do it means I have to spend a lot of time looking directly at the stereo which feels wrong if I'm on the move.

[Dr Zoidberg]

I suppose part of the problem is parallax effect, it may well depend on how tall you are and how far back to have to sit etc...

 

Yep. I found the 208 and 2008 to have a really nice driving position with no problem seeing over the wheel to the dash, but plenty of people can't get it right for them.

[Thecko]

It's a 2008, and from the driving position the view isn't bad at all.

 

On the subject of interiors, I'm not keen on the Astra's "mess of buttons"

 

Hmm... I'm unsure of that, that's a lot of buttons in a short space - it would really depend on what each button's function is and how they're grouped together as to how intuitive I'd find it to use... hard to tell from that photo though.

 

But I do really like the new C4 Picasso.

 

 

I see Citroen are still persisting with this idea that the driver shouldn't be able to glance down to see information and instead should have to move their head sideways to get it. I don't like it. At all. The new C4 (non Picasso) dropped the idea from it's previous generation yet they've still persisted with it here, weird decision. Toyota dropped the centrally positioned instruments idea as well with Yaris revamp a couple of years ago.

[PeterA5145]

Yep. I found the 208 and 2008 to have a really nice driving position with no problem seeing over the wheel to the dash, but plenty of people can't get it right for them.

 

I sat in someone else's 208 recently and, despite previous doubts, thought it was fine, although I can see how some shorter people might have a problem.

 

On the subject of the Leon, I thought the general quality of the trim materials was quite impressive, but the section of the dash containing the touch-screen is rather cliff-like.

[900000]

Yep. I found the 208 and 2008 to have a really nice driving position with no problem seeing over the wheel to the dash, but plenty of people can't get it right for them.

 

Alas I don't just want ONE seating position that works.  On all cars you can adjust the seat up and down in and out and move the wheel any way you like (within reason) and still see the dials.  I do not see why a car with but ONE position that allows this should even be signed off from the drawing board...

 

 

It's a 2008, and from the driving position the view isn't bad at all.

 

On the subject of interiors, I'm not keen on the Astra's "mess of buttons"

 

 

 

But I do really like the new C4 Picasso.

 

 

 

 

The Astra will be fixed.  This is the Insignia before (the same mess of buttons):

 

 

And after the just announced facelift:

 

[Dr Zoidberg]

Yep, I've seen the Insignia and it's much better. The Cascada, despite being new, is very much of the older design.

[BossFox]

Yes, I had the Ampera for a test and the bewildering random assortment of buttons spread over the dash was a joke.

[shrub]

The pictures of the Leon on this thread are of the basic "s' model. The interiors gets considerably more premium as you move up through the range. I sat in the FR model a few weeks ago and it was a very nice car. I have also recently sat in the Peugeot 2008 and that interior works a lot better in the flesh than it does in the pictures. Having said that, I preferred my old Yeti interior to both of them, even if the steering wheel obstructed the instruments and the colour a little dour.

[RapidRonnie]

The Spaceback is going to be available with a factory fit rear diffuser, hopefully like the one from the Rapid Sport!

 

[grzesk]

Rapid Spaceback on road :

 

[Kenny.j]

This is part of the reason I like Skodas. I like my car interiors plain but good looking. Couldn't live with any of the cars above.

I agree, the dash is understated, functional, well laid out and easy to use. I like this too. Don't get me wrong I am a bit of a techy at heart and love loads of buttons and switches to mess around with, but they have a time and place and I for one don't think that travelling along on winding roads is a good place for lots of confusion?

Interested to sit in a Leon now, but if the interior quality is really that good it's a great shame they couldn't make it look good too.

I went for a look at the Leon before I decided on the Rapid. I wanted to compare it to the Toledo (which we all know is a Rapid in drag) but couldn't for the life of me understand why it's more expensive? Yes it is a bit better finished, has more tech on the options list etc. LED headlights for example, now that's Audi territory. But it's smaller, has less room inside the passenger compartment and the boot is tiny by comparison. Maybe I'm just getting old but don't understand. Cars used to get more expensive as you worked up the range, which also meant that the cars themselves were bigger??

[RapidRonnie]

Rapid Spaceback on road :

 

 

I thought the white one was an Octavia from the rear, oops

 

Not bad, but I think it needs the "prolong" rear window and bigger wheels to look right.

 

Looking forward to seeing more photos.

[shrub]

I agree, the dash is understated, functional, well laid out and easy to use. I like this too. Don't get me wrong I am a bit of a techy at heart and love loads of buttons and switches to mess around with, but they have a time and place and I for one don't think that travelling along on winding roads is a good place for lots of confusion?

I went for a look at the Leon before I decided on the Rapid. I wanted to compare it to the Toledo (which we all know is a Rapid in drag) but couldn't for the life of me understand why it's more expensive? Yes it is a bit better finished, has more tech on the options list etc. LED headlights for example, now that's Audi territory. But it's smaller, has less room inside the passenger compartment and the boot is tiny by comparison. Maybe I'm just getting old but don't understand. Cars used to get more expensive as you worked up the range, which also meant that the cars themselves were bigger??

 

 

The Leon is more expensive because it has the latest MQB platform and handles/rides very well with class leading NVH levels. The engines are also the very latest VW group tech. Having said that, I agree that the Leon can look a little austere inside and I will definitely consider the Rapid Spaceback if they price and spec it competitively.

Edited 8 August, 2013 by shrub

[RapidRonnie]

[Leon-y-k]

That looks really smart! Maybe for the other half! I'd get the optional elongated window though for the rear. 

[RapidRonnie]

It really suits the red, on the strength of that photo it still looks good without the prolong window.

[RapidRonnie]

[Kenny.j]

How?

[RapidRonnie]

Skoda Facebook.

 

The car looks great there ^^^ though. I officially want one now.

[Leon-y-k]

Looks smart actually. I'd like a race blue one/ Rallye Green!