Skoda Rapid Revealed Further Ahead Of Paris Unveiling

Skoda's all-new Rapid liftback sedan is due for its world premiere at September's Paris Motor Show. This week, the Czech carmaker has released a gallery of new images, offering a more detailed look at its new small car.

Along with the shots released in June, these new images reveal what is essentially the earlier MissionL concept - with conventional door handles and a regular roof.

The Rapid's online debut follows not only the MissionL preview, but also a host of revealing spy photos, teaser illustrations and, last month, details of its Spanish twin, the Seat Toledo.

Unlike the Seat, which will continue as a low-cost brand for Europe and some emerging markets, we can expect to see the Rapid in Australia sometime after its late 2012 European debut.

Slotting in between the (ageing) Fabia light car and mid-sized Octavia models, the Rapid will flesh out Skoda's deck in the growing small-car market, which currently makes up around 36 percent of global passenger car sales.

Pulling the brand's statically-styled sedans into the present, the Rapid also marks the production debut of Skoda's refreshed logo and offers a look at the brand's new styling language.

"This is a car that gives out a clear statement at first glance: clear, precise, fresh and emotional," Eckhard Scholz, Skoda board member for technical development, said.