The Rapid from Skoda may not be off to a spectacular start but it does seem to have started reasonably well with 1600 bookings confirmed for the car in its first month. It appears that Skoda’s positioning of the Rapid below its near identical sibling the Volkswagen Vento has not hurt its prospects. What remains to be seen is about how the Rapid’s entry will impact on the fortunes of the Vento. The interiors are identical (save for the gear shift stick and are quite low rent on both the Vento and the Rapid) the exterior save for the face and the rear lights is identical in both cars and the side profile is something that shows them to be absolutely identical. Will Volkswagen’s ploy expand its and Skoda’s share in the market or will one cannibalize into the sales of the other? The answer to this question will hold great importance to the other badge engineered car, the Renault Pulse which is essentially the Nissan Micra with a slightly altered snout.