New Skoda mid-size sedan begins testing in India

- Will be bigger in dimensions than the Rapid

- Likely to be powered by a petrol engine only

Skoda appears to have streamlined its plans for India under the Project 2.0 strategy. With the Kushaq already unveiled and the new-gen Octavia to be introduced this month, the Czech based carmaker has begun testing a new mid-size sedan (codenamed ANB) for the Indian market.

To be based on the MQB A0 IN platform that underpins the Kushaq, the upcoming sedan will be significantly bigger in dimensions over the current Rapid. The same architecture will also be utilised by Volkswagen for its new mid-size sedan that is likely to be launched in Q1 of 2022. 

The test mule in the spy shots reveals very few details of the exterior. It sports the signature butterfly-shaped front grille with halogen headlight and fog lamp units. Otherwise, the prototype is draped in camouflage and looks smaller than the forthcoming Octavia. 

The ANB sedan is likely to be revealed in the country by the end of 2021. It remains to be seen whether Skoda will discard or continue to sell the present Rapid sedan alongside the new sedan. Skoda will mostly stick to the gasoline powertrain for the new sedan. It includes a 1.0-litre TSI engine from the Rapid, making 109bhp and 175Nm of torque, paired with a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic gearbox. 

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