New AutoCars News: Sub-Compact Station Wagon

The Skoda Rapid isn't even a genuine C-Segment car, and yet people are clearly appreciating its practicality, and perhaps even its looks. Skoda sold 18,834 Rapids in Europe in Q1 of 2015, a total that surpasses that of the KIA cee'd, Hyundai i30, Mazda3, Nissan Pulsar, Honda Civic and Citroen C4 - in that order.

Speaking of which, how about this Skoda Rapid Spaceback ScoutLine version with its "outdoor" appearance? It features plastic elements for the exterior, 16" & 17" alloy wheels, plus a few other subtle changes.

"The combination of ŠKODA's practical features and fresh designs have convinced a great number of customers," said Skoda Board Member for Sales and Marketing, Werner Eichhorn, before adding that "We plan to build on this success with the ScoutLine edition."

The mods aren't as adventurous as on previous Scouts, but you do get matte-black front and rear bumpers, matte black textured plastic fixtures on the sides, 16" 'Rock' or 17" 'Camelot' wheels, silver mirror housings and a full range of exterior colors, including 'pistachio green'.

Also, all drivetrains are available with the exception of the GreenLine engines. So you can choose between three petrol units (90HP/110HP/125HP) and two diesels (90HP/116HP) when you're deciding on which Skoda Rapid Spaceback ScoutLine you want to purchase.

It's a completely new and very different car than the outgoing Clubman with its unusual layout, as the British firm reimagined it as a more conventional sub-compact station wagon with four doors – actually, six if you count in the two-piece rear opening for the cargo area.

While we don't have official information in our hands yet, we expect the production car's exterior dimensions to be very close, if not identical, to last year's Clubman Concept, which at 4,223mm (166 in.) long, 1,844mm (72.6 in.) wide and 1,450mm (57 in.) tall, was 262mm (10.3 in.) longer, 161mm (6.3 in.) wider and 25mm (1 in.) taller than before.

The Clubman shares the same platform with the latest Mini Hatch as well as BMW's 2-Series Active Tourer, with power expected to come from a similar range of three- and four-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. It is possible that MINI may offer the option of all-wheel drive at some point.