The Skoda Fabia is a serious upgrade for the company, as it ended all the jokes made about the brand. The Fabia’s innovative new platform was able to elevate the model’s status among its Volkswagen predecessors and peers. And so the Skoda became a serious contender in the market and made all those jokes a part of the past.
Pros
The Skoda Fabia sports dimensions that make it a taller, longer yet smaller car. Despite its compact size, the vehicle has a spacious interior. The Fabia manages this via its 47mm height increase, providing passengers more headroom and enough space for six-foot tall rear seat riders. The driver’s seat can be adjusted according to one’s height, enabling a comfortable position for the rest of the ride. The boot also offers adequate room at 300 litres and includes additional storage devices such as a basket, shopping bags hooks, and two locations for a parcel shelf. All the elements in the cabin are located in practical positions and appropriately designed with aluminum like paint found around the dials, gearlever, and vents. This color adds the right contrast to the cabin’s dominant dark color.
The Fabia includes a 1.2-litre turbo at 103 or 84bhp, a 1.4-litre four cylinder at 85bhp, and a 1.2-litre three cylinder at 69bhp in its petrol engine range. Diesels range from the high-economy Fabia Greenline, the 1.2-litre at 74bhp, and the 1.6 TDIs that start at 74bhp but can range from 89 to 104.
The Fabia’s engine lineup offers enough power despite some of the variation’s modest power outputs. You won’t have any problem driving the 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol on town roads. We recommend the 1.4-litre engine at 86bhp for motorway driving but the 1.2-litre TSI at 104bhp performs much after with its 10.1 seconds time for arriving at 62mph. You can get another TSI with the Fabia’s SE, SE Plus, Monte Carlo, or Elegance models; all of which include a five-speed manual gearbox that arrives at 62mph in 11.7 seconds. All of the Fabia’s petrol engines promise a smooth performance on the road.
Steering is light and promises all around comfort along motorways, A and B-type roads. The ride is also able to absorb and minimize rough bumps from road lumps and potholes. Hitting the brakes isn’t a problem thanks to the progressive makeup of the brakes.
Cons
Although the engines offer enough power and a smooth performance, some variations disappoint in some aspects. The 12.-litre diesel Greenline Fabia is rather unrefined and requires several revs to survive traffic.
The cabin could still use some improvements despite its adequate size. Although tall passengers can fit at the back, the middle seat is limited in space and only offers minimal shoulder room. Only children will end up comfortable seated in the middle.
Most engines are quiet on the road, minimizing road and wind noise. The diesel engines, however, are much noisier when going at very quick speeds. We recommend getting the petrol engines if you don’t want to be distracted by the external noise. Otherwise the latest Fabia is a step up from its predecessor and is worth giving the second look.
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(Average rating: 5 , Total rates: 2 )
