Skoda Fabia (4th Gen)

The commoners' Skoda, the Fabia, is now on its fourth generation and it promises to be the best Fabia ever made because of its newly improved dynamics thanks to its new platform, the design that fits the Simply Clever slogan, the new interior, and a host of safety features fit for commoners. Not for speedo boys.

2022 Skoda Fabia

With prices starting at 339,900 Koruna plus additional costs, the reasonably priced, fourth-generation Skoda Fabia marks a fresh new start on the commoners' Skoda, which is basically a Czech cousin of the Volkswagen Polo as most say. Digging through every nooks and cranny, it seems Skoda did a fantastic job revamping the Fabia to adapt to the new normal, starting with the design.

2022 Skoda Fabia

The massive horizontal grille, at first, can be easily mistaken for a BMW or a Kia, but because huge grilles are the new normal, you can't really tell. Putting aside its front face, the new Fabia is styled just like its big brother, the Golf-sized Scala. It's all in the family if you ask them.

2022 Skoda Fabia interior

Step inside, the new Fabia has gone to the minimalist interior route because minimalism is also the new normal and that's bad news for speedo boys behind the wheel because look at the touch screen, there are no buttons in it. At least, climate control still has dials in it, which is good for a city car like the Fabia. Lamenting on the dashboard with the buttonless touch screen aside, the new Fabia dons a digital instrumental panel akin to the Audi virtual cockpit. Speed, range, navigation, this instrumental panel has it all.

Thanks to the use of its MQB-A0 platform, a first for the Fabia, the new model is surprisingly roomier than the old model and more spacious in the boot as well because of its additional 50L boot capacity. With a bigger boot space to boot, the Fabia works on all walks of life, whether if it's for another courtesy visit to relatives, another day at work, special deliveries, or TNVS.

2022 Skoda Fabia

The all-new Fabia is offered with a choice of a fuel-efficient 1.0L MPI or a 1.0L TSI engine in different configurations. There are no diesel variants, of course, because today's Europe despises diesel because of you-know-what-and-why. Manual and DSG are offered, depending on the variant.

The most powerful version has a 1.0L TSi engine producing 110PS of power and 200Nm of torque. With the 7-speed DSG, it sprints from 0-100kph in 9.5 seconds and flat out in 205kph. Enough to embarrass a Toyota Yaris on the highway, of course. Those who are interested in fuel economy, meanwhile, should go for the cheapest version with the 1.0 MPI engine mated to a 5-speed MT because of its combined fuel economy of 20kmpl based on WLTP standards.

Back to the new Fabia's use of the MQB-A0 platform, this new platform gave this tiny little hatchback more character, meaning it's so much more fun to drive than the previous model. Coupled with the sports chassis, the Fabia possesses hot hatch levels of enjoyment without all the drama. Of course, you can opt-in for the Rough-Road package in case you're in a mood for sandblasting at the beach but that would be a cheese-fest for a front-wheel-drive hatchback that wants to be taken care of in the suburbs and the city centers of Europe, so just ignore the Rough-Road package.

Like the cars of today, the new Fabia dons a wide array of active and passive safety features, including the ones that were originally offered exclusively for luxury cars such as Travel Assist, Park Assist, Lane Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Side Assist, Front Assist with Predictive Pedestrian and Cyclist Protection, and Manoeuvre Assist. Coupled with up to nine airbags and you got yourself a high-quality city hatchback possessing high-quality levels of safety, whatever the reason.

The new Fabia truly adapts to the new normal with its new platform, the design that fits the Simply Clever slogan, the new interior, and a host of safety features fit for commoners. Like it or not, if you are the kind of person who wants a spacious city car but despises city crossovers, consider the new Fabia as your bet. The more your know.

Photo: Skoda Auto

Skoda Fabia Mk.3 Combi

2015 Skoda Fabia Combi

2015 Skoda Fabia Combi

Notably the estate version of the third-generation Skoda Fabia, the Combi still does the same behavior as expected from the hatchback variant even though it has a bigger boot space fit enough for your groceries. Sure it maybe a sport tourer in its own right but the Fabia Combi, like the hatchback equivalent, feels somewhat average. It may not be brilliant to drive but it's not quite dull either.

On the inside, it's still feels just like what you expect on the hatchback version. It maybe bland to look at but it's surprisingly comfortable and you can feel relaxed while you're at it.

In terms of boot space, it's surprisingly the biggest in its segment with its 530L boot capacity (1,395L with the back seat folded), which is 25% more than the previous Fabia Combi. That's big enough to fit a bucket full of fishes after your fishing trip with your friends or family.

Like the hatchback equivalent, the Combi model features high-tech safety features such as Front Assistant with integrated City Emergency Braking Function and the Multi-Collision Brake, Driver Activity Assistant, Speedlimiter, Hill-Hold Control, and electronic tyre pressure monitor. Apart from the safety features, it also comes with the available SmartGate function which works like your smartphone as well as the new MirrorLink where your smartphone can be easily paired and use specific apps that both your phone and the car had.

Under the hood, the Combi comes with a 1.0L MPi, 1.2 TSi, and the 1.4 TDi. The most powerful in the lineup for now is the one with the 1.2 TSi engine developing 110PS of power and 175Nm of torque. With the 7-speed DSG equipped, 0-100kph takes about a moderate 9.6 seconds and a top speed of a not-so-much 199km/h.

Should you buy one? Well, the Fabia Combi starts at 267,900 Kč, which is 28,000 more than the hatchback version but it remains a smart buy for first-timers everywhere who are looking for some practical sport tourer for a reasonable price.

Photo: Skoda Auto a.s.

Skoda Fabia Mk.3

2015 Skoda Fabia

The Skoda Fabia is now on its third generation and for the latest regeneration of Skoda's bestseller, this new model wants to go back to basics with its new platform, a new choice of engines, and a new design that looks pretty much average for the motorist's eye.

So, what's new? Everything. The design, the performance, the chassis, everything's new, and by the looks of it, it now resembles more like its German twin, the Volkswagen Polo, but with a little more oddball than the previous model. Because it wears the VW Group's MQB platform, the new Fabia is now 90mm wider and 31mm lower than the previous model. It's now lighter as well because of the new engine choices.

Depending on the variant, the new Fabia comes with a 1.0L MPi, 1.2 TSi, and 1.4 TDi. The most powerful in the lineup, for now, is the one with the 1.2 TSi engine developing 110PS of power and 175Nm of torque. With the 7-speed DSG equipped, 0-100kph takes about a moderate 9.4 seconds and a top speed of a not-so-much 196km/h. Not quite as fast as it seems but a little power goes a long way for first-time drivers who got themselves a driver's license for the very first.

Oh, and before you say it, No. There won't be a high-performance version of the Fabia because the previous version's hot model didn't meet up to its expectations.

2015 Skoda Fabia

Like any other commoner's car, the new Fabia feels somewhat average. It may not be brilliant to drive but it's not quite dull either. You can drive one of these for work or for the fun of it and the Fabia really balanced out with the comfort of the sedan, the touring-ness of a wagon, the spaciousness of the MPV, and the sportiness of a sports car. Still, this is a different story because this is a hatchback while the roomier Combi version is to follow but if you can balance that out, the new Fabia is a car with a whole lot of character to portray as. It can be comfortable, it can be spacious, it can be sporty, but overall, the new Fabia is working very hard to fit into any kind of role it sees fit.

2015 Skoda Fabia interior

While the interior is a fair bit average in terms of quality, it still works exactly as what a car should be and for the fun of it, you can fiddle its infotainment system if you have the knowledge because, for the first time, the new Fabia features the new SmartGate function which works like your smartphone as well as the new MirrorLink where your smartphone can be easily paired and use specific apps that both your phone and the car had. Looks like today's going to be a great day for the Fabia thanks to science, after all.

The new Fabia has a techno overload of gadgets. While some provide convenience to the occupants, most of the gadgets are here to make the new Fabia a safer car to be. There's the new Front Assistant with integrated City Emergency Braking Function and the Multi-Collision Brake, Driver Activity Assistant, Speed limiter, Hill-Hold Control, and electronic tire pressure monitor.

2015 Skoda Fabia

Should you buy one? The new Skoda Fabia starts at 234,900 Czech Koruna, which is the equivalent of around 8,500 Euros, so it's more affordable to own than the VW Polo or the VW Golf. It's a smart buy for the first timers but you'll need some more cash if you want to opt-in for some optional extras as well as the sat-nav that comes with MirrorLink and SmartGate just for the fun of it.

Photo: Skoda Auto a.s.

How the Fabia was made

Most European car enthusiasts know about how the Skoda Fabia is made, and no, we're not going to Mlada Boleslav to see how the Skoda Fabia is made, some TV commercial is showing how the second generation Fabia is made, by means of cake made from lovely stuff, such as raisins, marzipans, and sugar.

Months after the launch of the facelifted Skoda Fabia Mk2 and the return of the vRS variant in the form of a turbocharger+supercharger engine equipped hot hatch, it seems the Cake ad from the Skoda Fabia is evolved into something...mean...

...very...very...mean...

"Made of meaner stuff", sounds scary but awesome! On the new Skoda Fabia vRS ad, we see how this hot hatch is made; door's made by tough men, rims made of swords, vultures doing the body frame, twincharger engine made of snakes, roof colored black thanks to the motorcycle burning rubber, windshield wiper made of crossbow bolt, and the newly built Fabia vRS roared. Now that's a monster.

I always like the way the new Skoda Fabia vRS is, its a monster used the same 1.4 TSi twincharger engine as the Volkswagen Polo GTi (and soon, the Audi A1), but the price is cheaper than the Polo GTi. Europeans are going like the way how the Skoda Fabia vRS is made. It's a monster, I can tell, but it's fun to keep this monster hatch if you have the urge to have it.

Skoda Fabia II RS

2011 Skoda Fabia II RS Hatch and Kombi

                                                

The year 2010 marks the return of the Skoda Fabia's flagship variant, the RS (commonly called vRS), changes the game in the world of sport compacts. With the Volkswagen Polo V gained its much-awaited GTi variant, Volkswagen's Czech arm, Skoda, has a few different tricks to its sleeves. Following with the Fabia II entering its second phase, the Skoda Fabia II brings back the RS variant that dates back to the first-generation Fabia.

The new Skoda Fabia II RS comes in hatchback and Kombi and it comes with the same engine you normally seen on the VW Polo V GTi, the super turbo (a turbocharger and supercharger fused into one) 1.4 TSi engine producing 180HP of power output that is about the same as the Polo V GTi. While the Polo V GTi has the 7-speed DSG, the Skoda Fabia RS also comes with the 7-speed DSG as well! Talk about these two hot hatches separated at birth but share the same knowledge!

With the same suspension, same technology, and same expertise, what differentiates the Skoda Fabia II RS to its siblings? With the Seat Ibiza Cupra's pricing is 23,540 Euros (about over 3.8 Million Pesos) and the Polo GTi's pricing is about 22,500 Euros (about 3.5 Million Pesos), the Fabia II RS hatch's suggested retail price is 21,890 Euros (that is about 3.35 Million Pesos) and 22,490 Euros (3.49 Million Pesos) for the Kombi grade. This kind of Fabia is the cheapest alternative to the VW Polo V GTi and the Ibiza Cupra you can get. This car declares checkmate against all odds but one question is would it be enough to tackle the likes of the Renault Sport Clio/Lutecia?

My thoughts about the Fabia RS:
The pricing of these VW-engineered blood brothers reached its agitation point because the Fabia RS's SRP is cheaper than the Polo GTi and the Ibiza Cupra, despite these three hot hatches shared the same frame, same technology, same engine, and same expertise. Most European men who are willing to purchase the Polo V GTi may think twice because the Fabia RS's pricing will tempt them to buy this Czech wonder. The Fabia RS is the second of the Skoda RS line-up carried from the medium-sized Octavia sedan and Kombi.

Photo: Volkswagen Group