The exterior:
The metalwork is hunky, like a gym-ready otter.
The smaller a design gets, the less scope there is to have loads of room inside, while making what you see as you walk up to the car, look attractive.
Our blue test car came with a smart contrasting black roof and inky black 16" alloys. The chunky, muscular design lends itself to the hot-hatch look, even if the engine has a displacement of a bottle of coke.
The new model is out overseas, so the Australian Fabia is in runout for a smidge under $24,000, and ŠKODA chucked an extra 4 grand's worth of extras on our car. 23 grand is great value, but at $27,540 an entry level city hatch has a bunch of competition as it moves out of entry level pricing
Fabia weighs in at 1092kg, so don't expect too much in the way of luxury on board.
The cabin is beautifully crafted:
Seats are dressed in suitably sporty fabric, but there is a swathe of hard plastic. It leaves you in no doubt that you're in an entry level buggy.
Space in the back seat is bijou, so keep it for shorter friends.
Front seats have a ton of room, and the driver gets an LCD screen for essential data, flanked by conventional dials for speed and revs.
Normally tacky placky bits drive me nuts, but you don't notice it unless you insist like behaving like a demented woodpecker.
The sound system is decent-ish, and there is apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It would be churlish to move on without mentioning the steering wheel, and its sexily place controls. The scroll wheels are also levers for confirmation commands, and they look beautiful as well as functional.
ŠKODA Fabia deserves its place as the best city car on the market. What's it like to drive?
There is a certain something the VW Group injects into their cars, that few others have been able to match.
Steering is a delight. It belies its cut-price image, and the brakes are sharp as a pin. So far so good right?
There easy-entry system comes with push button start, to coax the frisky little engine into life. 1-litre, 3-cylinder engines, usually drain the life from on-road pleasure, but not this one. It is a peach.
The throaty note from up front, matches an equally throaty note from the back. You've only got 81kw and 200Nm to play with, but it is plenty. The 7-speed DSG shuffles enough power to the front wheels, to get you to 100kph in 10.3 seconds. That may seem leisurely, but it feels brisk.
Ride and handling are sensational, at any price.
Uncooperative tarmac is ironed out, and the smoother freeways make you feel like you're hardly moving. The cabin is very quiet too, but that shouldn't come as a surprise.
Corners are fun. In fact, there is a distinctly sporty feel, with just a hint of body roll to keep things real. Macpherson Struts at the front, and a Torsion Beam rear end, is standard for a city car, but Fabia manages to combine brilliant cornering with ride that is near limo-like.
The entire experience is relaxed, comfortable, and safe.
Our car came with a premium pack, so many of the things we expect to be inclluded, come only in the form of a $3200 optional addition.
Premium Sports Pack ($3,200)
Available as an option for 81TSI DSG models in combination with the Sports Pack, the
optional Premium Sports Pack adds
- Light Assist (automatic light switching, coming home
- and leaving home functions)
- rain sensing wipers
- privacy glass
- a three-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel
- advanced Keyless entry including smart key (KESSY) and alarm
- Climatronic air conditioning
- DAB+
Active cruise control is easy to use, but the lane centering and pane departure is something you'll have to wait for the upcoming model for.
Conclusion:
You don't get the driver and safety aids that come with spending more on the bigger ŠKODAs. It is a slightly more analogue affair, and I'm fine with that.
I love Fabia, a lot.
It was fabulously simple to park, and sips the drink like it is teetotal. The drive is divine, and cabin experience fun and funky.
The base model price is a bargain, but I'm not sure I can justify another 4 grand for paint and the premium pack. Remember, KIA Picanto is the biggest seller in the segment Mirco segment, is a lot cheaper, and has much of this stuff as standard. KIA Rio is in direct competition to, and the same thing goes. The biggest seller is MG3 with 10,376 for the year, VS Fabia's 708 for the same period. I'm not sure someone spending on such a tight budget will feel any differently to yours truly.
None the less, I'd happily do a very long trip in this little darling.
Price: $23,790.00 ( as tested $27,540.00)
Options: Premium pack $3200, Metalic paint $550
Engine: 1.0L turbo, 3-cylinder
Power: 81kw/200Nm
Trans: 7-speed DSG
Econ: 4.8 L/100k
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