Skoda FABIA 2.0
With A Large 2.0-Litre Engine Under The Bonnet, Skodas Little Fabia Makes An Intriguing Case For Itself. Jonathan Crouch Reports
Skoda is at present sparing nothing in its efforts to push itself up-market. Nothing seems to be beyond the Czech companys horizons. Certainly not a powerful petrol engine for the car that effectively supports the whole brand, the Fabia supermini.
Hence the 2.0-litre Fabia model featured here, a small car powered by an uncommonly large 2.0-litre engine, which in this case develops some 115bhp. Thats an awful lot for a little car but Skoda bosses hope that it will persuade some of its older buyers currently running something larger to downsize.
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They wont be downsizing too much when it comes to the asking price. Only one trim level (plush Elegance) is available to Fabia 2.0-litre buyers and youll pay £11,820 for the five-door version. Alternatively, the estate is £12,535 theres no saloon variant.
On the face of it, thats an awful lot of money for a supermini that in 1.4-litre form, looks identical and costs over £1,000 less. But then, maybe thats down to perceptions. Many manufacturers would have badged this car as a hot hatch, especially given that the engine it uses is borrowed from the mkIV VW Golf GTI.
With a few skirts and spoilers, some stiffer springs and a vRS badge, no one would have thought twice about a £12,500 price tag. Take the similarly-sized
MG ZR120, effectively a souped-up
Rover 200 1.8 16v. It too develops 115bhp and it too has a price tag at around the same level.
Yet its seen as great value.
"Many manufacturers would have badged this car as a hot hatch, especially given that the engine it uses is borrowed from the mkIV VW Golf GTI"
The Fabia of course is aimed at a very different buyer. The kind of person who will love the MG will hate it and vica versa. The Czech cars power steering is light and its ride compliantly soft though the
smart 15-inch alloy wheels do make for more fidgety progress than youll experience in some lesser Fabia models. Rest to sixty isnt particularly quick either, given the provision of such a large engine in such a small car.
You need to allow 9.9s on the way to 121mph. Having said that, this engine has plenty of torque (164Nm), which makes the car effortless around town and an excellent long distance cruiser. Nor is this
Skoda particularly noisy, unless you rev it hard, at which point the engines low-tech eight-valve design becomes obvious.
Given that potential buyers are likely to be in their retirement years, this shouldnt hurt sales too much. These people will be far more interested in showroom inducements like ABS, remote central locking, electric windows, twin front airbags and air conditioning that usefully cools - or heats - the glovebox depending on your setting. The Fabia has recently received its most far-reaching set of revisions since it was launched, the visual changes centring on a revised front grille, spoiler and fog lamps, as well as restyled rear light clusters that echo the "C" shape of the latest Octavias rear lights. The interior look is modernised with fresher interior upholstery. Otherwise of course, its the usual Fabia recipe which means a car larger than any other in the class. Unusually for a Supermini, five can be seated in reasonable comfort.
The rather Spartan feel is the only real criticism you could make of an interior that is otherwise a class above most other offerings in this sector. Only that of
Fiat's Punto matches it for space - but that car doesn't feel as well screwed together as this one. Forget the plasticky feel of previous Skodas: the materials used are of the highest quality. Look around and there are lovely
Audi-esque touches like a beautifully damped drawer beneath the radio. At this level, you also get lots of extra storage bins and the option of a smart beige interior trim package to replace the rather gloomy standard grey. The boot's a useful shape (offering 1,016 litres with the seats down), with 60/40 access through the split-folding rear bench and sturdy luggage hooks for securing awkward loads. Front side airbags are optional and parents get two Isofix mounting points in the rear for the latest child seats. At the front, every Fabia gets rake and reach adjustment for the airbag-equipped steering wheel and this plusher variant has driver's
seat height adjustment. Which means that just about everyone should be able to get comfortable. Dirk van Braekel's chunky styling means a boxy shape that offers good headroom, even for those in the rear. And that in turn contributes to a general feeling of spaciousness. Go for the estate variant and youll command a load space of 426 litres with the rear seats in place, which is more than apparently larger cars like the Alfa 156 Sportwagon or the Audi A4 Avant. Admittedly, this isnt saying much, as neither of these estates would claim to be the last word in tea-chest transportation, but with the rear seats folded, an impressive 1,225 litres of room is freed up.
Under the skin, the Fabia uses the VW Groups latest small car platform, which is ultra-safety conscious: if I had to be in an accident in a supermini, I'd want to be in a Fabia. And while were on hi-tech, there are no throttle cables: your right foot impulses are communicated via a 'drive-by-wire' throttle. Five years ago, you found this technology on F1 cars: now you find it on Skodas. Like all small cars, the Fabia makes most sense in its cheaper forms. If however, youre after a compact runabout thats not too small or feebly powered and is capable of taking on longer journeys in comfort, then this 2.0-litre version is well worth checking out.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Skoda Fabia 2.0 range
PRICES: £11,820-£12,535 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 8
CO2 EMISSIONS: 190g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 121mph / 0-60mph 9.9s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 36mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [5dr] Length/Width/Height, 3960/1646/1451mm
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