Skoda FABIA DIESEL RANGE
With The Award Winning Fabia, VW's
Skoda Outpost Has Erased Memories Of The Czech Firms Bad Old Days. Andy Enright Drives Their Diesel Offerings
For far too long in the small car sector, choosing the sensible option meant putting up with something as dull as dishwater. Its good to know thats no longer the case. The Skoda Fabia diesel is a car that appeals to the head as well as the heart. Its certainly a world apart from any compact car the Czech company ever produced before.
Designed by the stylist now responsible for the
Bentley Continental GT, this spacious supermini is one of the most high-tech offerings yet from parent company VW.
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It would be reasonable to assume that despite its humble ancestry, this level of quality would carry a considerable premium. Thats not borne out by an inspection of the price list. The Fabia diesel range starts at just £9,195 and tops out at £12,600, around 5% less than comparable supermini rivals. All of which are smaller as it happens.
The Fabia is the longest car in its class and has the interior space efficiency to capitalise on those extra inches. Nor is any future rival likely to surpass it in this respect, for anything larger would stray into Golf, Astra and Focus family hatchback territory. The Fabia has also spawned an estate and whilst not the largest estate car around, it certainly offers significant extra utility over the standard Fabia hatchback. The first thing that catches the eye is that rounded rump.
Surely this has a catastrophic effect on load space when compared with the more perpendicular lines of something like a
Volvo? Actually, no. Despite its soft angles, the Fabia estate can still manage 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 Estate. 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. 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.
"The Fabia is the first car in the VW Group to use the new small car platform"
Up front, only the cabin of the
Fiat 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 a higher quality than most rivals, even on the entry-level 1.9 SDI Classic model. Pricier Ambiente and Elegance variants have lovely Audi-esque touches like impeccably finished venetian-blind style air vents and a beautifully damped drawer beneath the radio. At this level, you also get lots of extra storage bins - something it would have been nice to see across the range.
But this is a minor point. 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 but ABS and twin front airbags are now standard, plus 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 the two plusher variants have driver's
seat height adjustment. Which means that just about everyone should be able to get comfortable. Under the bonnet, there's a choice between three 1.9-litre diesel engines and a 1.4. Starting with the 1.
9-litre models, the normally aspirated SDi unit develops 64bhp, whilst the turbocharged TDi unit pumps out a healthy 100bhp and the 130bhp version of this powerplant is reserved for the vRS hot hatch model. The 1.4-litre has 75bhp and is of the same TDI configuration as the more modern 1.9s.
The SDi and the 1.4 TDI are available in Classic and Ambiente trim levels, whilst the pricier 1.9 TDi is offered in Ambiente and luxurious Elegance variations. You can also get a saloon version.
One trim level is available and mated to the 1.9 SDI engine it costs £9,640. Under the skin, the Fabia is the first car in the VW Group to use the new small car platform, so for the time being, users can thumb their noses at owners of lower-tech (yet smaller and more expensive) VW Polos and SEAT Ibizas. It should also stay where you park it, too, having been judged top of a car magazines table of most secure superminis.
As with all current VW Group products, the body's fully galvanised with 10 years anti-corrosion cover and, as with all Skodas, there's a comprehensive three year unlimited mileage warranty. Oh, and if the residual values of the larger Octavia are anything to go by, this car should fetch more at resale time than virtually anything else in the class. On the road, the handling is tuned to please the family driver rather than the enthusiast - which is understandable given
Skoda's likely clientele. Expect it to ride and respond with all the quality of a VW Golf and you won't be disappointed. The 64bhp SDi engine offers fine tractability in town, but can struggle when instant urge is required for overtaking slower moving vehicles. Expect to get from rest to 60mph in a leisurely 18.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 96mph.
Fuel consumption averages approximately 59mpg. The 1.9TDi is a good all-round package, making sixty in 11.5s on the way to 115mph (exactly the same as the Fabia 1.
4 16v petrol!) whilst still maintaining an average fuel consumption figure of 57mpg. The 1.9-litre TDi unit feels strong and willing, and is probably the best engine option in the entire Fabia line up. 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. In summary, the Fabia may not be as cheap as small Skodas of the past but it's still cheaper than all its main rivals. And better in many ways, with space, safety and build quality all class-leading. This is one diesel youd be mad not to Czech out.
FACTS AT GLANCE
CAR: Skoda Fabia diesel range
PRICES: £9,195-£12,600 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-6
CO2 EMISSIONS: 132-138g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.9 TDi] Max Speed 115mph / 0-60mph 11.5s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.9 TDi](urban) 43.5mpg; (extra urban) 68.9mpg; (combined) 56.5mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3960/1646/1451mm WHO TO SEE: February 8th 2005
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