Skoda sold 1.6m models of the last Fabia, can the new car build on the old models popularity? We find out...
Price: £9,720 (without options)
On sale: Now
0-62mph: 14.9 seconds; top speed 101mph
Average fuel: 47.9 mpg
Standard equipment: Body coloured wing mirrors, Body coloured door handles, Trip computer, Storage pockets on rear of front seats, Height-adjustable front seats, Remote central locking, air conditioning, Electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, Alarm with tilt sensor, 15" Antares alloy wheels and a single disc CD player with six-speakers.
Tiscali verdict: Likeable, engaging and well-made supermini. But, there are questions over the styling and pricing. 7/10
The first-generation Fabia, launched in the UK in 2000, earned a reputation for being one of the biggest and roomiest cars in its class. Despite selling over 1.6M examples of the original car, rivals have caught up over the past seven years. Skoda could have made the latest Fabia significantly larger, but instead, the new car is 47 mm taller, the boot is bigger and the nose longer to accommodate new pedestrian safety rules. It may be taller and longer than the old car, but how does it compare against supermini rivals? We find out.
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£9,720 sounds pretty reasonable for a modern supermini. The standard kit on our Fabia 2 included pretty much all the equipment you'll ever need. But, is it too expensive? Volkswagen group rivals include the Seat Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo, with prices starting at £8,690. Included as standard on the Fabia 2 are an attractive set of 15" alloy wheels, air conditioning, remote central locking and a good quality CD/audio system with six-speakers. The taller dimensions might not always please the eye, but there's enough room for five tall passengers and a reasonably sized boot with a useful holder to stop loose groceries rolling round.
Our test Fabia was powered by a new 1.2-litre 12V, three-cylinder engine; producing 70bhp, mated with five-speed manual transmission. There's nothing remarkable about the power of the engine, 62mph comes up in a rather pedestrian 14.9 seconds, but it's a spirited, charismatic engine. Always willing, the engine is very happy to rev from 1,000rpm through to the red line, this is accompanied by deep, sporty engine note.
With a combined fuel economy figure of 47.9 mpg, the Fabia is designed to be cheap to run, but if you're after even better economy figures the 80bhp 1.4 litre diesel is probably the model for you with a combined figure of 61.4 mpg.
The Skoda Fabia might not be fast, but there's still the full compliment of safety kit, with driver, passenger and side airbags fitted as standard. The latest Fabia hasn't been crash tested yet, but we'd be surprised if a five-star rating isn't given considering the safety-driven re-engineering of the Fabia's platform.
Check out the video Take a look at our video road test of the Fabia 2.
So what's it like to drive then? Good fun. The steering maybe low-geared but the handling is safe, with plenty of grip through 15" wheels, though there is some body roll. Overall it's a refined drive, though I found the gearchange was over-light and imprecise.
To sum up: the Skoda Fabia might not be the cheapest car in its class, but it is more spacious and comfortable than most rivals.
Fancy a closer look? Check out our Skoda Fabia 2 gallery
