2:34 pm, May 5, 2021
Skoda’s latest Fabia has arrived with a sharp new look and an even more practical cabin than before.
The new Fabia sits atop Volkswagen Group’s MQB-A0 platform – which it shares with cars like the Audi A1 – and this helps it to offer more in the way of space and practicality than before. It’s longer than before, while its wheelbase now measures more than that found in the first generation Octavia.
As a result, boot space has increased by 50 litres over its predecessor, totalling 380 litres. Drop the rear seats and this can be boosted up to 1,190 litres too. That longer wheelbase also means that passenger legroom has gone up as well.
All cars receive a freestanding infotainment display of up to 9.2 inches in size, while a 10.25-inch digital dashboard is now available – a first for the Fabia. Other options include more premium touches such as LED ambient lighting and a leather-trimmed multifunction steering.
That said, even base-specification cars boast a 6.5-inch colour touchscreen, DAB digital radio and a four-speaker sound system.
Skoda has also worked hard to improve the Fabia’s aerodynamics, implementing new ‘active’ slats in the front bumper which can increase or decrease engine cooling when needed. These work alongside a new roof spoiler, aero wheels and smaller door mirrors to make the Fabia as aerodynamically efficient as possible.
A range of active and passive safety features come fitted as standard, though these can be added to with additional systems such as Travel Assist, which combines cruise control with lane-keep assist.
The Fabia’s line-up of engines has been kept much the same for this latest generation, incorporating a range of compact petrol engines with a choice of naturally-aspirated and turbocharged 1.0-litre engines pushing out between 64 and 108bhp.
A range-topping 1.5-litre engine heads up the available powertrains, bringing 148bhp and a 7.7 second 0-60mph time.
At launch, it’s expected that the Fabia will come in the same specifications as before – S, SE and SE L – with a sportier-looking Monte Carlo option likely to arrive shortly after the car’s UK introduction early next year.
Full pricing and specifications are expected to be announced closer to that time.
