How Volkswagen improved the Skoda Favorit – From the Old Box

After a lengthy development, one of Skoda’s most progressive creations ever was finally ready in 1987: the Favorit. Progressive? Yes, the Favorit was Skoda’s first car with a transverse engine in the front and front-wheel drive. The design came from Bertone, which further made it clear that Skoda was serious. Although it was anything but a rude attempt to hook up with the auto industry on the other side of the Iron Curtain, the Favorit still had plenty of rough edges. Volkswagen also discovered this when it entered into a partnership with Skoda in 1991.

Volkswagen, which already had a nice finger in the pie with a share of 30 percent in 1992, thought it was time to put things in order with the Favorit. The Germans took a closer look at the Czechoslovak creation and discovered several points where there could be gains with relatively little effort. Refinement was the key word, because it was still lacking here and there.

A number of issues were addressed. For example, better brake drums became available for the Favorit, which were supposed to make the rear brakes more powerful and less abruptly gripping. Volkswagen supplied new locks for the Favorit for better security and gave it a different filling channel for the petrol tank. The old one had a tendency to simply overflow with a full tank, resulting in an environmentally polluting mess. More details that were addressed? Yes, of course. The cabin filter was also improved and the fan now worked more quietly. It was also quieter in terms of engine hum, due to better sound insulation of the engine compartment. All in all, it was supposed to take the quality experience of the Skoda Favorit to a higher level, with the icing on the cake that the body was now also free of uneven or too wide seams.

Had Volkswagen succeeded in turning the Favorit into a higher quality product for its price anyway? Well, partly. A test showed that there were still certain complaints that the update had not managed to eliminate. For example, it still smelled ‘not really pleasant’ in the Favorit. A consequence of the materials used. The same materials still ensured that the finish of the interior did not look exactly Western. The cracks here and there were also a bit too wide for our taste and the archaic power source also grumbled into the interior despite the better insulation. “Yet the progress compared to older models is clearly visible. However, if we look at this car with the Japanese quality standards in mind, it becomes clear that mother VW is far from finished raising her daughter.”

History tells us that Skoda really took a big step with Favorit successor Felicia. Of course, this had to do with the fact that Volkswagen could interfere with the development of that car from the outset. The Felicia resolutely referred its predecessor to oblivion, although the Favorit should not be forgotten as an important player in Skoda’s history.