The Fabia adventure that started in 1999 is ready for a new chapter. This is the all-new Skoda Fabia of the fourth generation, a car that is growing slightly in almost every direction compared to the current model. The new Skoda Fabia, thanks to the switch to the MQB A0 platform, is more Polo than it has been in a long time. The new Fabia will be available at Dutch dealers from November.
Highlights Skoda Fabia
- Grown a few centimeters, more spacious than ever
- Totally MQB
- Improved equipment
- With 1.0 TSIs from November in the Netherlands
The Fabia is an important model for Skoda. Since the introduction of the first generation in 1999, the brand has sold more than 4.5 million units worldwide. This makes it the best-selling Skoda ever after the Octavia. The Fabia is also doing well in the Netherlands. Although the Fabia also has to tolerate the Octavia in the Dutch sales statistics, the car is the most popular Skoda ever with 85,545 units sold since 1999. In addition, the Fabia – until the now out of production Citigo gets a successor – has become the entry-level model of the brand. Skoda is therefore very keen to extend the Fabia success and so it parks the new fourth generation of the model on a new platform.
Skoda Fabia
The new Skoda Fabia, like its peers Volkswagen Polo, Seat Ibiza and Audi A1, is on the modular MQB A0 platform, a welcome change. The outgoing third generation Fabia is in fact on a version of a base introduced in 2008, which has been modernized with MQB parts. The Skoda Fabia is now completely MQB and grows in almost all directions with its generation change. The new Czech is 4.11 meters long, which makes it 11 centimeters longer than its predecessor. The Fabia also expands in width, by 5 centimeters to 1.78 meters. However, the new Fabia has become about one centimeter lower. More good news for the interior space: the wheelbase of the fourth Fabia has increased by 9.4 centimeters to 2.56 meters. Just as the Octavia is a bit bigger and more spacious than the Volkswagen Golf, the Fabia promises to surpass the Polo in size. The Polo is five centimeters shorter and has a smaller luggage compartment. The new Skoda Fabia takes up 380 liters, 50 liters more than before and about 30 liters more than the Polo, which remains at 351 liters. If you throw the back seat flat, you can stow up to 1,190 liters of stuff in the new Fabia.
Skoda Fabia
How the new Fabia compares to the Scala? Just like the Fabia, the Scala stands on the MQB A0 platform, but with its length of 4.36 meters, it is significantly longer and therefore more spacious than the Fabia. The difference in format and use of materials, which is higher in the Scala according to Skoda, justifies the Scala ‘s right to exist.
engines
The MQB A0 platform naturally brings with it well-known engines. In the Netherlands, the new Fabia is at least available with 95 hp and 110 hp 1.0 TSIs. The 110 hp and 200 Nm strong variant is standard linked to a manual six-speed gearbox and is optionally available with a DSG7 automatic transmission. The 95 hp and 175 Nm of powerful 1.0 TSI always sends its powers via a manual five-speed gearbox to the front wheels. With the 110 hp 1.0 TSI, the Fabia has a speed of 100 km / h on the clock in 9.7 seconds (9.5 with DSG). Its top speed is 205 km / h. Average consumption, according to Skoda, is 5.0 l / 100 km (5.5 l / 100 km with DSG). The 1.0 TSI with 95 hp needs 10.6 counts for the 0-100 sprint and consumes an average of 5.1 l / 100 km.
Diesel engines will not return, although they already disappeared from the price list in the 2018 facelift of the previous Fabia. In certain European markets, the Fabia will also be available with a 65 hp 1.0 MPI and an 80 hp variant of the turbo-free engine. The new Skoda with those MPIs is of course not a stripe tractor. With the 80 hp variant, the Fabia needs 15 seconds to reach 100 km / h. Skoda also puts a 150 hp 1.5 TSI on the international delivery list, but that machine is not yet available in the Netherlands in the Netherlands. With that 1.5 sprint, the Fabia in 7.9 counts to a speed of 100 km / h. Its top speed is 225 km / h.
Skoda Fabia
Jiří Dytrych, Head of Product Line Small at Skoda, tells Techzle that an RS version is not yet planned. “In this price range it is difficult to carry such a model. That has mainly to do with what the customer expects from the Fabia. We would probably sell too small numbers to justify an RS version.” This means that the RS version of the second generation Fabia, delivered with a 180 hp 1.4 TSI, seems to remain the last compact Czech with that famous two-letter combination for the time being.
There is also no electrified Fabia in the barrel for the time being. Not even with a mild hybrid powertrain. “If we were to electrify the Fabia, the car would have mild hybrid versions, but there are no plans for that at the moment,” Martin Hrdlička, Head of Chassis & Powertrain Development, told Techzle. According to Skoda, the Fabia customer expects a lot from the Fabia value for money and more expensive mild-hybrid technology would not fit in with that for the time being. Incidentally, the technically related to the Fabia Polo, Ibiza and A1 are also not available with mild hybrid technology.
Skoda Fabia
Design
From the outside, the new Fabia is completely Skoda 2021, which means that the headlights have been placed relatively high next to the grille. The headlamps themselves are a lot flatter than before and are full-LED models at certain trim levels. The rear lights, also optionally full-LED, now run through the tailgate. A difference with the outgoing Fabia. With its new lighting, the Fabia is neatly in step with cars such as the Kamiq and Scala. At 0.28, the cw value is lower than it is now (0.32). According to Skoda, the Fabia is the most aerodynamic model in its class. The Fabia gets, among other things, active cooling openings in the front bumper that, according to Skoda, reduce consumption by up to 0.2 l / 100 km. Typical Fabia: the sharp-lined C-pillar. It survived the generation change. Depending on the chosen version, the Fabia stands on 14- or 15-inch steel wheels or on 15- to 18-inch large light alloy.
Interior and gadgets
In the interior of the Skoda Fabia, the relationship with cars like the Volkswagen Polo is of course evident. For example, the placement of the ventilation grilles on the center console and the control element of the climate control underneath fully corresponds to that of the Polo, and the rotary knob with which you operate the lighting can also be found on the left side of the dashboard. Yet Skoda has not just pulled the dashboard out of the Polo to screw it unchanged into the Fabia, there is also a lot completely ‘own’. For example, the Fabia has more playfully designed round ventilation grilles on the corners of the dashboard and its own infotainment display that protrudes more from the dashboard. In addition, Skoda equips the Fabia with the two-spoke and optionally even heated steering wheel that the brand already introduced in the Octavia. Those who are not a fan of the two-spoke model can opt for a sports steering wheel with three spokes. The infotainment system is available in various flavors and, depending on the version selected, has a diameter of 6, 8 or 9.2 inches. For the first time, the Fabia is available with Virtual Cockpit, a fully digital 10.25-inch diameter instrumentation. However, analog clocks with a 3.5-inch information display in between are standard. Also new for the Fabia: windscreen heating. From the Ambition trim level, the front of the dashboard is covered with fabric and from the Style, the interior is further enhanced with mood lighting. In addition, the new Fabia is available for the first time with two-zone climate control, complete with air outlets at the rear of the center tunnel for rear passengers.
Skoda Fabia
Skoda adds small cleverness to its models under the name Simply Clever. For example, the new Skoda Fabia has front seats whose backrests can be flat, a USB-C connection in the interior mirror for, for example, a dashcam, reading lights in the front and rear where you can operate the rear in the front, a removable cup holder and various smart storage compartments. More clever features come in the form of a flexible bulkhead for the luggage compartment, a storage compartment for your smartphone at the back of the front seats, removable cup holders and a sunshade for the optional panoramic roof that can be stored under the parcel shelf.
Skoda Fabia
Of course, Fabia number four benefits from the arrival of new safety systems. The new Czech is now available with, among other things, Park Assist, Maneuver Assist and even Travel Assist. Also available are systems such as adaptive cruise control, Lane Assist and a refined version of Side Assist. Also new for the Fabia: traffic sign recognition.
Combi
For a moment, the future of the Fabia Combi seemed to hang by a thread due to the declining popularity of compact station wagons and the addition of Kamiq crossover to the Skoda range. But there is good news: the Skoda Fabia Combi is back. However, the new Fabia Combi is only on the calendar for 2023. However, it promises to be a particularly spacious model. The luggage space of the current Fabia Combi, which can last for a few more years in some markets, is already considerably larger than that of the Kamiq (400 liters) at 530 liters. The fact that the Fabia Combi is being continued is somewhat striking. Renault decided to kiss the station version of the Clio goodbye during the last generation change.
The new Skoda Fabia will be available at Dutch dealers from November. Prices will follow in the run-up to the market launch.