The new Fabia almost undisguised
The new Skoda Fabia disguises itself as its predecessor: shortly before its market launch, the small car will complete road tests. We reveal what’s in it.
The Skoda Fabia 4 adapts to the current brand design. It gets a new front, which is similar to that of the Skoda Octavia, and wider taillights
Review: In 1999 the first Skoda Fabia came onto the market. This year (2021) the fourth generation of the small car is in the starting blocks
The small car grows by at least five, probably even ten centimeters in length. Thus the new Fabia offers its occupants more space. Especially the passengers in the back seat should benefit
Skoda has not used diesel in the Fabia since 2018. That is why the new Fabia will initially only be available as a gasoline engine. A natural gas variant could also be used
For the Fabia model change, Skoda is improving drives, technology and space, modernizing the infotainment and adding assistants
The The most spacious small car in the VW Group is getting a successor: Skoda is preparing the market launch of the Fabia 4. A few months before its premiere, barely camouflaged prototypes are on the road. Skoda disguises them as old models with cleverly placed foils on the lamps and upholstery on the metal sheets. But the prototypes cannot hide their new face.
Review: In 1999 the first Skoda Fabia came onto the market. This year (2021) the fourth generation of the small car is in the starting blocks
The Skoda Fabia 4 adapts to the current brand design. It gets a new front, which is similar to that of the Skoda Octavia, and wider taillights. The pre-production models are on the road with black painted radiator grills and LED headlights. Presumably it is the highest equipment variant “Monte Carlo”. Despite good camouflage, they already reveal important details about the production model.
Skoda Fabia 4: from 2021 with more space
The expiring Skoda Fabia 3 doesn’t have the best timing. When it started in 2014, the VW Group was already converting many models to a new architecture: In the “Modular Transverse Toolkit” (MQB), the Group used high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels as well as different joining techniques to reduce weight and rigidity increase and improve the use of space. The Octavia has been based on this architecture since 2012. It is not yet ready for a small car when the Fabia 3 is launched.
Only Seat Ibiza, VW Polo and Audi A3 will introduce them in the small segment from 2017. Now the Fabia is catching up on what its group siblings can already do: for the model change in 2021, it will get everything it has been missing so far. Skoda improves drives, technology and space, modernizes infotainment and adds assistants. In addition, the car is growing significantly.
The small car grows by at least five, probably even ten centimeters in length. Thus the new Fabia offers its occupants more space. Especially the passengers in the back seat should benefit
Skoda traditionally places its models at the upper end of the respective class. When the Fabia 3 starts, it is one of the large models in the segment with a length of 3.99 meters. Most competitors have now overtaken him. He is catching up on this deficit: the car is growing by at least five, and probably even ten centimeters in length. The proportions of the prototypes indicate that Skoda is primarily extending the wheelbase for this.
The new Fabia offers its occupants more space. Especially the passengers in the back seat should benefit. We expect the largest knee room in its class. In addition, the trunk is expected to be larger. So far the Fabia has loaded 330 liters of luggage under the cover. After his model change, we expect a trunk volume of 350 to 380 liters – the level of a compact car. This makes the Fabia suitable for families.
There will also be a Skoda Fabia Combi again. VW CEO Herbert Diess confirms in a statement on the LinkedIn platform that the large version of the small car will start in 2023. The strategy: The core model should quickly become modern and compete against the long-renovated competition as early as 2021. The old Fabia Combi will remain in the range for another two years and offers plenty of space for little money. Then his successor takes over from him.
No diesel in the Skoda Octavia 4
On the drive side, we don’t expect any major surprises. Skoda has not used diesel in the Fabia since 2018. The fact remains: Your exhaust gas cleaning is now too expensive to make money in the small car segment. That is why the new Fabia will initially only be available as a gasoline engine. A natural gas variant could also be used.
Skoda has not used diesel in the Fabia since 2018. That is why the new Fabia will initially only be available as a gasoline engine. A natural gas variant could also be used
Furthermore, three-cylinder engines in particular drive the Fabia. In the base, a naturally aspirated engine is expected to generate around 70 hp. Skoda also offers two turbo three-cylinder units with around 95 and 110 hp. These three drives cover a large part of the sales. The top engine could be a four-cylinder with a displacement of 1.5 liters and 150 hp. Skoda is not planning a new sporty Fabia RS for generation four.
Skoda screws a manual five-speed gearbox onto the base engine. The turbo engines get a sixth gear, the more powerful optionally a seven-speed dual clutch transmission (DSG). They only drive the front wheels. Four-wheel drive is generally not provided for in the MQB for small cars, not even Audi gets a four-wheel drive version.
A digital cockpit and more assistance
In addition to engines and space, Skoda is improving the Fabia’s infotainment and assistance with the model change. The small car will be based on the Scala and Octavia models. This means that fewer buttons and buttons are used in the interior. In future, a large touchscreen will control most of the functions. It is quite possible that Skoda does not dispense with all the classic controls: rotary controls could continue to be used for the air conditioning.
Optionally, a large display will probably replace the classic round instruments behind the steering wheel. We expect a tidy, slim cockpit with a high proportion of hard plastic, but a chic structure and pretty panels.
For the Fabia model change, Skoda is improving drives, technology and space, modernizing the infotainment and adding assistants
Skoda should install the most important helpers as standard in the new Fabia. We expect front radar with pedestrian detection, lane assistant and a speed limit in every car. More support is available for a surcharge: the surcharge list will include an adaptive cruise control, parking assistant, LED lamps, high beam assistant and a proactive accident assistant.
When the Fabia starts around mid-2021, it will cost more than its predecessor. With improved basic equipment and more space than in the current model, we expect an entry at around 14,900 euros. Deliveries are expected to start in the second half of 2021.
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