Skoda Fabia Hatch (2007 – ) expert review

1. Exterior

The Skoda Fabia hatch is a cleanly-styled supermini that’s more grown-up looking than most. Its windscreen, which wraps around into the side windows,  and the classy chrome grille help to mark it out as one of the most distinctive on the market. As with many superminis, the Fabia’s biggest problem is the blind spot created by the large rear pillars, which can cause problems when reversing.

Our rating: 4

2. Interior

The Fabia offers a lot of space for front passengers, but so do many other superminis. Where Skoda really scores is in making the rear suitable for adults too. Need to transport four six-footers? No problem. As with the exterior, the styling is a matter of taste and there are signs that it was constrained by the need to keep costs down, but it’s a good effort all the same. For higher quality you would need to choose a more expensive Ford Fiesta or Volkswagen Polo.

Our rating: 4

3. Practicality

The large amount of room for passengers hasn’t led to compromises in the luggage compartment. Cargo space is impressive at 300 litres when the rear seats are in place and 1,163 litres when they’re folded down – the latter figure especially is very impressive for a supermini, with only the Vauxhall Corsa getting anywhere near it at 1,100 litres. One small glitch is having to remove the head restraints before the seats can be folded.

Our rating: 4

4. Ride and handling

The Fabia with the greatest cornering ability is of course the high-performance vRS. For less dramatic models it’s just as important that they should be easy to drive, and that certainly describes the Fabia, especially in town, where the light but precise steering is a bonus. For those who might be interested, it’s also quite good fun on quiet country roads. Compared with other manufacturers in the Volkswagen Group, Skoda is usually careful to ensure a comfortable ride, and most Fabias therefore drive very smoothly on our bumpy and rutted roads.

Our rating: 5

5. Performance

Once again, if you really want performance from a Fabia the car you need to consider is the vRS. No other Fabia comes close, the nearest being the 105bhp 1.2-litre TSI turbo petrol model, which manages 119mph and 0-62mph in 10.1 seconds. The 1.6-litre TDI turbo diesel engine produces the same 102bhp as the 1.2 TSI petrol in its most powerful form and is nearly as quick – 117mph tops and 0-62mph in 10.9 seconds – and is much stronger at low revs, making it more relaxing to drive. The slowest Fabia of all is the three-cylinder 60bhp 1.2-litre non-turbo petrol, which takes nearly 15 seconds to reach 62mph but sounds wonderful and is more fun than expected, though the quicker 70bhp version is less tiring.

Our rating: 4

6. Running costs

If minimal running costs are your main priority then a Fabia in Greenline II trim will appeal most. Fitted with a 74bhp 1.2-litre diesel engine and a raft of fuel-saving detail modifications it manages to average 83.1mpg and emit road-tax busting CO2 emissions of 89g/km. From there, the next most economical engine is the 1.6-litre TDI turbo diesel which averages 67.3mpg and emits 109g/km of CO2. VED tax is only £20, and free for the first year after purchase. Strangely, the same figures officially apply whether the engine is 75bhp, 90bhp or 105bhp, but you can assume that more power means less economy in the real world. Most other non-vRS Fabias beat 50mpg and 130g/km, the exception being the 60bhp 1.2-litre petrol, with its 132g/km of CO2 emissions.

Our rating: 5

7. Reliability

Skodas are largely made of Volkswagen bits, which is good news. Even the cheapest Skoda feels solidly built. This applies as much to Fabias as to the larger cars, so it’s unlikely that an owner will have major problems.

Our rating: 4

8. Safety

The Fabia generally performed well when it was crash tested by EuroNCAP back in 2007, but a few minor points (such as possible risk of injury to the legs of the driver and front passenger) restricted it to four stars out of five in the adult occupant protection test. It also scored three out of five for child occupant protection and only two out of four for pedestrian protection, despite Skoda’s claim that this was a major target in the development of the car. All Fabias have anti-lock brakes and driver, passenger and side airbags, but only models with the 105bhp 1.2 TSI have electronic stability program as standard – an extra cost option on all the others.

Our rating: 3

9. Equipment

Skoda Fabias are priced much lower than most of the best known superminis, but that doesn’t mean they’re sparsely equipped. Driver, passenger and side airbags are fitted as standard on all models, and so are electric front windows and a radio/CD player with an MP3 socket. All but the entry level S also have air-con and alloy wheels. The highest trim level is called Elegance, and that comes fitted with rear parking sensors, cruise control, floor mats, a trip computer and leather for the steering wheel and gear lever. A new special edition Monte Carlo version was introduced in 2011 and includes  17-inch ‘Trinity’ design alloy wheels, leather gearknob and handbrake with red stitching, air-con, sports seats, sports suspension and black smoked headlights, as well as black gloss door mirrors, roof and spoilers.

Our rating: 4

10. Why buy?

It’s a very good supermini, and all versions are competitively priced. Either the distinctive looks will appeal or they won’t, but at least the Fabia’s styling isn’t as controversial as that of the Roomster.

Our rating: 4