Smallest Skoda still a charmer

Friday, 1 February 2019

**SKODA FABIA AMBITION 81kW

Base price:** $24,990

The Fabia's new face brings it into line with the rest of the Skoda range.

Powertrain and performance: 1.6-litre petrol inline 4, 81kW/155Nm, 6-speed automatic, FWD, Combined economy 5.9 litres per 100km.

The interior is comfortable and nicely laid out, with some very good seats.

Vital statistics: 3997mm long, 1467mm high, 2470mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 330 litres, 15-inch alloy wheels.

We like: New, more angular face looks smart. Big car-like ride and handling.

We don't like: Doesn't undercut its newer siblings by enough. Starting to look dated.

While it has traditionally been the first in the wider VW family to get the new bits, the Skoda Fabia takes the back seat this time around.

While Seat, Volkswagen and Audi all get the newest version of the baby car underpinnings for their Ibiza, Polo and A1 models respectively, the Fabia has to make do with a facelift of the old model for its 2019 incarnation.

So that basically puts the Skoda on the back foot straight away, huh?

While not as roomy inside as its newer siblings, the Fabia is still an accomplished small car.

Pretty much - whereas the Polo, Seat Ibiza and forthcoming Audi A1 have all moved to the MQB platform, the Skoda remains on the older A06 platform.

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But to be fair, the A06 was - and remains - a damn fine basis for a small car, and the Fabia always was - and, again, remains - a damn fine small car. It's just one that is now a generation behind the rest of the family, sort of like the weird cousin than no-one wants to get stuck with at family reunions.

While the Fabia is still a good-looking thing, it is starting to look a bit dated now.

That doesn't actually mean it feels in any way outdated, however, just that it feels… well, the same really.

While the Fabia has had a facelift on the outside that brings it into line with the newer members of the Skoda family, the inside has had a few tweaks, but still largely feels a very familiar place to be.

This means a lot of hard plastics fitted nicely together, with a functional layout that lacks style, but has a certain appealingly ergonomically-sensible character. It does, however, get an updated infotainment system that now includes APple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Does it feel the same on the road too?

For a small car, the Fabia has a good sized boot - 330 litres in fact.

The Fabia's ride and handling haven't changed and it is still impressively confident and assured for a small car, with little drama over imperfections and a friendly, eager approach to turning into corners. It is also surprisingly comfortable during long distance open road touring, as well as being a wonderfully agreeable thing around town

The Ambition now gets a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 81kW of power and 155Nm of torque - hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission - which is a characterful little engine that has no problem hauling the Fabia around, although it does need a bit of extra stirring along on the open road with more than one person on board.

What it doesn't have, however, is the brilliant 1.0-litre turbo triple that its newer siblings get, which is an even more flexible and willing thing.

Does all of that mean it is cheaper than its newer siblings then?

Sadly, this is where it falls apart for the Fabia.

While it is an enjoyable little thing to both live with and throw around a bit if the mood takes you on a winding back road, and is impressively comfortable and capable, both the Volkswagen Polo and Seat Ibiza are even better in all of these regards and aren't significantly different in price.

Where an entry level Polo TSI with a 7-speed DSG and a 70kW/175Nm version of the three-cylinder turbo petrol engine lands at $27,990, it is the Seat that really takes the wind out of the Skoda's sails, with the single Ibiza Style available in New Zealand costing just $1,000 more than the Fabia ($25,990), yet coming with a higher level of standard equipment and an 85kW/200Nm version of the turbo triple.

So you wouldn't buy the Fabia then?

Let's not be hasty there, because the Fabia certainly does still have its charms.

It is an enjoyable and comfortable car that doesn't do anything wrong, it's just that it is a mid-life facelift when its relatives are all new. And if that bothers you, then it will be a factor in your decision.

If it doesn't, then the almost reverse-snob appeal of the Skoda badge may hold more allure than a lot of its more mainstream competitors.

As fans of the Czech marque will know, buying a Skoda puts you in a club of people who know the maligned past of the brand, but also know that they have an exceptionally good car with VW Audi group underpinnings hiding under that quirky badge that has been the butt of so many jokes. It's sort of like an open secret, with Skoda owners quietly laughing behind their hands at VW owners.

Any other cars I should consider?

While the obvious directly-related competitors have been pointed out above, pretty much every other manufacturer also offers something in this segment as well. And this is where the Fabia's price hurts it again, as it does little to distinguish itself amid a sea of similarly-priced competitors of varying ages.

Something like a Toyota Yaris undercuts it on price - but you still wouldn't go there because it is utterly ancient and just awful - but the biggest problem for the Fabia comes in the form of New Zealand's most popular car among private buyers, the Suzuki Swift, which lands in mid-spec form at $500 less than the entry-level Ambition, while the top-spec (outside the Sport, that is) RS is just $1,000 more and is a whole lot more car for that money.

The quirkily cool allure of the Skoda badge can account for a lot, but it may not stretch quite that far.