27 Skoda Fabia: A roomy and reliable little gem

There is little about the Skoda Fabia which one could refer to as insensible. It is as sturdy and upright (albeit less curvy) as a Martello Tower.

Its expression could best be described as “benign seriousness” and there is little doubting the excellent quality of its interior.

Alright, so if you look long and hard enough you’ll find one or two design details or sections of plastic trim that don’t quite match up to its senior partner, the Volkswagen Polo and there is none of the cheeky styling nor sense of Germanic fun that comes with the related but much more expensive Audi A1.

None of which frankly matters very much. What the Fabia does, and does better than most (especially the Polo, incidentally) is provide affordable, roomy and likely reliable motoring at a sensible asking price.

It lacks, possibly, for flair but not for space nor comfort (especially if you consider the vast boot space of the Combi estate version) and indeed not for technology.

You can have a touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a choice of high-tech turbo and non-turbo petrol engines.

You can have a diesel too but there’s not much point at this price level. New 1.0-litre engine is the sweetest, but the 1.2 TSI turns the Fabia into a proper motorway weapon, if such you need.

Price range: €14,375 to €24,210

Co2 emissions: 93 to 100g/km

Which one? 1.0 75hp Monte Carlo

PCP from €169 per month