Skoda Fabia 1.2 Elegance: While the new Skoda Fabia has a lot going for it, this supermini is up against it in a changed market in terms of pricing and style, writes Michael McAleer, Motoring editor
It's common to harbour a soft spot for the underdog. In the early 1990s, in the cut-throat car market, it was hard to see a future for the Skoda brand, even with western Europe's car giant Volkswagen at the helm.
Some of us lacked the vision to see where its new owner could take the brand and predicted it was destined as a cut-price rip-off, with models cobbled together from the spare parts bin at VW and sold on the cheap to Ukrainian farmers and the handful of Moldovans who could afford a new car.
How wrong we were. Skoda has proved to be a competitive brand, well-priced and, since the late-1990s, on a par with anything the long-established mainstream brands in Europe had to offer.
The credit earned by the Czechs in recent years was well deserved. Now we need to call time on the plaudits. The underdog of yesteryear can fend for itself.
The simple truth is that Skodas are no longer the cheap alternative to mainstream brands. Skoda is now a real rival even to its parent company VW in the small car market.
These facts carry with them two stark realities: Skoda is a fine mainstream brand, but in that regard it no longer deserves credit for the great improvements it has made.
The downside for consumers is that the perception of value doesn't always stand up to scrutiny. Yes the lowest priced Fabia is significantly cheaper than an entry-level VW Polo, but when you start adding on the extras the gap starts to close.
This is the second generation of the Skoda supermini, following on from a model that proved incredibly popular in a price-sensitive segment of the market. It offered interior space and a decent drive, even if it was a little dour in terms of exterior styling. Skodas may have radically improved in the last decade, but styling was basic and conservative.
Since the arrival of the Roomster the styling issue has started to be addressed and the firm is beginning to create a viable familial look for the brand.
It all started to come together in 2005 with several concept models. While the likes of the Yeti concept were wacky in the extreme, they pointed at a definitive look for Skodas of the future. First to carry the new image was the Roomster last year. Now we have the Fabia, which seems to blend Roomster traits with a side profile that could be mistaken for a Suzuki Swift. Both elements work well, for just as the Roomster is practical, the Swift is rather sporting and popular with younger motorists.
While exterior design is pleasing, the positives don't end there. This Fabia follows the general supermini trend inside with a high roofline that benefits taller occupants and a decent seating position in both front and back.
Based on VW's new supermini platform that will feature in the next generation Polo, it also handles the rough and tumbles of Irish roads quite well. This was exemplified during our week in the car when at one stage we missed a warning about speed bumps and hit them at full tilt. Instead of the back-breaking thud, the Fabia cushioned the blow.
Handling is also to Skoda's credit and it's light and quite nimble. The weight distribution in the 1.2-litre version is well balanced and in that regard it's the best buy of all the engine options. Although we haven't tested the 1.4-litre version, colleagues who have tell us the bigger engine weighs heavy on the car's front nose and takes away from its cornering ability in comparison to the 1.2-litre version, while performance is only marginally improved.
We have a soft spot for superminis: the eager engine note mixes well with a generally light touch to the steering that gives the driver a real feel of engagement. The Fabia fits the bill in this regard.
And yet it has its flaws. For a start, the interior is dull. Black plastic may be the order of the day and the Fabia's is of a high quality with some nice touches such as the faux aluminium plastic surrounds, but even Opel - never renowned for artistic endeavours - has managed to liven up the supermini cabin more than this. The Corsa is like a five-star suite compared to the Holiday Inn feel of the Fabia. It may be functional, with plenty of cubbyholes, but it lacks any flair.
Then there is the performance. The 1.2-litre engine sounds eager as you push it along and the gearbox is nice and light to change, even if getting reverse can be a pain. But for all the cacophony from the front, it's only when you look out the window and watch the rest of the world pass you by that you realise 0-100km/h in 14.9 seconds is significantly off the pace.
Of course, no one expects the Fabia to hurtle towards the horizon like a supercar, but when you consider the Toyota Yaris manages the 0-100km/h sprint in 11.5 seconds and the Swift does it in 11, you start to see that overtaking in this little Czech may not be as easy as in other rivals.
Some may consider it irrelevant to discuss performance figures for a supermini, but those of us who spend several hours a week on rural roads know the need to have more than carpet under foot. When you've got just 200 metres of straight road every 5kms and a slow-moving tractor in front, it's good to know you can call on some reserves of power. It's not about top speed: it's about getting out of danger as quickly as possible.
The first generation Fabia was rightly regarded as a good buy and this one makes minor improvements to that offering. However, its best feature in previous years was that it was an all-round decent package for its price. The market has changed, however, and several brands now offer similarly competitive pricing but with more flair.
The range-topping Elegance we tested came with metallic paint that bumped the price up to €18,070. It may feature an extra two airbags over the standard versions, cruise control and air conditioning and a leather steering wheel, but the price is just too much for a car in this class.
A €15,000 price tag is where this market should really be at and there you can pick up the Ambiente version. You may lose out on the air-con, two airbags and cruise control, but it's just as entertaining and functional.
If we were in the market for a small supermini, we'd be lining up four test drives: the first three being the Opel Corsa, Toyota Yaris and this new Fabia.
However, as we entered the showrooms, all three cars would be doing battle in our heads with our personal favourite in this category: the Suzuki Swift. Its 1.3-litre GLX version offers air-con, keyless start and steering wheel audio controls for €15,650 in five-door guise. It's more powerful than the Fabia, carries similar styling and has Japanese quality credentials.
The Fabia has improved its looks but it's only keeping pace with the market, while its previous price advantage has lost some of its lustre.
ENGINE: 1,198cc three-cylinder petrol engine outputting 68bhp @ 5,400rpm and 112Nm of torque @ 3,000rpm.
SPECIFICATION: Standard features include: four airbags; anti-lock brakes; tinted windows; radio with CD and MP3/iPod compatability and remote locking and immobiliser. Ambiente versions add electric windows and mirrors and onboard computer. Sport and Elegance versions get two extra airbags, while Elegance versions get air-con.
Factfile
L/100km (MPG)
Urban: 7.7 (36.7)
Extra-urban: 4.9 (57.6)
Combined: 5.9 (47.9)
CO2 EMISSIONS: 140g/km
ANNUAL ROAD TAX: €251
PRICE: €17,694
(€14,250 to €23,175)