Skoda’s Fabia packs a punch
Nile Bijoux takes Skoda’s new Fabia Monte Carlo for a spin.
The Fabia has entered its fourth generation and, as hatchbacks step aside for SUVs, the local lineup has been slimmed considerably. We get just the one model now, the fully kitted Monte Carlo.
Make me an instant expert: what do I need to know?
Skoda has taken the pencil to all corners of its small hatch, giving it new, more aero-friendly styling, a thorough tech upgrade and a new powertrain.
It might not appear all that different to the outgoing model at first, but the changes are there. The headlights are angrier and use LEDs, the grille has active shutters to make the car slip through the air better and the lower bumper has been redesigned as well.
Around the back are new rear lights that extend into the bootlid, a black panoramic roof that comes standard on every colour, and new wheels populate the corners.
Skoda has focused on the aerodynamics of the body quite a bit, even going as far as giving the Fabia a smooth underbody.
As a result, it has a drag coefficient figure of 0.28, the lowest of any supermini, Skoda says.
There are changes inside too, with the supermini getting Skoda’s 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 9.2-inch infotainment screen, though both are optional extras. Standard fare is an analogue dash with a 3.5-inch readout screen and an eight-inch infotainment unit.
Skoda has also implemented Seat’s round air vents seen on the current Ibiza. A coloured stripe runs the width of the dashboard, the door handles are illuminated and there are sporty seats.
Under the skin is a shift to Volkswagen’s MQB platform, which has allowed the Fabia to bump up its dimensions.
It measures 4108mm long, or 111mm longer than before. Most of that extra length came from the wheelbase, now 94mm longer than before for a total of 2564mm. That also puts it above fellow MQB platform-mates, the VW Polo and
Seat Ibiza, in terms of size. Not that you can buy either any more.
The Monte Carlo uses VW’s familiar 1.5-litre turbo four, paired with a dual-clutch transmission. When asked about the new eightspeed auto seen in the golf, the local arm said that it was designed to work with the newer 1.4-litre engine and couldn’t be paired with the
Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo Base price:
$39,990 (RightCar estimated Clean Car Programme rebate: $2181).
Powertrain and economy: 1.5-litre turbo-petrol inline-four, 110kW/250Nm, 7-speed dualclutch automatic, FWD, combined economy 5.4L/100km, CO2 125g/km (source: RightCar).
Body style: Hatchback.
On sale: Now.
larger engine. It also gets a slightly sportier suspension and some blacked-out features on the body.
There’s a chance Skoda will introduce a lesser Ambition or Style model in the future with the 1.0-litre engine, but that largely depends on how well this one sells.
Where did you drive it?
We had a brief drive in the Fabia, around the Waitā kere backroads in Auckland. The platform changes are welcome, especially in that punchy new engine.
The torque starts nice and low at 1500rpm and continues up to 3500rpm, before peak power comes in at 5000rpm. Skoda says the new Fabia will crack 100kph in eight seconds, which feels about right.
That sports suspension is pretty pliable really, erring on the side of being too soft in the front. But that’s me driving like a bit of a meathead, to be fair – the ride is very good when you’re doing things the Fabia will actually be doing, which is cruising on the motorway and doddling around town barely sipping fuel (5.4L/100km is easy to achieve).
And despite there being no added electricals, Skoda does very well on the consumption and emissions front. So well, in fact, that there’s more than $2000 waiting for those first buyers from the Clean Car Programme.
It’s not entirely perfect – there’s wireless charging but no wireless phone mirroring (BYO cable), we miss out on some safety bits like blind-spot alert thanks to the semiconductor shortage, and the audio system does the infuriating thing of compressing and adjusting music if it thinks it’s too loud. Probably something done to protect the speakers from blowing, but still.
What stands out the most?
It is a big upgrade from the last car, so it’s hard to pick just one thing. . . But probably the platform change, if I include the engine. The emissions are crazy low for something not electrified, and it still goes hard if you want it to. Plus, two grand in a rebate isn’t insignificant.
Why would I buy it?
You want a well-equipped, attractive hatchback that barely sips fuel and has an umbrella in the driver’s door.
Why wouldn’t I buy it?
You’d prefer the higher-riding Kamiq, or really want wireless Apple CarPlay.