Currently reading: New Skoda Fabia to cost from £10,600
Skoda is targeting younger buyers with a range of personalisation and tech features on its new Fabia

The new Skoda Fabia supermini, which replaces the current seven-year-old model, has been revealed at the Paris motor show.

The new Fabia will arrive in the UK early next year with prices starting from £10,600.

The Fabia, which is Skoda’s second best-selling model after the Skoda Octavia, should give the Czech car maker a significant boost in Europe’s vital supermini market. Sales of the current Fabia slipped under the 200,000 mark in last year.

Skoda's Fabia remains under four metres long but is 30mm lower in height and a significant 90mm wider than the outgoing model. This will not only improve cabin space but should also give the car a more planted and contemporary look. A 330-litre boot is offered, some 15 litres larger than the outgoing model's.

Jozef Kaban, Skoda’s chief designer, says the new model marks a decisive shift in the brand’s design language. 

“In recent years, Skoda has made a name for itself by producing cars with great functionality and above-average interior space,” he said. “We sense now is the right time to create a stronger connection between the functionality of our cars and an expressive and emotional design.”

Kaban also said Skoda had focused on creating a sportier vehicle and making the design crisper. “The result,” he said, “is a young, fresh and modern compact car that sets new standards in its segment.”

It is understood that the Fabia is based on the latest version of the Volkswagen Group’s PQ26 platform, first used on this year’s revamped Volkswagen Polo supermini. 

The newly re-engineered platform has been modified to accept the VW Group’s latest range of engines and transmissions as well as the most up-to-date safety and infotainment kit. Improvements in structural rigidity should also ensure improved handling and safety.

There will be a brace of EU6-compliant engines, starting with the 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit used in the VW Up and the Skoda Citigo. Above that is a series of 1.2 turbocharged four-cylinders thought to develop between 89bhp and 109bhp, depending on the state of tune.

The top new Fabia model is expected to be the Greenline diesel. Using a 74bhp 1.4 turbodiesel, it is expected to claim a figure of 82g/km on CO2 emissions with fuel economy of 91mpg. However, even the entry-level 1.0-litre model should offer impressive efficiency thanks to a dry weight of around 980kg.

Skoda has revealed UK pricing and specification information for the hatchback variant of the Fabia. Three trim levels will be offered: S, SE and Elegance, and six engine choices.

The 18-variant range will start at £10,600 for a 59bhp Fabia S 1.0 MPI and rise to £17,240 for a 89bhp Fabia Elegance 1.4 TDI equipped with a DSG twin-clutch transmission.

Advertisement

Read our review

Car review

Is the Skoda Fabia good enough to challenge for top slot in a sector packed with talented competition?

Back to top

The DSG option is offered on variants with four-cylinder engines, and command a premium of about £1000 over the equivalent manual gearbox car.

Entry-level S models include DAB digital radio, Bluetooth, stop-start and electric front windows as standard, as well as electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors.

SE trim adds goodies including a three-spoke leather steering wheel, a leather gearshift knob and handbrake lever manual aircon, 15in alloy wheels and an uprated infotainment system that includes telephone control, Mirrorlink, a USB port and SD card slot.

Elegance builds on SE with a multi-function leather steering wheel, 16in alloys, automatically dimming rear-view mirror, climate control, cruise control, front fog lights, keyless entry and start and LED running lights.

The new model will also be the first to be offered with a range of personalisation options as the Czech manufacturer seeks to broaden the car’s appeal to younger customers.

Buyers will be able 
to select the colour of their wheel rims, door mirror surrounds and roof, as well 
as interior elements such as the dashboard and steering wheel trim. In total, 15 different body colours and three interior trim styles will be offered.

“Customisation is the 
next quite important feature for us as we continue the evolution of our cars,” said Dalibor Pantucek, exterior designer at Skoda.

Improved technology will also form a centrepiece of the new Skoda’s appeal to younger customers. It is the first car in Skoda’s range to feature Mirrorlink, a system that allows smartphone apps to be displayed on the infotainment screen.

Another new function is Smartgate, where vehicle-specific information such as fuel consumption, average speed and g-force readings can to transferred and recorded on a smartphone.

However, the Fabia’s bold new look hasn’t come at the cost of practicality. An ice scraper in the fuel filler cap, storage nets on the inside edges of the front seats, a smartphone cradle in the centre console and a rubbish bin in the side door are some of the more practical features. 

It is understood there will be no vRS Fabia in the third-gen line-up.

Read more Paris motor show news

Get the latest car news, reviews and galleries from Autocar direct to your inbox every week. Enter your email address below:

Add a comment…
Factczech 2 October 2014

Not Worth It...

Unassuming in looks as it might be, the New Corsa is a far ,more established and mainstream contender than the Fabia, and for VAG to hike the price above the Corsa which comes in at under 10k is laughable, and frankly greedy on their part!
VAG is haemorrhaging money on their mainstream brands and is hiking prices to stem that. If they are truly aiming at the youth market then they are off on the wrong footing. Youth don't have money, they depend on the bank of mum and dad and any wise parent would opt for a Corsa over a Fabia any day, which is more of a no brainer now that the Fabia is more costly. Nice try VAG but your Fabia is only an old Polo in lipstick.
Leslie Brook 2 October 2014

Factczech wrote:Unassuming in

Factczech wrote:

Unassuming in looks as it might be, the New Corsa is a far ,more established and mainstream contender than the Fabia, and for VAG to hike the price above the Corsa which comes in at under 10k is laughable, and frankly greedy on their part!
VAG is haemorrhaging money on their mainstream brands and is hiking prices to stem that. If they are truly aiming at the youth market then they are off on the wrong footing. Youth don't have money, they depend on the bank of mum and dad and any wise parent would opt for a Corsa over a Fabia any day, which is more of a no brainer now that the Fabia is more costly. Nice try VAG but your Fabia is only an old Polo in lipstick.

Ahh, but the Corsa is a Vauxhall, and they're all crap.

Cyborg 1 October 2014

Fabia

I like it! The styling's a little more edgy (literally) than the previous generation and the dash design is actually quite stylish for a Skoda.
Moparman 23 September 2014

Not bad

I think the crispness of the lines will look better in person than in the picture but I don't think it is a head-turner by any means.