Skoda isn’t ruling out a full-blown comeback for the Fabia vRS, despite the hot hatch having been axed in 2014 due to sluggish sales.
The Czech brand told Autocar that a revival remains possible if market conditions swing back in favour of small performance models.
“There are currently no plans to offer a Fabia vRS, but we will continue to monitor customer demand,” a spokesperson confirmed.
Behind the scenes, engineers are understood to be enthusiastic about the idea. A new vRS model would give Skoda the chance to demonstrate the potential of the Fabia’s platform while tapping into the firm’s impressive motorsport heritage - which includes eight WRC2 Drivers’ Championship wins with the Fabia between 2015 and 2023.
The recently unveiled Fabia 130, producing 130kW (174bhp) to mark Skoda's 130th anniversary, is being viewed internally as a proof of concept.
Insiders suggest that strong demand for this model could help justify the business case for a fully fledged Fabia vRS.
Skoda is well aware, however, that Europe’s appetite for hot hatches has largely condensed to two core markets: the UK and Germany.
The Fabia 130 uses the Volkswagen Group’s 1.5-litre Evo2 turbo petrol engine - soon to be under Skoda’s stewardship - and a future Fabia vRS could push this further with hardware borrowed from elsewhere in the Group catalogue.
Alternatively, Skoda could opt for the 2.0-litre unit used in the Volkswagen Polo GTI hot hatch. That engine delivers 204bhp and 236lb ft via a dual-clutch automatic (DSG) gearbox.
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It strikes me that there is not a lot wrong with the standard 130 model, with iits lively 174 horsepower and the option at least of manual transmission. Why pay more both to purchase and insure a vRS model with its extra power that you will never need and likely fuel consumption and ride penalty? Or am I just getting old!