The Fabia, an elegant blend of luxury and economy!

Indian buyers appreciate cars that have solid build quality, are super-efficient and run on diesel. The Skoda Octavia, launched here in 2002, has all these qualities and Skoda has been enjoying success in India since its launch.

When the Octavia proved to be a very lucrative model, Skoda then moved up a few segments and introduced the Superb and Laura, making itself a luxury brand in India. Despite so much success, Skoda was unsure about launching its smallest and most acclaimed model, the Fabia, in our country.

However, now, with car buyers becoming more mature and spending their money wisely, Skoda feels India is ready for a large hatchback and here’s the test to tell if the Fabia will do as well as other Skoda models.

Style file

The Fabia is a large hatchback and its cheeky styling is rather cute. The car looks compact, owing to cleverly designed, large headlamps and a tight-fitting roof. The Fabia is a long car as well; it’s almost 4m in length, making it longer than the Ford Fusion. The headlamps are mounted high, straddling the bumpers and bonnet and look quite attractive. The cabin is inset from the flanks of the car and the roof tapers towards the back.

The Fabia is built on an updated and mostly new platform, PQ25, which will be shared among other Volkswagen Group companies.

Special features of this chassis are a very sophisticated front MacPherson strut suspension, a stoutly built lower A-arm and a non-independent rear set-up. To make the car more India-centric, the suspension has been raised and springs and dampers re-tuned in what is referred to as the ‘rough road’ package. The version of the car tested here came with ABS and airbags, though ABS isn’t available on other versions.

Inside story

Inside the Fabia, you don’t feel like you are seated in a hatchback. You feel like you are in a much more expensive car. The Fabia’s interiors feel up-market and are of superior quality.

In fact, the inside of this car feels even better than the more expensive Octavia! Nothing looks even remotely cheap or tacky, all switches and knobs work well and the tasteful use of colour only adds to the appeal of the Fabia’s interiors.

There is ample room for tall drivers and seat height is adjustable. The steering wheel too is adjustable for reach and height. At the rear, passenger space is good with the long 2462 mm wheelbase providing more than sufficient legroom to seat six-footers. There is decent space in the footwell too and thigh support is good, but the seatback is a little too vertical.

On the downside, the seats’ lateral support isn’t very good; they do not hold you as firmly as you’d like and electronic climate control console should have been included as well. The Fabia comes with loads of equipment including powered mirrors and windows, airbags for driver and passenger and an MP3 audio system with an auxiliary socket for your iPod or similar device.

Under the hood

The Fabia delivers adequate performance and is powered by a 1422cc, direct-injection diesel motor. Using two valves per cylinder and a fixed geometry turbo, this motor features Volkswagen’s Pumpe Duse method of diesel injection, meaning no common-rail system.

PD engines use one fuel pump per cylinder and as a result, the responsiveness of the motor is very strong. What you get is very high injection pressure and this means an instant increase in engine speed and power delivery as soon as you hit the accelerator.

Responses to the throttle aren’t lightning-quick below 2000rpm, with some degree of lag present. Still, in city traffic, the Fabia’s large cylinders have enough pulling power, even through the lag, and the Fabia acquits itself reasonably well. Power doesn’t tail off like in other diesels and the strong mid-range and top end help it to cover the 0-100 sprint in a decent 14.9 seconds, a second shy of the Swift. The gearbox used on the Fabia is positive and light and a joy to use.

It isn’t a surprise that being a Skoda, the Fabia delivered decent fuel economy figures. It gave 14.1 kpl within city conditions and 18.5 kpl on the highway. Yes, this is among the most fuel efficient cars in India.

Final verdict

The Fabia isn’t just a diesel car that will save you money — that’s not its main focus. The new offering from Skoda offers the basic must-haves of a car and adds luxury to that. The Fabia pampers you and it is a pleasure to drive providing high levels of space and comfort.

In addition, it has gorgeous interiors and is loaded with equipment. Then ride quality is super-pliant, stability is rock-solid and the Fabia is fun to drive.

However, the Laura-like clatter of the diesel and a bit of turbo lag is not desirable. Still, the Fabia possesses most of Skoda’s core qualities which is highly appreciative. So if you can manage to stay without a boot, consider the Fabia. It delivers everything that’s promised. After all,the Fabia is one of Skoda’s hottest models and it offers a tempting mix of luxury and economy.


Shapur Kotwal, t2