Review of the new Skoda Fabia 1.2

It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that the Fabia is the rock upon which Skoda builds its church. Without this model, there would be no budget for vehicles like the wacky Roomster, the dashing Octavia and the spacious Superb. Launched in 2000, it was certainly a world apart from any compact car the Czech company had ever produced before. Designed by the stylist responsible for the Bentley Continental GT, this spacious supermini offered a simple recipe.

As well as being very well screwed together, it was also one of the longest cars in its class and had the interior space efficiency to capitalise on those extra inches. At the time, anything much larger would have strayed into the next class up - Golf, Astra and Focus family hatchback territory - so it had the supermini market pretty much taped, if space was a priority and you didn't have deep pockets. Since then, Renault's Clio has muscled in on this formula and Skoda responded with the second generation Fabia, now facelifted in the guise we look at here.

As promising as the basic Fabia formula might seem, the notion of big car, small engine is rarely a recipe for fun. In this instance, it's remarkable what a difference a few bhp make. The Fabia is actually offered with four 1.2-litre petrol engines. Let's start with the non-turbo ones. There's a 60bhp 6-valve unit (yes, this is a three cylinder engine) that should be avoided unless you're really cash-strapped or there's a 70bhp 12-valve engine that's significantly more satisfying. Where the 60bhp unit struggles when the car is loaded, the 70bhp has enough about it to carry the day. It'll get to 60mph in 14.4 seconds and hit a top speed of 102mph and while those aren't standout figures, there's an enthusiasm and honesty to this powerplant that is extremely rewarding. If you want the Estate model (that commands a premium of around £500 over the equivalent 5-door hatch), then you'll need to go for the 70bhp variant.

"If you can stretch to the punchier engines, you'll have one of the best budget superminis money can buy"

Much better though are the 85 and 105bhp 1.2 TSI petrol units, turbocharged to feel like a much larger 1.4 or even 1.6-litre engine. Whatever Fabia powerplant you choose, the basic underpinnings, a MacPherson strut front suspension and torsion beam rear, haven't changed a great deal. The steering wheel requires a bit of arm twirling lock-to-lock but it's a decently accurate helm and the gearchange is one of the best in its class.

The Fabia's simple lines aren't going to win many beauty contests against the shapelier superminis but it does have that 'floating roof' effect courtesy of the blacked-out pillars. The latest facelifted models also feature a reworked grille and larger headlights what work to widen the car visually for a more dynamic stance.

There's a good amount of space inside this Skoda, particularly for rear seat passengers. The materials aren't quite up to the standards set in Volkswagen products but the similarities in the design are easy to spot and the same robust build quality can be seen throughout. Inside and out, the Fabia's design keeps it simple which is a big part of the car's appeal.

Boot capacity stands at an impressive 300 litres with the seats in place or a massive 1,163 litres when they're folded. In the Estate, the extended dimensions have helped Skoda engineers achieve a 480-litre boot capacity with the seats up. Fold the 60/40 split rear seats flat (a less than straightforward operation that involves removing the headrests) and there's an Albert Hall-esque 1,460 litres.

Despite the success of the Fabia, Skoda still recognise the limits of their badge equity - the upmarket Superb saloon taught them a key, and rather expensive, lesson here - and the Fabia is priced realistically while recognising the need to nudge the brand incrementally upmarket. Equipment levels were never the Fabia's strong point, Skoda relying instead on solid no-nonsense build quality. This time round there are items like electronically-controlled Climatronic air-conditioning and an MP3/iPod-compatible stereo but if you go to your Skoda dealer expecting to be granted a view of the state-of-the-art in small car electronics, you're likely to be disappointed. Unimpeachable build quality, on the other hand, you can take for granted.

You don't buy a 1.2-litre Skoda Fabia and then expect to be clouted by high running costs and initial impressions suggest that this will be one of the cheapest superminis to run on a long term basis. For a start Fabias have always held very firm when it comes to residual values, used buyers valuing the Volkswagen Group input and resolute build quality. Secondly, as this is the entry-level petrol engine family, insurance is very cheap.

Finally, there's economy. The 1.2-litre 70bhp model manages to return a figure in the region of 48mpg on the combined cycle which is something many small diesels would be proud of. Naturally this figure will take a dive if you load the vehicle up and are a little enthusiastic with the throttle but it's a very good base point given how big the Fabia body is. Rather surprisingly, the less powerful 60bhp 1.2-litre unit isn't markedly more economical. The 1.2 TSI engine however, can surprise here. Even if you add in the semi-automatic DSG gearbox, you'll get 53.3mpg on the combined cycle and 124g/km of CO2 from the 105bhp unit.

The supermini market has changed beyond all recognition from when Skoda unleashed its original Fabia back in 2000. Twentieth-century designed superminis knew their place. They were small and savagely built down to a price as manufacturers didn't want them to cannibalise sales from the bigger family hatches which they viewed as their cash cows, to be protected at all costs. The Fabia changed the way we looked at superminis.

The latest model takes the old Fabia's strengths of space, solid build quality and minuscule running costs and improves on them. The 1.2-litre models are a mixed bag, with the 12v powerplant being a lot more appealing than the rather frenetic 6v engine, but if you can stretch to the punchier TSI engines, you'll have one of the best budget superminis that money can buy.

TOP 5 FABIA DEALS

The results below show the top FABIA deals on buyacar

Skoda Fabia 1.2 TDI CR GreenLine II 5dr Diesel Estate
Price £12,642 Read Fabia Reviews	Save £1,778
Skoda Fabia 1.6 TDI CR S 5dr Diesel Hatchback
Price £10,066 Read Fabia Reviews	Save £1,784
Skoda Fabia 1.6 TDI CR 105 Elegance 5dr Diesel Estate
Price £13,051 Read Fabia Reviews	Save £2,484
Skoda Fabia 1.6 TDI CR SE 5dr Diesel Hatchback
Price £10,823 Read Fabia Reviews	Save £1,962
Skoda Fabia 1.2 12V S 5dr Estate
Price £9,406 Read Fabia Reviews	Save £1,629
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