Skoda revealed the new and updated Fabia a few days ahead of the Geneva Motor Show debut. The hatchback is now joined by the estate version, the Combi, at the public premiere on the Geneva stage. The latest gen Fabia duo comes with restyled front and rear sections, the addition of LED head and tail lights, as well as a revised interior.
The new Fabia gets the Skoda’s family moustache flanked by large LED headlights. The rear tail lights are new while the car now rides on larger 18-inch wheels. The design elements of the refreshed supermini take its cues from the expensive Skodas like the Superb and the Octavia. On the inside, the cabin gets a new instrument cluster with a two-tone finish to the dashboard. The 6.5-inch instrument cluster comes loaded with Skoda Connect and can be had with the Amundsen navigation system. It gets smartphone connectivity like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as well.
Under the hood, the Fabia duo debuts the three-cylinder 1.0-litre gasoline engine with four states of tune. The two MPI naturally aspirated ones produce 60bhp and 75bhp while the turbocharged TSI units churn out 95 and 110bhp. There are no diesel options on offer as yet. The transmission is a five-speed manual while the top-spec can be had with a seven-speed DSG gearbox as an option.
The new Fabia also comes loaded with a host of active and passive safety features. There are blind spot detection, rear traffic alert system and automatic light assist to name a few. The Fabia has been an important car for the Czech carmaker since its introduction in 1999. The hatchback has found four million takers around the world and hence Skoda wants to continue the success with the new generation of the supermini. Sales are expected to commence shortly after the Geneva debut. Skoda might also bring in the new and updated Fabia to India given the increased sales in the premium hatchback category. It will rival against the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Honda Jazz, Hyundai Elite i20 and its sibling, the Volkswagen Polo.
