Skoda Fabia - Fab(ia)ulous!

Looks

Let me tell you that getting a Fabia for a few days to test it comprehensively is nothing short of a nightmare, but the cooperative people at Skoda did all they could (thanks Shashank, Meenakshi) and we got this silver coloured example shouting Skoda’s tag line, ‘Simply Clever’, to spend a day with. Sunny as it was becoming, we wanted to just get some shots lest the excessive sunlight would interfere with the photography (which it eventually did), hence detailed analysis of her exterior was carried out only when Rohan got camera-happy.

“Looks like it has got a squint”, I cried out loud. Rohan was even more disparaging and said “I can only but nod in agreement with you on that. You know, when you focus only on the grille and headlamps collectively, it looks like some weird animal cross-eyed and that Skoda badge along with that chrome strip looks like a proboscis of an elephant.” Anyway, the malodorous statements aside, the Fabia is not a bad looking car at all. I think it has got a certain cheeky character going for it which makes it look cute. It’s just that the Swift, with its revolutionary and path-breaking looks, has moved the game so high up the ladder that we Indians want sexier looking cars, which hit you in the face with their looks, coming out from every other manufacturer. The Skoda Fabia does well on this point.

Not as sharp as the Swift, it looks smart and poised. Balanced is what I like to call it. The bonnet is characterized by the tapering lines that fall into the bumper to give it a certain aggressive appearance. That Skoda bagde, the grille with vertical fins and those large projector headlamps are reminiscent of the Roomster. Infact, more or less all the current generation Skodas sport similar looks. If the Fabia, Roomster and Praktik were lined together and viewed head-on, you would easily find yourself playing the ‘spot-the-difference-game’.

There is a strong waistline which marks the Fabia out but the tapering roof line is much like the Swift. So much so that when viewed from a distance, certain angles (specially the front three-fourth) would see a not-so-automotive-inclined bloke easily infuriate designers at Skoda by calling it a Swift. If you view the Fabia from a distance, it appears arse-heavy owing to its bulbous behind. It is a personal viewpoint and anyone is free to disagree with me, still, I will not budge from my decree that the Fabia of the previous generation was a damn side better looking machine when compared against this oh-so-cute new one.

I was on a phone call with a dear friend of mine when she said “so how much of that green paper are you playing around with today?” My reply of “close to about eight lakh if you discount the plastic money in my wallet” made her speak the words that I expect any typical Indian buyer to say. She went on to ask me as to which C-segment car I was driving and when I said that it was not really a sedan but a hatchback, she threw at me statements that would only but end with exclamation marks. Let me tell you that this friend of mine is quite a car-nut, so she actually was interested in continuing the verbal exchange “What the f***, which small-car is it that’s asking for such a moolah?” I sheepishly mumbled “Skoda Fabia”, fearing yet another pelting of words as if it was me who committed the sin of manufacturing such a car. “Ashish, tell me honestly, is it vindicated?” she asked, much to my relief, in a soft and tender way! “The moment you enter the cabin, you realize it really is somewhat justified”, my voice became louder. She did not believe still, “that’s not a parapraxis, I hope”, and I said no, even louder.

To share with you, keeping the current crop of small cars in mind, it definitely looks and feels like it’s worth a million bucks, that interior. As I write this, I am reminded of Max Ernst, the very painter who is credited with surrealism. Why? Because I think there is a subtle surrealism to the interior of Skoda Fabia too. The two-tone, black and beige interior is in a different sphere altogether and can induce a sense of lowliness even in some cars belonging to a segment or two higher. Even her elder sister, the Octavia, cannot hold a candle to Fabia’s interiors. It’s not only about looks; the interior quality exudes richness and solidity which is expected from cars costing a lot more. The steering wheel, although a little big, grips to hand beautifully and the feedback it sends to the wheels is institutional. The quality of those knobs and dials, that sound of the indicators going tic-tac, the way those two (yes, you read it right, two) glove-boxes close shut – it’s something that speaks about the immaculate build quality. And then is the sunroof (which I must admit, had Rohan visit his childhood again). Oh, lest I forget, I love the needles. Looks like they’ve been lifted from a Golf GTI W12 and been given a little makeover. The pedals feel a little heavy, but then the misanthropist inside is starting to carp, isn’t it? Perhaps not. Why? Read on…

There’s just about adequate storage space on the inside in form of cubby holes. The cup holders running down the centre console are helpful, that space in front of it is neat enough to hold your wallet or the cell phone and the storage compartment next to the headlamp-operating knob is a unique addition which would hold little objects. The arm rest flips open to expose a flat storage area which can be used up by good measure. But all said and done, this is more or less it that the car offers in terms of cubby holes apart from the door pockets, which are present only on the front doors. The glove compartments too are not very large, but you could keep that Pepsi can in it for it to be chilled as it has a vent to throw cool air inside. The rear passengers however will be left wanting for more compartments to store the knick-knacks in, lot more.

The comfort levels are of a very high order. Supportive seats are gifted with just about enough bolster and padding to make for a fatigue-free experience. The air-con tries to mislead you by ‘Climate’ that it comes written with and is not really a climate control unit. Seat height and steering adjustments make sure that the time spent behind the wheel is an enjoyable one. There’s more than sufficient leg space and the under-thigh support is over and above everything in its class, rivaling some of the cars higher up the segment ladder. Your bums thank you for treating them with luxury. Terms like ABS, airbags, electric and heated wing mirrors, a brilliant audio system, parking sensors and all the other paraphernalia make you feel like it’s an indulgence in the lap of opulence.

I don’t know if you remember it, but the advertising contrivance for Octavia centered on its boot space. A couple was shown occupying the boot and getting intimate. I drove around aimlessly in an Octy to have such luck with my lady, but if wishes were horses! Oh, the Fabia now (get back on track, idiot). Yes, the boot is extremely spacious and would easily swallow all that weekend luggage of yours, 300 litres being the capacity with the rear seats in place. The parcel shelf helps raise the practicality quotient as does the split-folding rear seats. Famous saying has it that a picture speaks a thousand words. I am sure, the one here will have you speechless. If the boot can accommodate such a package like him, I am pretty certain about anything else getting stuffed easily. Your qualms are answered. Happy? If I can go back to my wishful imagination now, please. Thank you.