Škoda Fabia: 25 years of success

The UK has played a major part in the Fabia’s success story. British buyers adopted the Fabia in big numbers and has been one of the brand’s biggest markets in Europe, along with Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland.

The Fabia’s sales success highlights its broad appeal across all markets. Almost 1.8 million examples of the first-generation car were built, with the second-generation car adding 1.7 million to the total. To date, more than 4.9 million Fabias have been built since production started in 1999, a figure only surpassed in the Škoda range by the Octavia.

The appeal of the Fabia has been remarkably broad. While value-packed entry level models have enabled many buyers to choose a new car for the first time, at the other end of the range, vRS models gave the Fabia range a more focused, sporting edge. Indeed, cars like the turbo-diesel-powered Mk1 Fabia vRS have become modern classics thanks to Škoda’s ability to take a different approach. The same can also be said for the Mk2 vRS, which introduced the sector’s first turbocharged and supercharged drivetrain.

The Fabia has also been Škoda’s model of choice for its highly successful motorsport programmes. From the fire-breathing 2003 Fabia WRC to the current Fabia RS Rally2, the Fabia has become the benchmark car in world rallying. One of the very few competition cars designed and built in-house by Škoda, the Fabia has become synonymous with success at the highest levels of the sport.

Škoda revealed the final design of the Fabia at the 1999 Frankfurt Motor Show. The 1.0 and 1.4 8v engines offered at launch were reworked versions of the 1.3-litre units developed for the Felicia and Favorit. Both engines remained part of the range until a mid-life facelift was introduced in 2004.

The Fabia proved to be an instant it with both buyers and critics, who praised the model for its style, practicality and value for money. It was named overall Car of the Year 2000 by What Car?

Following the introduction of the five-door hatch, Škoda added to the Fabia range with an Estate, which made its public debut at the 2000 Paris Motor Show. The success of the estate version, would see it continue as a key part of the line-up for a further two generations of Fabia.

Škoda’s engineering reputation grew further in 2003 with the introduction of the Fabia vRS. Powered by a 1.9-litre 130PS turbodiesel engine, the Fabia defied convention and proved that flexibility and a colossal torque output (310Nm) was more than a match for a peaky, high-revving petrol engine. The fact that it returned up to 53.3mpg and came loaded with standard equipment made it one of the most competitive and engaging packages in the sector.

The second-generation Fabia was previewed at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show before it entered series production a month later. Like the first-generation model, the Mk2 was built on the Volkswagen Group’s PQ24 platform, but featured a larger body and a host of design and engineering improvements over its predecessor.

The new generation of Fabia introduced a softer look that mirrored the brand’s evolving design language. It debuted more rounded lines, swept-back headlights and a distinctive ‘floating roof’ and blacked-out A-pillar. At 315 litres, the boot was considerably larger than the previous model (along with cars from the sector above), while passengers enjoyed an increase in headroom throughout the cabin.

Inside, the Fabia introduced a sleeker, more sophisticated look, alongside better materials and more equipment. Higher quality plastics and fabrics made the new Fabia feel a more premium offering, while improvements in the entertainment and driver display made the second-generation model feel a cut above its predecessor. With the introduction of the brand’s new Amundsen entertainment system, the second-generation Fabia was the first to be available with a touchscreen display.

Škoda followed up the success of the first-generation vRS model with a new version that marked another first in the sector. Offered in hatch and estate form for the first time, the second-generation Fabia vRS came with a unique 1.4 TSI 180PS ‘twincharged’ engine that featured a turbocharger and a supercharger. The new engine, gave both versions a 0-62mph time of 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 139mph in the five-door hatch and 140mph in the estate.

At the other end of the performance scale, Škoda introduced a new version of its GreenLine II model. Equipped with a new 1.2 TDI CR DPF engine and host of other fuel-saving technologies, the second generation Fabia Greenline was the cleanest and most efficient car Škoda has ever built, with CO2 emissions of just 89g/km.

The third model to wear the Fabia badge ushered in a raft of new technology, safety features and driver aids. UK sales of the third-generation model started in January 2015. Unlike the first two evolutions of the Fabia, which used the Volkswagen Group’s PQ24 platform, the third-generation was built on a new PQ26 hybrid platform that combined parts of the existing PQ25 and new MQB platforms. This brought with it an increased wheelbase of 2,470mm (+5mm) and a wider track (+30mm) that effectively offset the reduction in overall length and height.

Inside, Škoda ramped up quality and equipment and upped specifications across the range. The boot capacity rose to 330 litres while the introduction of the Volkswagen Group’s latest MIB infotainment systems delivered new levels of connectivity to drivers. Materials were, once again, improved throughout the cabin.

From launch, customers could choose from a total of four petrol and two diesel engines all of which were fully EU6 compliant and came with Start-Stop and brake energy recovery as standard for the first time. Petrol options were two three-cylinder 1.0-litre MPI units with 60 or 75PS and two 1.2-litre four-cylinder TSI engines with 90 or 110PS. Diesel customers could choose from two new three-cylinder 1.4-litre TDI engines with 90 and 105PS respectively.

The third-generation Fabia was facelifted in 2019 and introduced revisions to the headlights and bumpers. The range structure was also revised with the popular Monte Carlo model becoming the flagship model. At the same time, the Fabia became a petrol-only model with both diesel options disappearing from the line-up.

Launched 21 years after the first-generation model, the fourth Škoda model to wear the Fabia badge went on sale in the UK at the end of 2021. And, like its predecessors, the current model continues to set the standards for space, value and quality in the supermini sector.

The first Fabia to be built on the Volkswagen Group’s advanced MQB-A0 platform, the Fabia is the most spacious car within its segment, while classic Škoda qualities such as excellent value for money, high functionality and new Simply Clever features, confirm the Fabia as the perfect entry-level model to the Škoda range.

Thanks to its MQB-AO underpinnings, the fourth-generation Fabia outperforms its predecessors in every aspect but with virtually no change in weight. At 4,108mm in length, it is 111 mm longer than the third-generation model and the first Fabia to exceed the four-metre mark. At 2,564 mm, its wheelbase has gained 94 mm, while the width of the car has increased by 48 mm to 1,780 mm. The greater exterior dimensions result in even more passenger space. The Fabia’s boot capacity has risen by 50 litres to 380 litres, a figure that many cars in the class above struggle to match. With the rear seats folded down, the capacity rises to 1,190 litres.

Designed by Karl Neuhold and Oliver Stefani, the fourth-generation Fabia model is defined by dynamic lines, perfectly balanced proportions, and sharply drawn headlights and tail lights. In keeping with its predecessors, the fourth-generation Fabia is also packed with intricate and clever details. These include body lines on the front doors that replicate the characteristic triangle of the Czech flag.

The Fabia currently comes with four petrol engine options with outputs ranging from 80PS to 150PS. All three TSI units (95PS, 116PS and 150PS) come from the EVO family of engines with the higher output 116PS and 150PS engines coming with a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG option (1.5 TSI 150PS is DSG only).

For more than 20 years, the Fabia has headed Škoda’s motorsport programmes. Having achieved remarkable success with giant-killing superminis such as the Favorit and Felicia in the pre-Volkswagen Group era, Škoda pressed the new Fabia to the forefront of its operations as soon as it arrived. Over the course of the last two decades, factory-built Škoda models have competed at all levels of rallying, from national events to the World Rally Championship. The Fabia’s contribution to the brand’s tally of motorsport victories is remarkable, and testament to the core values of the car, whatever the generation.