The 2021 Skoda Fabia has been officially revealed. The Fabia, Skoda's second best-selling vehicle after the Octavia, has sold over 4.5 million units since its introduction in 1999. While the Volkswagen Polo and SEAT Ibiza got mid-cycle updates, the Czech supermini is moving to a new generation, bringing the compact hatchback in line with its MQB A0 siblings.
The Fabia Mk4 is a significant improvement over its predecessor in any way. It is larger than its platform-sharing predecessors, as predicted for a Skoda, allowing for a comfortable interior and best-in-class practicality. The not-so-small hatch is now 111 mm longer than before, measuring 4,108 mm in length. The majority of the lengthening is in the wheelbase, which is currently 94 mm longer than before to a generous 2,564 mm.
Long before today's unveiling, several spy shots had painted an accurate image of what to expect from the exterior architecture. Skoda is upping the ante with fresh Orange Sunset and Graphite Grey colors, as well as 18-inch tyres. High-end Fabia models will be available with matching Black Magic or Graphite Grey top, side mirror tops, and front grille frame colors. The adjacent gallery shows a top-of-the-line Fabia with full-LED lights front and back, as well as a panoramic glass roof. It also has a grille-mounted radar for protection and assistance systems, as well as sensors for Park Assist, which runs at up to 40 km/h and handles steering.
It's still a city vehicle, but with a payload size that matches a VW Golf Mk8's 380 liters, the Fabia is now big enough for a weekend getaway. As the rear bench is folded, the gross volume increases to 1,190 liters. The all-new body is also much sleeker than before, with the drag coefficient falling from 0.32 to a segment-leading 0.28, according to Skoda, to increase fuel economy.
The cabin has been entirely upgraded, and the Fabia now has the company's 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Other features inside the cabin include dual-zone temperature control, a heated steering wheel, a heated window, LED ambient lighting, and rear air vents.
The engine lineup contains the usual suspects, beginning with a naturally aspirated 1.0-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine. It comes with either 65 or 80 horsepower and 93 Nm of torque, which is channeled to the wheels solely via a five-speed manual transmission. This foundation Fabia takes its time getting to 100 km/h, taking 15.5 seconds with the less efficient MPI engine to achieve 172 km/h and 15.1 seconds with the marginally more powerful engine to reach 111 mph 179 km/h. When you upgrade to the turbocharged 1.0-liter engine, output increases to 95 hp and 175 Nm while staying with the five-speed manual transmission. This configuration is fantastic for a sprint time of 10.6 seconds and a top speed of 195 km/h. The beefier version with 110 hp and 200 Nm gets a six-speed manual or an optional seven-speed DSG and accelerates to 205 km/h in 9.7 seconds (9.5 seconds with the automatic).
The flagship Skoda Fabia will get a four-cylinder turbo, a 1.5 TSI with 150 hp and 250 Nm like the Scala and Octavia. The larger powertrain, which is only available with the DSG, makes the sleek supermini complete the sprint in 7.9 seconds and achieve a respectable 225 km/h.
The diesel engine was removed from the Fabia with the facelift for the third generation model and will not be returned with the Mk4.