2015 Mk3 Skoda Fabia

Background Information
I start off today with a rather popular B-segment "supermini" in Europe, the Skoda Fabia.
Skoda today took the wraps off the 3rd generation of the Fabia after many days of teasing us with shots of various parts of the vehicle.

Personally I hate when car makers do this as I know it's designed to whet the appetite but I feel it makes me think of it all the time and it's always lurking on the back of my mind which is rather annoying.

The 3rd generation of the Fabia will come equipped with a selection of either 4 petrol engines with 2 displacements and 4 different power outputs and 3 diesel engines with 1 engine displacement with 2 different power outputs with one an eco model which will arrive later in the year.
Going in line with other Skoda cars the trims should be S, SE, Elegance and a Monte Carlo edition to arrive later.

There should be an expected price rise from the current starting price of £9,945 to around £10,495 for the 1.0 MPI 60PS S entry model and topping out at around £16,450 for the range topping 1.4 TDI 105PS Elegance model compared to £17,555 for the current VRS model due to the expected increase in equipment.

Engines
Petrol
1.0 MPI 60PS (59BHP) naturally aspirated 3 cylinder
1.0 MPI 75PS (74BHP) naturally aspirated 3 cylinder
1.2 TSI 90PS (89BHP) single turbo 4 cylinder
1.2 TSI 110PS (108BHP) single turbo 4 cylinder
Diesel
1.4 TDI 75PS (74BHP) single turbo 3 cylinder
1.4 TDI 105PS (103BHP) single turbo 3 cylinder
1.4 TDI 75PS (74BHP) single turbo 3 cylinder (Greenline)

The most economical engine in the lineup is the 1.4 TDI 75PS eco model which will most likely be badged "Greenline" which produces headline CO2 emissions of just 82g/km and a combined economy figure of 91.1mpg UK which would likely yield an urban figure of ~76mpg and an extra urban figure of ~96mpg although in real life I would expect an average of around 70mpg as the above calculations are done in a controlled environment with wind, humidity and temperature all kept the same so it would be difficult to replicate these conditions in the real world.

None of the engines would send your pulses racing and they won't be in the future either as Skoda have decided to discontinue the VRS model due to lack of demand but maybe if Skoda fitted a manual instead of the dual clutch DSG only with no manual in the mk2 VRS it sales could pick up as what happened to the Polo GTI which has an option of either a manual or automatic in the facelifted guise as it was auto only in the pre-facelifted model.

Size
Although Skoda hasn't released any official details on the size of the mk3 Fabia it is known that it has increased in size with the current Fabia measuring 4m in length, 2.46m length wheelbase, 1.64m width and a height of 1.498m. I should expect the length to be increased to ~4.15m, the wheelbase increased to ~2.48m for increased legroom for rear passengers, a nominal increase in width to ~1.648m and the height to decrease slightly as it looks as though Skoda has tried to inject a sense of style into the mk3 Fabia and lowered the roof slightly but should still be sufficient for tall passengers as I have been in a mk2 model and I am 5ft 9in and I have decent head and legroom, I don't see how a 6ft adult couldn't fit in the back with the extended wheelbase.

Due to the overall increase of length I should expect the boot to have increased from 300L to around 320L although the increase may result in a loss of a spare wheel (even a space saver!) but that's what you get these days to get better fuel economy and a reduction in CO2 emissions by having less weight to carry around.

Interior
Skoda hasn't released any interior images yet but it has been rumored that all models will come equipped with at least a 5 inch touchscreen mirroring that in the facelifted VW Polo with higher trims coming with a 6.5 inch colour touchscreen with a proximity sensor.

A personal wish of mine would be to have more soft touch materials on the door tops and dashboard as in the Fabia mk2 it felt rather cheap and nasty with hard plastics dotted around the cabin and switches didn't have the same tactile and quality feel of it's stablemates the VW Polo and the Seat Ibiza.

Exterior

Skoda has implemented design cues for the 3rd generation Fabia from the VisionC concept with the sharp crease running the length of the car.
In general the shape of the vehicle is more crisp than before as it was a lot more rounded before.

The front and rear lights have been inspired by the Fabia's bigger brother the mk3 Octavia with a projector lenses at the front along with a strip of LED daytime running lights.

The headlights also "bind" into the grille which I believe we first saw in the F30 BMW 3-Series and led to many manufacturers replicating it.

The rear has also LED lights also inspired by the mk3 Octavia and the crease either side of the number plate holder also inspired by it's bigger brother and the smaller big brother, the Rapid.

My Opinion
Personally, I quite like it and Skoda seems to be targeting a new group of customers by making it rather dull IMHO and having sharp straight lines adopted from the VisionC concept.

The Fabia certainly has it's work cut out in the highly competitive B segment with rivals including the Ford Fiesta, new Vauxhall Corsa and it's VW group stablemates the recently facelifted VW Polo and the Seat Ibiza.
I would say it'll sell very well in the UK, maybe even eventually being Skoda UK's top seller in it's first full year on sale. Watch this space...