Natalie Middleton reports back on our new Fabia long-termer.

The Škoda Fabia has joined our long-term test fleet

Model: Škoda Fabia Colour Edition 1.0 TSI 95PS

P11d as tested: £20,810 (28% BiK) MPG/CO2: 54.8mpg/117g/km Test mpg: N/A

The Škoda Fabia has joined our long-term test fleet and taps into key trends among UK car buyers for petrol powertrains and superminis.

Launched at the end of 2021, it’s the fourth generation of Škoda’s supermini and the first to be built on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB-A0 platform – adopted by the Polo some three years ago and also used for the SEAT Ibiza and Audi A1.

It’s built up a reputation over the years as the “practical” and “sensible” one among its class. So even after having seen the reveal pics, I was pleased to spot some nice design touches in the flesh that jazz it up and make it stand out more – particularly for our Colour Edition model that’s targeted at buyers looking for customisation and gadgets. Highlights include the 16-inch black metallic-painted alloys and black roof, B-pillar and door mirrors. Sadly, there is no vRS variant but there is a sporty Monte Carlo version.

Ours also comes with an optional (£610) race blue metallic paint and a number of extra features (more details later) that push the OTR price to £21,055.

We’ve also opted for the 95hp 1.0-litre TSI petrol with five-speed manual only – it’s one of three petrol-powered engines that make up the full line-up at the moment and one down from the range-topping 110hp 1.0 TSI. The latter is the only one to come with a six-speed manual or DSG.

The new-gen Fabia certainly reinforces its focus on practicality. Thanks to the new platform, it’s quite a lot bigger – 111mm longer and almost 48mm wider – increasing onboard space. Boot capacity, which was already the largest in the segment, is up 50 litres to 380, rising to 1,190 litres with the rear seats folded. The Fabia also comes with 60/40 split folding rear seats.

It also debuts enhanced Simply Clever features – much loved among Škoda drivers – along with new infotainment and safety and assistance systems. Tested by Euro NCAP in late 2021, it earned a five-star rating, including an 85% rating for adult occupants and 81% for children.

Interestingly, Škoda has just announced today that it’s taken action on industry-wide supply chain issues by partially relocating cable harness production from Ukraine to the Czech Republic in close coordination with the affected suppliers. This enables production capacity to be doubled as well as greater flexibility in responding to potential supply bottlenecks – helping circumvent current issues and getting bums on seats faster.

All in all, it’s a model that we’re looking forwards to reporting back on imminently.