Suttie’s seven days… with a Škoda Fabia
Škoda’s practical, roomy and robust supermini gets put to the test by FW road tester Al Suttie.
Škoda Fabia SE L 1.0 110 DSG
List price (BiK): £21,090 (30%) CO2: 128g/km MPG: 50.4mpg Test efficiency: 42.4mpg
Monday
An intriguing week ahead with this Škoda Fabia SE L 1.0 110 DSG as I’ve been following business editor Natalie Middleton’s long-term reports with a very similar car. First thing to strike me, and the neighbours, when the car arrived this morning was the bright gold paint that stood out on a particularly wet and dismal day. It certainly made an impact and the Fabia is a good-looking supermini to my eyes.
Tuesday
The Fabia has always been one of the larger superminis, offering greater space for people and luggage. We’ll come to that later on, but what impresses me is the Skoda slips on the driveway snugly without poking it nose precariously into the lane where less conscientious drivers have been known to rub past. It proves the Fabia is compact on the outside.
Wednesday
A day of meetings in various places and then taking my son to football practice, so the Fabia has had a full workout on local A-roads. The ride comfort is excellent and the 16-inch alloy wheels on this SE L model have no trouble picking their way over crumpled surfaces. It lends the Fabia a very grown-up, sophisticated air that sets it apart from most other superminis, and it’s underlined by excellent refinement.
Thursday
The swift, smooth changes of the seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox in the Fabia are well-matched to the 110hp 1.0-litre engine’s power delivery. Nippy enough off the mark and relaxed when cruising, the only criticism I can level at this combo is it’s not as easy on fuel as the manual gearbox option. So far, I’ve averaged 42.4mpg across my journeys, though a lot of this has been around town.
Friday
A longer run on the motorway today improves the Fabia’s fuel economy, though Edinburgh’s treacly traffic soon puts paid to that. Around the city, the DSG gearbox is a real boon and the Fabia’s rear parking sensors prove handy. I’m inclined to switch off the lane assist with the steering wheel buttons as the city’s narrow streets has it buzzing away too often for my liking.
Saturday
The usual weekend routine of delivering the kids to various activities shows up a useful feature according to my son, who seems surgically attached to his phone. There’s a wee pocket in front of the map pocket that’s the ideal size for a phone, which is used to stash my son’s phone when he heads off to play football in the real world.
Sunday
The Fabia is hard to fault during this week. In SE L trim it comes with a pleasing mix of materials and high-grade finish, such as around the air vent and door panel. It’s more than roomy enough for a family of four, the boot is a good size, and it offers top-notch comfort along with a decent drive. There’s no hybrid or EV version just now, but that doesn’t take away from the basic decency and competency of Škoda’s supermini.
Alisdair Suttie
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