The Skoda Fabia 2021 comes built on Volkswagen Group’s MQB A0 platform
Skoda has just revealed the Fabia 2021 hatchback. The car has now hit its fourth generation globally and has had a bunch of vital updates gone into it. It is now bigger, better looking and better equipped. The Fabia premiere follows the debuts of SEAT Ibiza and the all new Volkswagen Polo.
Design
The Skoda Fabia Mk4 has had a thorough overhaul gone into its design. It is still quite a Skoda in the overall shape. The signature grille, full LED headlamps, panoramic glass roof, redesigned bumpers, 18 inch wheels and the LED taillamps all give an air of aesthetic vibrance to the car. It definitely appears more visually appealing than before.
However, look at it for 10 odd seconds, and you could draw visual similarities with many familiar nameplates, with some being evidently self-explanatory. For instance, similarities with the new VW Polo and Scala are quite obvious but the traces of BMW-ish cues in the car are rather weird!
The design of the new Fabia is evidently sleeker than all the previous generations. This has given it an upper hand in terms of aerodynamics by roping the drag coefficient to the segment-leading 0.28 mark.
Dimensions
A key update on the new age Fabia is that it is now underpinned by Volkswagen Group’s MQB A0 platform. This essentially means that it is now bigger than all the previous generations. Plus, as expected from Skoda, there is more usable room inside the Fabia, compared to its MQB A0 cousins like the Polo or Ibiza. Here are some key numbers!
| Length | 4108 mm |
| Breadth | 1,780 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2564 mm |
| Boot Capacity | 380 L |
The room on the inside deserves appreciation for sure. Just to give you a better picture of this, the 380L boot capacity is the Mk8 VW Golf territory!
Interior And Features
There are strong vibes of the Scala (or Kamiq) in the overall cabin design of the new Fabia. You might also find the design to stand close to that of the recently launched Ibiza. However, at the heart of it, Fabia’s cabin is designed quite aesthetically. There are a number of appealing finishes/touches and a sheer sense of space inside and the same have upped the livability quite a bit.
The car gets a bunch of desirable technology/ equipment inside, like a 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system, heated steering wheel, heated windscreen, dual-zone climate control, LED ambient lighting, rear AC vents etc. For the first time in its history, the Fabia now gets a fully digital instrument cluster on its top-spec trim, and it is the same 10.25 inch unit from VW Group.
Specifications | Engines And Gearboxes
Skoda is offering a choice of 3 engine and 3 transmission options on the Fabia 2021. With the net count tipping at 6, the 4th generation Fabia offers more powertrain configurations than its predecessors. Volkswagen Group’s 1.0L MPI EVO engine is available in two different states of tunes- 65 PS and 80 PS and comes mated to a 5-speed manual box. The 1.0 TSI turbocharged petrol engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, and 7 DSG gearboxes.
The top of the range variant, however, has a mighty 1.5L TSI four-cylinder, turbo petrol engine putting our 150 horses and 250Nm, straight from the Octavia and the Scala. The following table would give you a better picture of the specs.
| Engine | Number of cylinders | Power (PS) | Torque (Nm) | Transmission |
| 1.0 MPI EVO | 3 | 65 | 93 | 5 MT |
| 1.0 MPI EVO | 3 | 80 | 93 | 5 MT |
| 1.0 TSI | 3 | 95 | 175 | 5 MT |
| 1.0 TSI | 3 | 110 | 200 | 6 MT |
| 1.0 TSI | 3 | 110 | 200 | 7 DSG |
| 1.5 TSI | 4 | 150 | 250 | 7 DSG |
India Launch?
Years back, Skoda had brought the second generation Fabia to the Indian soil. The car had, however, failed to drive numbers back then. However, the Fabia nameplate, as such, has gained a fair fan following in the country. Though there has not been any official word on it yet, we expect Skoda India to launch the fourth generation Fabia here in the coming years. The Indian spec Fabia would be built on the newly developed MQB A0 IN platform and would most likely ditch the 1.5L TSI engine here.
