By Piers Ward

April 2005

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Skoda's renaissance is some achievement, and it's summed up best by the vRS. Not only is it genuinely exciting to drive, but the level of affection office colleagues are already displaying for this car is something else.While there are always requests to borrow our long-term fleet's estates, as people often need to shift big loads at weekends, the number of times I've been approached on Friday for the keys to the Fabia has surprised me.
In the late Eighties, a chap in a suit wouldn't be seen dead polishing his pride and joy Skoda outside an upmarket residence. But how times have changed, and I'm happy to report I feel no shame in driving my Fabia vRS around the trendier parts of town, even if I can't pull off the pin-striped businessman look.
Skoda's renaissance is some achievement, and it's summed up best by the vRS. Not only is it genuinely exciting to drive, but the level of affection office colleagues are already displaying for this car is something else. While there are always requests to borrow our long-term fleet's estates, as people often need to shift big loads at weekends, the number of times I've been approached on Friday for the keys to the Fabia has surprised me.
Maybe its impressive fuel economy is part of the attraction. We've achieved a 46.1mpg average, but this has included some hard driving plus a stint on the track when the vRS took on the Ford Fiesta Zetec S (issue 848). It easily won that road test, thanks to its more powerful engine and cheaper price. But it's the strength of the diesel unit that has really caught people by surprise.
Approach the Fabia in our car park, and it does not strike you as the most rapid model there. But the huge slug of torque that's available - nearly as much as a Porsche Boxster offers - soon convinces you otherwise. And all that pulling power makes most journeys straightforward, as you don't have to change gear too much. However, it's not all good news. While I'm happy with the Fabia's understated looks outside, I'd rather have a more lively interior.
For the most part, the vRS is well made and the internal panel gaps rival those of some cars three times the price. There's a decent-sized load bay for a supermini, too. But the cabin is simply too bland and dark - although when you consider what Skoda has done to the seats, maybe it's a good job the firm left the dash well alone.
The Czech company has tried to make the chairs appear sporty by fitting lighter trim to them, but they don't feel as good quality as the rest of the vRS and the white cloth marks quite easily. One colleague has even compared them to something you might have found a few years ago in a budget car from Korea, as they look so cheap. On the plus side, at least they're comfortable and supportive.
Our only other gripe concerns a piece of trim in front of the passenger door handle, which has fallen off. You can push it back into place, but it simply drops off again. What's even more disappointing is that fellow road tester Owen Mildenhall owned a Fabia two years ago and the same thing happened to his car - you'd have thought Skoda would have fixed this by now. These are minor points, though. For the moment, I'm still struggling to keep the keys to myself.

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