Frankfurt Motor Show

By Julie Sinclair

11th September 2007

Everything looked Fabi-a on the Skoda stand. Despite having champagne- quaffing Bentley as its neighbour - with its stunning GT Speed - the Czech firm still managed to draw in enough crowds to fill every seat in the house.

Topping the bill was the firm's new Fabia Estate which goes on sale in March. Introducing a handsome new load-lugger variant shows just how popular and flexible the model really is - 600,000 units have already been sold.

Alongside the Estate was a Scout concept - with the raised ride height and chunky bodywork cladding which gives it a tough off-road look, despite retaining the car's two-wheel drive.

A Greenline eco-version was also on the stands. A diesel particulate filter drops the 1.4-litre TDi units 120g/km of CO2 to just 110, according to the firm. The difference is crucial across the rest of the EU, where it earns motorists an extra tax break. But without any such incentive here in the UK, Skoda says is unlikely the line-up will reach us.

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