Skoda Fabia 130 vs MINI Cooper S: can the Czech hot hatch topple the British icon?

Birthdays are often a time of celebration, and most car makers won’t miss an opportunity to cash in on an anniversary by launching a special edition. There are extremes, such as the Ferrari F40 and F50, or there’s Volkswagen with its Edition variants of the Golf GTI that appear when another decade has clocked up.

For Skoda, the anniversary it’s currently celebrating is 130 years since the founding of its Laurin & Klement predecessor at the end of 1895, and to mark this occasion, it’s launched a special-edition Fabia that adds some sporty style to its supermini. There are racier looks inside and out, while the 1.5 TSI petrol engine has been uprated to 175bhp, so the Fabia 130 comes close to matching the last Fabia vRS for power output.

Skoda is far from being the first car maker to pump up its supermini with go-faster goodies. In fact, it’s a cornerstone of MINI’s existence. Although the company’s range has expanded, the core supermini remains an upmarket small car, while the five-door model gives it some added practicality. But which sporty small hatch manages to deliver the perfect mix of fun and functionality?

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Skoda Fabia 130

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Don’t be misled by the name: the Fabia 130 doesn’t have 130bhp – that would make it less powerful than the 1.5 TSI Monte Carlo model on which it’s based. Instead, Skoda has turned up the wick and given it 175bhp, which is 28bhp more than standard.

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There are visual upgrades too, with new wheels, lowered suspension, dark-chrome exhaust tips, unique interior trim, 130 branding and a black strip running between the tail-lights. The Fabia 130 is £3,000 more than the next model in the range, at £29,995.

Tester’s notes

On paper, the Fabia 130 all but matches the last incarnation of the Fabia vRS. Today’s 130 has 175bhp, and the old car, based on the second-generation model and discontinued in 2015, packed 178bhp, while both have 250Nm of torque and use a seven-speed twin-clutch DSG gearbox. The modern car is 0.1 seconds slower from 0-62mph, but has a higher top speed.

The two models are similar in character, too, because while the old vRS offered a sporty drive, it couldn’t quite match pure hot hatches, such as the Renaultsport Clio or VW Polo GTI.

One interesting quirk of the Fabia’s layout is that it comes with a manual handbrake, even in versions that feature keyless entry and a push-button starter. It’s often the case that cars with a keyless set-up also feature an electric handbrake, but not with the Fabia. 

Instead, you get a big chunky manual handbrake to operate, which seems like an anachronism, especially in cars fitted with the DSG twin-clutch gearbox. It means that apart from the steering, the handbrake is the only primary control that is operated manually by the driver. 

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MINI Cooper S

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The Fabia 130’s £30k price places it firmly in the sights of the petrol MINI hatchback, and the basic Cooper S starts from £29,520 in five-door guise. For this you get a 2.0-litre turbo engine with more power than the Fabia 130 and a sharp chassis to exploit it.

Of course, with a MINI, the asking price is just the start, because there are a number of upgrades and option packs available. The car in our pictures features the Exclusive trim upgrade and Level 3 option pack that help to bump the price beyond £35,000.

Tester’s notes

For an extra £1,000 the MINI 5-door adds some much-needed practicality. However, it looks slightly awkward when compared with the cleaner lines of the three-door model, although the extra doors and larger boot are worth paying for if you’re looking to boost the MINI’s versatility.

Rear-seat access is still a bit tight because the back doors are narrow, but it’s better than trying to scramble through a narrow gap like you do in a three-door car. For some buyers that will be enough to draw them to the more practical bodystyle.

If you’re put off by having to turn your head to see the speedometer at the top of the main screen, don’t worry, because all MINIs come with a head-up display that puts this information directly ahead of you. 

It can be configured to show nav and media info, too, but we’d like to see another update to make life easier. At the moment, when you use the indicators, green arrows flash up on either side of the main display, but they’re difficult to see. If these were repeated in the head-up display, then it would be clearer when they were in use.

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Head-to-head

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On the road

The Fabia 130 has similar performance to the vRS that was discontinued a decade ago, but while it feels quick, there isn’t much drama. Side-by-side it’s obvious that the Fabia is a soft car with stiffer damping, while the MINI has a stiff chassis from the outset. The Cooper S follows the contours of the road, but the damping is good, while cornering grip is superb and the 2.0-litre turbo petrol delivers strong performance.

Tech highlights

To give the Fabia 130 a sportier look, it’s been lowered by 15mm, has black detailing, 18-inch wheels and comes with traction control that can be switched off completely. The Cooper S offers different drive modes via the Experiences toggle on the dash, while an L drive setting delivers sharper throttle response. You can’t take manual control of the MINI’s gearbox – at least the Fabia has paddleshifters.

Price and running

For £3,000 extra over a Fabia Monte Carlo, the 130 gets more power and a sportier look, while fuel economy in the 40-50mpg range should be achievable in everyday driving. You don’t need to spend on options to make the MINI fun, but you could easily add another £10,000 to the price. The Cooper S’s more powerful petrol engine was always going to be thirstier than the Fabia’s – we saw around 35mpg from it.

Practicality

There’s no contest here, because the Fabia is arguably the most practical supermini currently on sale. A big boot and decent rear space put some compact hatches to shame.

There are obvious compromises with the MINI. The 72mm-longer wheelbase over the three-door car and narrow back doors aren’t enough to help it compete with the Fabia. But the cabin is well built and the false boot floor adds versatility.

Safety

Both cars earned a five-star Euro NCAP rating, although there’s a four-year gap between their respective tests, so the scores can’t be directly compared. If you want to deactivate settings, it’s pretty simple in both cars. On the Skoda, a button on the wheel brings up a menu in the driver’s display, while in the MINI the shortcut button is on the dash and you can select options on the touchscreen.

Ownership

While the MINI will be pricier to buy and run, three years of servicing is included, plus its residual values are stronger than they are for the Skoda. We also had cheaper insurance quotes for the Cooper S.

Both cars have basic three-year warranties, although the MINI has no mileage limit, and roadside assistance lasts for the same period. Extended warranties are available at extra cost.

Verdict

Winner: MINI Cooper S 5-Door

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If you’re looking for a sporty small car, then the MINI Cooper is still a top choice in the sector, whether you choose the Cooper C or more powerful Cooper S. While the car here is loaded with options, you don’t really need them to have fun at the wheel, because it’s the taut chassis, sharp steering and punchy petrol engine that deliver the fun factor.

If you can manage with the three-door bodystyle, then we’d recommend it for the less awkward looks, but whichever style you choose, the MINI feels like a premium product with a sporty edge.

Runner-up: Skoda Fabia 130

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While the MINI feels like a sporty car from the outset, it’s obvious that the Fabia 130 is a standard supermini that’s been given an upgrade to make it more fun to drive. It’s not quite as sharp and focused as the Cooper S, but the stiffer, lowered suspension has been successful in making the Skoda feel more engaging than the standard car.

The model’s looks are subtly sporty and the engine is punchier, but we just wish the Skoda made a bit more noise to suit the car’s racier character. Overall, the Fabia 130 is a fun hatchback in a shrinking sector.

Prices and specs

What we would choose

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Skoda Fabia 130

Velvet Red is an exclusive paint option (£410), while the Winter Premium pack (£560) adds heated seats, steering wheel and windscreen. The Simply Clever Plus pack (£300) adds a variable boot floor and other storage solutions.

MINI Cooper S

Level 2 and Level 3 packs (the latter on Exclusive and Sport trims only) bundle items together for £2,000 and £4,500 respectively, while 17 or 18-inch wheels and different roof and mirror cap colours are available.

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