In-depth reviews

Skoda Fabia review

If you’re after an affordable supermini that delivers plenty of space, comfort and on-board technology, then the Skoda Fabia won’t disappoint

Overall Auto Express Rating

4.5 out of 5

Price
£19,150 to £25,250
  • Interior space
  • Decent on-board tech
  • Comfortable
  • No hybrid model
  • Road noise at higher speed
  • Not particularly fun to drive
Find your Skoda Fabia
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Advertisement

Skoda clearly hasn’t lost sight of what has made its Fabia supermini so successful after more than 20 years in production. Improved practicality, more space for passengers and modern, up-to-date tech mean that the Czech manufacturer has enhanced what was already a pretty compelling overall package. 

Throw in the Fabia’s sharper styling, reassuring levels of safety kit and some keen pricing, which undercuts its SEAT Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo siblings, and buyers might find it hard to resist the appeal of Skoda’s latest supermini.

About the Skoda Fabia

It’s fair to say that today’s superminis are not the compact runabouts they once were. Always a popular choice for its mix of affordability, practicality and ease of use, the humble supermini has faced a new era of safety regulation, combined with buyers demanding improved quality, extra space and greater comfort. All of which has led to more sizable models being designed and brought to market.

In fact, the breadth of skills on offer from established supermini rivals such as the Ford Fiesta, Renault Clio and Vauxhall Corsa mean that the gap between this segment and traditional family hatchbacks such as the Ford Focus and VW Golf is closer than ever. With extra competition from its SEAT Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo stablemates, and the likes of the Hyundai i20, Mazda 2, Peugeot 208 and Toyota Yaris offering strong appeal, Skoda’s fourth-generation Fabia certainly has its work cut out.

Lucky then, that the five-door Czech supermini benefits from using the same MQB-A0 platform as its Polo and Ibiza cousins. This architecture also underpins Skoda’s Scala family car and Kamiq small SUV, and its lightness helps to keep the Fabia’s weight roughly the same as its predecessor’s. A feat all the more impressive when you consider the new car is 111mm longer and almost 48mm wider.

Under the skin, Skoda has kept things pretty simple; the 64bhp 1.0-litre MPI petrol engine is no longer available, leaving a 79bhp MPI unit, along with a 1.0-litre TSI turbocharged engine offering more punch with a choice of 94bhp or 108bhp. A 148bhp 1.5-litre TSI petrol sits at the top of the range.

All Fabias use a five-speed manual gearbox, with the exception of the most powerful 108bhp model, which has a six-speed manual as standard and the option of a DSG automatic transmission, while the 148bhp model only comes with the DSG auto.

The entry-level S version no longer features on the price list, so the line-up now includes SE Comfort, SE L, Colour Edition and Monte Carlo trim levels. Standard kit across the Fabia range is pretty generous with 15-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, rear parking sensors, air-conditioning, a DAB radio and safety tech you’d perhaps expect to see on more expensive models.

The Fabia SE Comfort model is currently priced at just under £19,000, which means it’s competitive with many of its close rivals, while most mid-spec cars come in around £21,000. The sweet spot in the range is arguably the 108bhp six-speed manual version paired with either the SE Comfort or SE L trim, depending on whether you feel you need the extra tech features that come with the SE L, such as integrated sat-nav, cruise control and a bigger infotainment touchscreen.

Partnership
Need to sell your car?
Find your best offer from over 5,000+ dealers. It’s that easy.

For an alternative review of the Skoda Fabia, visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk...

Have you considered?

Citroen C4 X Shine long-term test: a spacious and affordable family car
Citroen C4 X long termer - first report header
Long-term tests
19 Nov 2023

Citroen C4 X Shine long-term test: a spacious and affordable family car

Volkswagen Golf review
Volkswagen Golf - front tracking
In-depth reviews
7 Nov 2023

Volkswagen Golf review

More on Fabia

Cheapest cars to insure in the UK 2023
Cheapest cars to insure - header image
Best cars & vans
9 Nov 2023

Cheapest cars to insure in the UK 2023

Looking for a car that’s cheap to insure? We’ve listed the cars with the cheapest insurance group ratings on sale in the UK today
Renault Clio vs Skoda Fabia vs Honda Jazz group test review: a battle for supermini supremacy
Renault Clio vs Skoda Fabia vs Honda Jazz
Car group tests
1 Nov 2023

Renault Clio vs Skoda Fabia vs Honda Jazz group test review: a battle for supermini supremacy

An update to the class-leading Renault Clio means a battle against the best that Skoda and Honda can offer
Top 10 best learner driver cars 2023
Best cars for learner drivers - header image
Best cars & vans
12 Oct 2023

Top 10 best learner driver cars 2023

Easy to drive, affordable, and inexpensive to run, these are our top 10 used cars to learn in
New Euro 7 emissions regs could kill the Skoda Fabia
Skoda Fabia - front tracking
News
5 Oct 2023

New Euro 7 emissions regs could kill the Skoda Fabia

Skoda is waiting for the final details of new Euro 7 emissions standards before committing to a new generation of its popular supermini
Top 10 best small cars to buy 2023
Best small cars - header image
Best cars & vans
12 Sep 2023

Top 10 best small cars to buy 2023

Small cars come in all kinds of shapes, if not sizes. Here we highlight the best new small cars on sale
Top 10 best first cars for new drivers 2023
Best first cars - header image
Best cars & vans
23 Aug 2023

Top 10 best first cars for new drivers 2023

A new car for first time drivers should be cheap, easy to drive and safe. Here are the 10 best first cars
Top 10 best superminis to buy 2023
Best superminis 2023
Best cars & vans
17 Jul 2023

Top 10 best superminis to buy 2023

It's a hard-fought class, but these are the 10 best superminis on sale right now
Skoda Fabia vs Volkswagen Polo: 2023 twin test review
Skoda Fabia and Volkswagen Polo - front tracking
Car group tests
15 Jun 2023

Skoda Fabia vs Volkswagen Polo: 2023 twin test review

Both these superminis pack great refinement, space and tech into a solid package – but which is best?
Best cars for £1,000 or less
Best cars for £1,000 or less - header image
Best cars & vans
28 Feb 2023

Best cars for £1,000 or less

A low budget doesn’t have to mean low-quality. We’ve picked out some terrific cars for under £1k
Best small automatic cars 2023
Best small automatic cars
Best cars & vans
13 Jan 2023

Best small automatic cars 2023

Small cheap cars don’t just come with a manual gearbox, here’s a our list of the best small autos you can buy
The best long-term car tests 2022
Best long-term tests 2022- header image
Car group tests
30 Dec 2022

The best long-term car tests 2022

These are our favourite long-term cars from the past year
Skoda Fabia 1.0 TSI: long-term test review
Skoda Fabia long termer third report - header
Long-term tests
17 Nov 2022

Skoda Fabia 1.0 TSI: long-term test review

Third report: we put our hatchback to the test against family’s Fabia Estate
New Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo 2022 review
Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo - front tracking
Road tests
3 Aug 2022

New Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo 2022 review

New Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo adds sporty looks and extra power with new 1.5 TSI engine option, but it's still far from a hot hatch
Ford Fiesta vs Skoda Fabia vs Toyota Yaris: 2022 group test review
Ford Fiesta vs Skoda Fabia vs Toyota Yaris - header
Car group tests
16 Apr 2022

Ford Fiesta vs Skoda Fabia vs Toyota Yaris: 2022 group test review

Competition in the supermini class is intense – but is the updated Ford Fiesta still a challenger against the likes of the new Skoda Fabia and Toyota …
New Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo arrives as sporty range topper
Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo - front action
News
15 Feb 2022

New Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo arrives as sporty range topper

The new Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo brings bigger alloys and a body kit to the line-up – but with no vRS model planned, it’s the sportiest version we’ll g…
Skoda Fabia vs Renault Clio vs Vauxhall Corsa-e: 2022 group test review
Skoda Fabia vs Renault Clio vs Vauxhall Corsa-e
Car group tests
22 Jan 2022

Skoda Fabia vs Renault Clio vs Vauxhall Corsa-e: 2022 group test review

We put the new Skoda Fabia straight into the deep end by pitching it against the Renault Clio and Vauxhall Corsa-e
Safest cars for sale in the UK
Safest cars - header image
Best cars & vans
13 Jan 2022

Safest cars for sale in the UK

We look at the cars Euro NCAP has named as the safest cars on sale
Plans for new Skoda Fabia Estate cancelled as Czech firms focuses on EVs
Skoda Fabia estate
News
26 Oct 2021

Plans for new Skoda Fabia Estate cancelled as Czech firms focuses on EVs

Skoda's increasing range of electric cars and CO2 regulations appears to have killed off plans for the Fabia Combi
New Skoda Fabia 2021 review
Skoda Fabia - front
Road tests
11 Oct 2021

New Skoda Fabia 2021 review

The new Skoda Fabia has all the credentials to challenge the very best in the supermini class
New 2022 Skoda Fabia on sale now priced from £14,905
Skoda Fabia 2022
News
13 Sep 2021

New 2022 Skoda Fabia on sale now priced from £14,905

Skoda’s fourth-generation Fabia moves onto the Volkswagen MQB A0 platform, which brings fresh styling and new technology
New Skoda Fabia 1.0 TSI SE L review - pictures
Skoda Fabia 2021 - front
Road tests
16 Aug 2021

New Skoda Fabia 1.0 TSI SE L review - pictures

We hit the road in the new fourth-generation Skoda Fabia 1.0 TSI SE L
Skoda Fabia review
Skoda Fabia - best superminis
In-depth reviews
16 Jul 2021

Skoda Fabia review

A new Fabia supermini is due next year, but the current version remains a comfortable, practical and good value choice
Skoda Fabia - best superminis
Skoda Fabia - best superminis
Best cars & vans
12 Nov 2020

Skoda Fabia - best superminis

Comfortable, practical and with a strong range of engines, the Skoda Fabia is hard to fault.