Škoda Fabia

Lore & Background

The first generation Fabia (Type 6Y) was officially presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1999, with production starting in July 1999. The estate version, Fabia Combi, was introduced at the Paris Motor Show in September 2000. It was the first model to use the Volkswagen Group's A04 platform, which it shared with the Volkswagen Polo Mk4 and SEAT Ibiza. In the United Kingdom, for 2000, this car won What Car? 'Car of the Year'. The range started with the 1.0 8v Classic and went up to the 2.0 Elegance, with the 1.9 PD TDi RS eventually added at the top. The Fabia's mechanical parts were developed by or in conjunction with Volkswagen, but were offered in a package priced to undercut other Volkswagen Group models. The only traces of non-VW Škoda left in the Fabia were the 1.0 and 1.4 'MPI' engines, pushrod designs with three-bearing crankshafts, modifications of Škoda's own 1.3 engine used in pre-Volkswagen Škodas such as the 130 and Favorit. The low-cost 1.0 was introduced in April 2000, and the pushrod 1.0 and 1.4 ended production in April 2003, not long after the introduction of the Czech-made, three-cylinder 1.2 MPI engine. In 2003, the name of the three-cylinder engine was changed to HTP, for 'High Torque Power'. In summer 2004 the Fabia received a facelift, with changed front fog lights and grille, slightly different rear lights, new steering wheel and revised specification levels. The Sport model was added, with the 75 PS 1.4 petrol offered with a manual transmission, later swapped to the 1.2 HTP. In 2006, the Fabia range had minor specification revisions including a centre rear headrest, a central three-point seatbelt and an additional four bodywork colours; the 1.4 16v 75 PS petrol engine was replaced with a more powerful 1.4 16v 80 PS engine.

Reader's Guide

The Škoda Fabia, particularly the first generation, established itself as a significant model by leveraging Volkswagen Group technology in a more affordable package. Its most notable variant was the Fabia RS (vRS in the UK), introduced in 2003, which was the first exclusively diesel hot hatch, having no petrol equivalent. The RS used Volkswagen Group's 1.9-litre Pumpe-Düse Turbocharged Direct Injection diesel engine producing 130 PS and 310 Nm, with a six-speed manual gearbox. It was named 'Diesel Car of the Year 2003' in the Scottish Car of the Year Awards. Official figures stated 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) took 9.6 seconds, but several motoring magazines and websites measured faster times (around 7.0–7.5 seconds range). The in-gear acceleration times were 50–70 mph in 5.6 seconds, quicker than a BMW 330i, and 20–40 mph in 2.4 seconds, as quick as a Lotus Elise 111R. The RS was shown to be quicker than a similarly priced MINI Cooper around Top Gear and Fifth Gear test tracks. For the UK market in 2007, 1,000 Special Edition Fabia vRS models were produced with individually numbered black leather seats with blue piping, sporty red brake callipers, 'Race Blue' metallic paint, cruise control, darkened rear windows and a six CD autochanger, known as the Fabia vRS SE. The last Mk1 Fabia RS came off the production line in March 2007. The second generation (Type 5J) was presented at the Geneva Auto Show in March 2007 and sold from April 2007, still using the PQ24 platform but slightly larger and taking styling cues from the Roomster. The estate variant was announced in August 2007 and introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2007. The second generation discontinued the sedan body and the vRS version until facelift.

Did You Know?

• The Fabia RS was the first exclusively diesel hot hatch, with no petrol equivalent.
• The 1.2 HTP engine was developed by Škoda specifically for the Fabia and later used in Volkswagen's own Polo.