By Tushal Bhadang
There’s something I’ve always loved about small cars, they’re nifty, light on the wallet, easy to park, easy to potter around narrow inner city alleys and do a good job on the highways too. The reason I call Skoda an underdog in the Euro small box market is ‘cos all their parts, every nut and bolt is German now, manufactured by VW. The Skoda brand has changed, gone are the days when the value of the car was estimated by the amount of fuel in its tank.
The Fabia is a small wonder with a 1.4 litre heart which is eager to take you places but the kerb weight often seems to overwhelm its performance figures. 0-100 kph takes a leisurely 17 seconds with the 4 speed automatic fuzzy logic gearbox. Power figures aren’t tarmac shredding but 74 bhp does the trick @5000 RPM and the torque figures are impressive in the second cog from as low as 2000 RPM up to a peak of 126Nm @3800 RPM. The gearbox learns your driving habits gradually and changes shift speed within its specified limits. Kick down from a higher gear is good for sudden acceleration but again, the engine’s eagerness isn’t transferred onto the wheels at the same pace.
Sharing parts from the VW stable, McPherson struts and stabilizers provide a firm but comfortable ride. As with any good handling car, the suspension has to have some amount of stiffness. The Fabia impresses in this department. The ride over bumps and uneven surfaces is comfortable, and in cabin road noise is minimal. 165/70R14 wide rubber gives the car an awesome track and super short turning radius (great for tight Manama lanes!) The suspension is so good that even though it’s a front wheel drive car, the understeer only starts when pushed to the extreme. Taking 45 degree corners even at speeds of 100 kph fail to shake the car off its track!
Since the car is available in only Classic trim, the interiors are standard spec with fabric lined seats that are on the firmer side but very well designed for lumbar support. The speedo console provides all essential data regarding range, fuel consumption, current time, outside temperature and service information. Driver’s seat is height adjustable and it has the quietest power windows on the hatchback lot.
A powerful air conditioner does duty on the Fabia and a single disc CD player with 4 speakers neatly hidden in the doors is pleasing to the ear. Steering is thick and chunky and adjustable for rake and reach and is well weighted, electro-mechanical design helps conserve engine power. Rear leg room is somewhat compromised. Boot space is good for a weekend outing but with the seats pulled down creates an enormous 1016 litres.
The Fabia has a 4 star EuroNCAP rating which makes it one of the safest hatches. The brakes lack feel but are effective for good stopping.
Last word
It’s hard not to love this car, it has a distinct “feel good” factor that brings a smile to my face. Even though it feels underpowered as it lugs around over a ton of kerb weight, once it gets going, it’s a fun car to drive. If you look at it closely, it’s a value for money proposition in its price range. It provides all the best things that a VW has at a much lower price and if you’re not really in a hurry to get to places it has a wonderful drive.
Rating 4/5
Car provided by Ahmed Zayani & Sons, Kingdom of Bahrain.
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