Skoda Fabia 2018 first drive

In the context of its immediate Volkswagen Group rivals, the latest Skoda Fabia supermini could almost be seen as something resembling the youngest sibling.

While the likes of the Seat Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo have been treated to total overhauls, complete with newfangled MQB-A0 platforms, upgraded tech and sharp new exteriors, the third-generation Fabia — which has now been facelifted for 2018 — is still, to an extent, kicking about in last year’s hand-me-downs.

Beneath that subtly revised exterior, including new headlights and bumpers, as well as a new front grille, sits the older PQ26 platform that’s underpinned the Mk3 Fabia since it entered production in 2014. It’s something of an amalgamation of the PQ25 platform used by the likes of the Mk5 Volkswagen Polo and the now ubiquitous MQB platform, 

This means there’s the same MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension arrangement in the pre-facelift Fabia, while power comes from a line-up of 1.0-litre three-cylinder TSI and MPI petrol engines. All of these powerplants now benefit from upgraded engine management systems and a second catalytic converter, while the TSI units also gain petrol particulate filters. 

With no go-faster vRS model on offer — or even on the cards, for that matter — power outputs are decidedly modest. The two MPI engines range from 59bhp to 75bhp, while the TSI units come in 94bhp and 109bhp flavours. For the purpose of this European first drive, we opted for the 94bhp unit.

Unsurprisingly, this engine isn’t a heavy-hitter, but there’s more than enough pep on offer to get the Fabia moving. The gearlever’s action is pleasingly crisp and encourages you to interact with it to keep the revs above 2300rpm — the point where the Fabia feels most enthusiastic. Its timbre isn’t quite as rorty as you might expect a three-pot to be, either, sounding a touch subdued under throttle. Stray above 5000rpm, though, and it becomes strained and out of breath. 

As for its on-road manners, the fact that it sits on a comparatively older platform than the Polo and Ibiza doesn’t leave it massively wanting. A comfort-biased set-up is present here, and that's evident in the way in which the Fabia goes about dealing with choppier sections of road — of which there were plenty on our Czech test route. 

There is a degree of rumbling and shuddering as the 16in alloy wheels travel over ruts and bumps, but body control is generally tidy and well managed. Compression over shallower, low-frequency undulations is progressive and forgiving, with vertical travel being kept mostly in check. Sudden dips can be a touch jarring, though.