Skoda Fabia 1.0 TSI: long-term test review

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The Skoda Fabia is proving Isla’s first-class transport and efficiency over long distances is also excellent. One or two ergonomic monitoring means that Dawn has detected a few issues, but is generally still positive.

• Mileage: 7.526
• Economy: 55.6mpg

For the past few months, I have been taking care of my daughter’s puppy Isla, once or twice a week, and she has become a huge fan of ours. Skoda Fabia. To be fair, she just loves sitting in any car, but Isla sure knows she likes the small one. Skoda and will sit by the door waiting for me to let her in.

While Fabia’s boot is a good size, the Isla usually rides in the back row – and as anyone who owns a dog knows, unfortunately, the dogs (or should I say their coats) and flat interiors Fabric really doesn’t go together, so I used an old visor to protect the rear seats. While this helps, it’s certainly not ideal, and it still takes me a long time to dig through the search that somehow seems to be everywhere.

Skoda recently conducted an International Dog Day survey with BorrowMyDoggy, which found that more than seven million owners travel with their dogs in the car at least once a week, indicating that there is a large market for dog owners. Dog related products. Skoda also has a wide range of pooch accessories across its lineup, including a hammock for the rear seats, which I have now ordered. I hope Isla will like it and it can also save me some cleaning time. Hopefully that’s something I’ll update you on in a future report.

It also meant driving across London from our house in Putney to my daughter’s apartment in the north-west of the city. Just over 8.5 miles, but the journey can last from 37 minutes to over an hour. At least driving the Fabia in town is comfortable and easy as the seats are supportive and simple to adjust, as is the steering wheel. My husband and I have very different driving positions, so that was a big help.

The steering is light and responsive and I’m a fan of the smooth, six-speed manual transmission. The 1.0-litre TSI engine also means I can quickly escape the lights, not an option in town as much of the route is in the 20mph zone, but my husband has been impressed recently when hitting beat a Porsche line!

I also found the fuel consumption to be reasonable. On one of the regular 100-mile trips to the coast, we managed to get 70mpg before reaching the outskirts of town, according to the trip meter, but for cross-town trips, the number that’s only half.

The 9.2-inch infotainment screen is great, and most functions are really easy to use – except for the air conditioning. In London’s start-stop traffic, you can simply operate it when you’re on your own, but on longer, faster journeys, passengers are indispensable.

The dual temperature dials set to low are fine, but if you want to adjust the fan or the direction of the airflow, you need to do this via the touchscreen. Bearing in mind Skoda’s functional characteristics, this seems complicated.

Skoda Fabia 1.0 TSI: first report

We’re back at the gas pump with our new Skoda Fabia family supermini

• Mileage: 4.723
• Economy: 55.1mpg

I went from one extreme to another with my latest fleet test car. Go out and go to Lexus UX 300e – one pure electricity senior baby SUV. Already have the latest generation of Skoda Fabia – as one supermini As you hope to get, avoid electrification in favor of pure gasoline power.

That’s not to say this fourth-generation Fabia doesn’t represent a big change to the Skoda when it arrives at the end of 2021. After years of relying on old mechanics, the Czech model has finally switched to the MQB A0, the same platform as the current one. VW Polo and SEAT Ibiza. This, in turn, allows for higher levels of in-car technology, improvements in fine-tuning and better efficiency.

However, the core formula hasn’t changed – Skoda’s engineers will never deviate from the brand’s strengths – so Fabia is one of the highlights for its class. When we tested it, we determined it to be one of the few superminis you can use as a proper small family car.

Over the next six months, I’ll be looking at its ability to cope with anything my husband and I can throw at it – at least when we’re renovating an apartment on the south coast. our house in London two hours drive. Our specs combine one of the top trim levels with a mid-spec engine.

If you want to save money, you can go for the four-cylinder, 1.5-litre petrol car, but we stuck with one of the 1.0-litre three-cylinders, making a modest 109bhp. power and combined with a six-speed manual transmission.

Our SE L is at the top of the range – unless you fancy Racing-themed Monte Carlo – and the list of standards really shows the technological benefits of this generation of Fabia. You get 16-inch wheels as standard, along with ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors, two USB-C ports, and a 9.2-inch infotainment combined. both smartphone integration and Skoda’s own navigation.

We’ve speculated a Race Blue metallic paint color, while the £620 Convenience Pack adds keyless entry, hill assist and wireless charging. The Light and View Plus Package (£1,300) brings front fog lights with cornering, rain sensors, full LED headlights and a washbasin for those units.

It’s weird going back to an internal combustion engine car. Of course, I miss the instant buzz of electric torque, and rising fuel prices mean I’ll also keep an eye on how often I need to go to the gas station. It will be interesting to see how close I can get to the 50-55mpg that Skoda has claimed.

I wondered if it would take me a moment to get back to changing gears, but luckily the precise, gentle shifting of the six-speed transmission makes it easy to get to. There’s also an eco feature that prompts you to move up or down for best effect.

Overall, I’m impressed with the look and feel of the cabin; Material quality seems high and the touch screen is clear and easy to use. However, there are some things I don’t like. The name Fabia on top of the binnacles seems redundant and detracts from another clever dash. The front door handles are also pretty bad; while they are quite functional, with the added silver trim, they seem too bold for my liking. I prefer the plain black back door. It may have something to do with the posher trim level of our car, but these are like the features Skoda has that, in a very rare move, turned into form instead of function.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, for three points.