► 2018 Skoda Fabia details
► First pics of updated supermini
► Shown at 2018 Geneva motor show
One of Skoda’s bestselling cars – the Fabia – has been given a nip and tuck for its public debut at the 2018 Geneva motor show, although you’d be hard-pushed to spot the changes on a fleeting glance.
The sensible supermini has received a light tweak front and rear to fit in with the company’s latest range of cars, with a rehashed grille, sharper lights and bumpers and bit more tech inside and out.
Sitting alongside its future stablemate – the Vison X crossover – on the stand in Geneva, it’s easy to walk past the Fabia and not realise it’s a new car. But that’s down to the eye-catching looks of its concept crossover sibling more than anything, but also because the changes are quite minimal to the Fabia.
The now previous-generation Fabia has been on sale since 2015, while the Fabia in general has been part of Skoda’s model range since 1999. Around four million Fabias have been sold since the car’s original launch, 500,000 of which being the current one. Skoda says the UK is one of the biggest markets for its little hatch.
Our full guide to the 2018 Geneva motor show
It doesn’t look any different!
Agreed, it’s very subtle, but it’s just enough to keep it looking fresh, especially in sporty spec. New LED lights front and rear are available for the first time, as is the option of a set of racy 18-inch alloy wheels on higher-spec models.
Inside, the brand promises a redesigned instrument cluster, bits of fresh trim and new seat colours. The 6.5-inch Swing infotainment system now has Skoda Connect online infotainment services plus Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink.
The brand’s Simply Clever details remain, and Skoda has tweaked a couple of them for the new Fabia. The ice scraper, for example, now has a tyre tread depth gauge and you can order a double-sided boot mat. Thrilling stuff – but nicely practical, as we’ve come to expect of the Czech car maker…
Skoda Fabia 2018: engines, specs
Skoda says there will be four petrol engines available: two MPI naturally-aspirated and two TSI turbocharged ones, but no diesels.
The engines are VW Group motors that are already in service elsewhere, so you have a choice 59bhp, 74bhp, 89bhp and 108bhp. All will be equipped with a manual ‘box, while the top end 108bhp model can be specced with a DSG twin-clutch auto.
Also shown is the new 2018 Skoda Fabia Estate (above) – one of the few remaining small wagons you can buy, and it’s a remarkably roomy family car for such a small footprint.
UK prices and release date?
It’s a bit early for that, but don’t expect it to change much from the £10,495 price tag of the outgoing generation. The new Fabia will go on sale in the second half of 2018.
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