Some of you by now should have seen the new Skoda Fabia Ad on television. But for the benefit of the audience who live overseas, here it from Skoda’s Youtube Channel. The Ad suggests this is the “all new” Fabia, which it isn’t. The word “Fab” as a description is also not our view of it exactly.
Report by Kaustubh Shinde
If you have been tuned in to IAB, you must have noticed that this month has seen a slew of launches (and more to come). We are constantly running around Mumbai city to make sure that you are updated about each new launch. But none of them have been as dull as the new Skoda Fabia.
Don’t get me wrong. As a product, it is a very good value proposition. Fabias have always been known for that. But there is nothing in it that made me go WOW!
Let us get down to what’s what
The new Skoda Fabia is a result of the new BS IV norms kicking in 13 major metros during April this year. It took them such a long time to come out with the BS4-ready car. The most happening and important segment today for any player is the compact car segment and that’s where Skoda wasn’t fully present all this while.
The new car is not that far from the outgoing one. The one major difference in the new proposition is that (and this one I didn’t expect) they have given an option of 1.6L MPI engine for enthusiastic drivers. This is the same engine that its sister car Polo uses. The rest of the 2 engine are also lifted directly from the Polo. So the 3 engines that are available are:
* I.2L MPI (petrol): 75 bhp @5400 rpm and 110 nm of max torque @ 3750 rpm
* 1.6L MPI (petrol): 105 @ 5250 rpm and 153 of max torque @ 3800 rpm
* 1.2 TDI (diesel): 75 bhp @ 4200 rpm and 180 nm of max torque @ 2000 rpm
Other new features include a new front end, a new steering wheel (lifted from the Laura) and a new stereo (also lifted from the Polo). Yes, someone was very busy in VW’s spare parts section. It is available in 3 variants Classic, Ambiente and Elegance and can be brought in 5 different colors.
The only reason I could find for someone to actually buy this car is the price. The car starts 4.35L (for the entry level) and goes right to 5.99L (for the 1.6L engine) ex showroom Delhi. If you are in Maharashtra, the car starts at 4.19L and goes right to 5.81L.
The hatch market is the fastest growing market in India. All the major auto manufacturers are aggressively hitting this market with very competitive offerings. And this situation is only going to get more aggressive with the entry of Toyota and Honda. In such a competitive scenario, the Fabia can’t put the frighteners on the competition. If anything, it’ll be easily overshadowed by the competition.
click through to read more
We have our man on ground zero and he informs us that there are three variants that’ll go on sale – the 1.2 petrol making 75bhp, the 1.6 petrol that makes 105bhp and the 1.2 diesel good for 75bhp.
The localization level has gone up from 15% to 40% and that will impact the price tag of the car.
Skoda will classify the models as classic – with grey interiors, ambient and elegant with ivory interiors.
New Skoda Fabia prices – Ex-showroom Delhi
1.2 MPI (petrol) – 4.35, 4.85, 5.65 lakh for Classic, Ambient and Elegant respectively
I.2 TDI (diesel) – 5.4, 5.91 and 6.69 lakh for Classic, Ambient and Elegant respectively
1.6 (petrol) – 5.99 lakh
The car was designed by the same man who did the Veyron! There are a lot of parts the new Fabia has in common with the Polo. Even the music system, for example, has come from the Polo.
The Fabia can be bought in five colors – black, red, beige, white, silver
Stay tuned to learn the prices first!
Skoda was betting big on its Fabia hatchback, the first premium hatchback in India. Though the Skoda Fabia did well in the initial few months, the Hyundai i20′s launch pushed the Fabia to the sidelines.
Thomas Kuehl, Director (Sales and Marketing), Skoda India -
We were the first to introduce the concept of super hatch (in India) but as is the case always, the product which followed the Fabia (Hyundai i20) received a much better response. We are quite confident that the new Fabia will clock monthly sales of over 1,000 units.
The Octavia was shelved because of the BS4 norms and Skoda is bearing the brunt of it. But not for long. Skoda India is planning an aggressive comeback and hoping to regaining its lost glory that it had during the days of the Octavia.
Skoda would begin assembling the Yeti compact SUV in India by October 2010 and launch it simultaneously. Then the revamped Skoda Fabia would be launched. The revamped Fabia is also expected to come with revised competitive pricing.
Skoda is also developing a small car that would be priced between 3.5 to 4 lakhs. The new car would be built at the Chakan plant in Pune. Then the Skoda Felicia which would fill in the Octavia’s position would be launched. The Felicia would be based on the Skoda Fabia’s platform.
Skoda future models -
> Yeti compact SUV – 2010 October
> New revamped Fabia – 2010 October
> Skoda small car – 2011 end
> Felicia (Octavia’s replacement) – 2011 end
> Bigfoot 7-seater SUV – mid 2012
Skoda India is readying to launch the new revamped Skoda Fabia hatchback by the 3rd quarter of 2010. The Skoda Fabia didn’t live up to the hype surrounding it and is managing dismal sales figures.
Skoda India would be looking to increase the appeal of the Skoda Fabia by launching the updated version and some revised strategies (pricing). We had even brought you spy shots of the facelifted Skoda Fabia.
The new facelifted Skoda Fabia would be getting new headlamps, tail lamps, slight changes to the interiors and entirely new engines from the Volkswagen Polo. There would be no price cuts and the new Skoda Fabia could be priced between 5.5 to 7.5 lakh Rupees.
New engines -
> 1.2 liter petrol – 74 hp, 110 Nm
> 1.2 liter TDI diesel – 74 hp, 180 Nm
> 1.6 liter TDI diesel – 103 hp, 250 Nm (could come on the top end Fabis vRS )
Changes –
> The changes are not merely cosmetic. The frontal structure, engine bay and floor pan have been re-designed to accommodate these new engines.
> New front headlamps look sleeker and sportier.
> The lines on the bonnet and the grille have been sharpened making the Fabia look smarter.
> The vertical slats in the lower airdam give way to horizontal slats on the new bigger and wider airdam.
> New fog lamps are bigger and fill up the lower part of the bumper neatly.
> Rear tail lamps are the same but have been slightly freshened.
> Interiors get a new audio system, chrome finishes on the A/C vents and gear lever.
> New steering wheel that looks like the Laura’s. New back-light for instrument console.
click through to see the image gallery
With slimmer headlamps and redesigned foglamps, the Fabia now looks more mature
The facelifted Skoda Fabia was caught testing at night by the eagle eyed blokes at Auto Express. The model you see here in the photographs is the Fabia Estate, which will share its front fascia with the hatchback.
Caught without camouflaged, the images reveal the aggressive updated front fascia with slimmer headlights and redesigned fog lamps. The rest of the car looks the same.
Horsepower will be derived from the same 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol engines currently offered, along with 1.4 and 1.9-litre diesels.
Will the refreshed Skoda Fabia be a sight to the sore eyes at the Skoda counter in the Auto Expo? We’re investigating.
click “Read More” to view the image gallery
Hardly 24 hours ago, Indian Autos Blog brought spy pictures of the new Fabia. Now, we have photographs of what we think is the new Fabia, testing on the roads of India.
The chaps at Carwale have photographed the Fabia and Polo (both share the same architecture) testing in Mumbai. Both the cars were wearing European plates indicating they are not part of the pre-production run from the Pune facility.
The Fabia caught was a lovely yellow color with low-profile tyres that are not offered in India.
The VW Polo debuts at the Delhi Auto Expo next year.
