The next generation 2015 Skoda Fabia is expected to be shown in October this year at the Paris Motor Show. The hatchback was spotted on test last week, wearing production-ready body panels and lights, and this rendering by Shoeb, is an exact mockup of the test mule.
The front end of the new Fabia borrows heavily from modern Skoda cars such as the Rapid (European spec) and Octavia. The roofline is a tad lower than the outgoing model, though extensions are noticeable to the wheelbase and width of the car. The overall length is expected to remain the same as the current model.
The current Fabia measures exactly 4 meters in length, and it would be a problem for Skoda India if the newer model were to exceed that, given that cars measuring over 4 meters in India are in a higher tax bracket.
The new Fabia is reported to be based on a heavily reengineered platform of the current model. Unlike larger Skoda and VW Group company models which use the MQB platform, the Fabia, for cost reasons, would not. Engine options too would be carried over from the current model.
The Fabia, when it was sold in India, was available with 1.2- and 1.6-liter petrol engines and a 1.2-liter diesel engine. We expect the Indian arm to re-introduce the Fabia in the next few years as a non-premium manufacturer keen to grow its market share cannot ignore the volume potential of the B segment for very long.