A Fab Little Hatch

The popular Škoda Fabia has been refreshed for 2018. We head to Prague to take it for a spin.

- Ryan Hirons

Volkswagen Group hatchbacks are on something of a refresh trail at the moment, with the VW Polo and Seat Ibiza both recently entering new generations on the MQB A0 platform. The Škoda Fabia though, staggers on without new underpinnings — instead seeing a minor refresh for 2018.

It may be surprising on the face of things that the Czech firm hasn’t gone for a total overhaul, considering the availability of the new platform, but this generation of Fabia has only been around since 2015, so it’s not exactly outdated just yet. Can a bit of nip and tuck be justified though?

As far as facelifts go, the new Fabia pretty much meets the definition: Minor changes to an already existing model. Don’t expect a revolution here, but that’s not to say there hasn’t been some notable changes. A tweaked look comes thanks to new headlights, a larger grille and a fettled bumper, with LED daytime running lights now a standard feature.

New dashboard trims bring a revived lease of life to the cabin, while more assistance tech makes this the safest Fabia to date. As for engines, there’s been little in the way of change — although the line-up now consists exclusively of petrol units.

Powering our test car is a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder, here paired up to a five-speed manual gearbox, developing 94bhp and 160Nm of torque. It can take the estate from 0-100kph in 10.7 seconds and on to a 185kph top speed. As for efficiency, Skoda claims it can achieve 3.8 litres per 100km with CO2 emissions of 103g/km.