SKODA FABIA

Sporty and attainable? That's the name of our new Monte Carlo model's game

- KRIS CULMER

FIRST REPORT

WHY WE'RE RUNNING IT To discover whether you can still get a great all-rounder for less than £25k

Just like the Formula 1 race around the tight streets of Monte Carlo with which it shares a name, the sporty version of the Skoda Fabia has been handed a multi-year extension.

Even as an F1 fan, I am much happier about the little Czech hatchback's news. Whereas that grand prix is a tedious procession offering very little excitement, its Skoda namesake offers the enticing pairing of compact dimensions and over endowment in the powertrain department; and in contrast to the grotesque display of wealth seen trackside, here's a car for everyday people, costing from £21,125, or £209 per month on a PCP.

You might consider that costly, but if so you need to get with the times because that's precisely half the UK average for a new car. The Fabia in its most basic form is actually £17,990, which may be more palatable, but our car is the most expensive it can get, at £23,925, or £232 per month on a PCP.

Why? Because we've chucked out the 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine that you get in any old Fabia for the 1.5-litre turbo four from the Volkswagen Golf, taking power up from 108bhp to 148bhp. The only downside is that in so doing you're forced to lose a manual gearbox for a seven-speed DSG. Does that diminish the fun of a warmed-up supermini? I would say so, but here's hoping the Fabia proves me wrong.