Ah, the Fabia! The most affordable of the Polo-Ibiza-Fabia trinity, the Czech supermini is now in its third generation. And since the Typ NJ started production in 2014, Skoda managed to sell more than 500,000 examples of the value-minded model.
“Does the Fabia still have Lamborghini Urus door handles?” Of course, and then some! The mid-cycle refresh brinks worth small enhancements here and there, starting with the LED-accented headlights and taillights. Including the trapezoidal-shaped fog lights, the entirety of the front fascia is a little more streamlined than on the pre-facelift Fabia, grille and all.
The hatchback also gains 18-inch alloy wheels, while both models benefit from two-tone finishes for the seat upholstery, dashboard trim strips, and a redesigned instrument cluster. In keeping with the “Simply Clever” motto of the Czech automaker, the 2018 Skoda Fabia is now available with Amundsen satellite navigation, which offers real-time traffic information.
SmartLink+, on the other hand, offers the user more versatility thanks to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring. Safety is another area Skoda poured some effort in, adding blind spot detection, rear traffic alert, and Light Assist. The latter function makes the switch to low beam on the go as soon as the system detects oncoming traffic or vehicles ahead.
Front-wheel-drive as before, the 2018 Skoda Fabia facelift is available with a choice of four engines, all of them running on gasoline. The range starts with the naturally aspirated 1.0-liter MPI three-cylinder with indirect injection, which develops 60 and 75 metric horsepower (44 and 55 kW).
The 1.0 TSI, on the other hand, is available with 95 and 110 horsepower (70 and 81 kW) on tap thanks to turbocharging technology. The TSI plants are further enhanced with a snazzy gadget called gasoline particulate filter. If you think that something’s missing from this picture, that would be the 1.4 TDI. That's right, Skoda discontinued the turbo diesel. The dwindling take-up rate might have something to do with the Fabia falling out of love with TDI.
A stick shift comes standard for all four drivetrains, with the 110-hp 1.0 TSI also available with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The redesigned Fabia will go on sale immediately after its debut at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, which opens its doors to the media on March 6.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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