Photo: Skoda
After a short summer break, Skoda's employees are back at work at the Mlada Boleslav factory in the Czech republic. Normally, they wouldn't have a reason to be happy, but in their absence, the factory has been re-tooled for the all-new Fabia supermini. The third generation hatch is sure to put Skoda back on the map in this very competitive segment, thus securing jobs and maybe even bonuses in coming years.
Despite being relatively new, the Fabia is the second best-selling Skoda of all time behind the Octavia, boasting approximately 3.4 million sales worldwide between 1999 and this day. Despite its popularity, this is one of the few Czech car models who's sales have declined in the past two years.
The very first all-new 2014 Fabia coming off the assembly line was welcomed by the employees, after having been painted in a rally-inspired Race Blue color and fitted with all the possible options.
“It’s always a big moment when the first vehicle of a newly developed model rolls of the line. This particularly applies to the new Fabia, as this great car is an important pillar in Skoda's growth strategy. Our teams from Development and Production have put in meticulous and intensive preparation and commitment to get the small car up and running – a car that will set new benchmarks in its segment,” says Skoda Board Member for Production Michael Oeljeklaus.
For now, Skoda will build a stockpile of new cars, which it will sell after the market launch in early November. Already, a microsite promoting its main attributes has been opened on the Czech market domain. However, this does not offer us any pricing information yet. This will be revealed after the official motor show debut, scheduled to take place at the Mondial de l'automobile in Paris.
Compared to the old Fabia,the Mk3 has made visible improvements in terms of safety, connectivity, environment and comfort. While still based on the old model's platform, it's wider and lighter. The latest engines developed by the Volkswagen Group also help it achieve an average 17% better fuel consumption and a myriad of active safety features have been made available.
The cleanest new engine is a 3-cylinder 1.4 TDI, which will be capable of 3.1 l/100km and CO2 emissions of 82 grams per kilometer. However, the bulk of the sales will come from the new 1.0 MPI, a cheaper naturally aspirated unit that replaces the old 1.2 HTP.
While not as beautiful as some of its French rivals, the new Fabia will attract plenty of family buyers. It's said to have the largest boot in its class and boasts numerous ‘Simply Clever’ features, up to nine of which are new, according to the company.
The very first all-new 2014 Fabia coming off the assembly line was welcomed by the employees, after having been painted in a rally-inspired Race Blue color and fitted with all the possible options.
“It’s always a big moment when the first vehicle of a newly developed model rolls of the line. This particularly applies to the new Fabia, as this great car is an important pillar in Skoda's growth strategy. Our teams from Development and Production have put in meticulous and intensive preparation and commitment to get the small car up and running – a car that will set new benchmarks in its segment,” says Skoda Board Member for Production Michael Oeljeklaus.
For now, Skoda will build a stockpile of new cars, which it will sell after the market launch in early November. Already, a microsite promoting its main attributes has been opened on the Czech market domain. However, this does not offer us any pricing information yet. This will be revealed after the official motor show debut, scheduled to take place at the Mondial de l'automobile in Paris.
Compared to the old Fabia,the Mk3 has made visible improvements in terms of safety, connectivity, environment and comfort. While still based on the old model's platform, it's wider and lighter. The latest engines developed by the Volkswagen Group also help it achieve an average 17% better fuel consumption and a myriad of active safety features have been made available.
The cleanest new engine is a 3-cylinder 1.4 TDI, which will be capable of 3.1 l/100km and CO2 emissions of 82 grams per kilometer. However, the bulk of the sales will come from the new 1.0 MPI, a cheaper naturally aspirated unit that replaces the old 1.2 HTP.
While not as beautiful as some of its French rivals, the new Fabia will attract plenty of family buyers. It's said to have the largest boot in its class and boasts numerous ‘Simply Clever’ features, up to nine of which are new, according to the company.
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