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New Fabia Debut Set for Autumn 2014, Skoda Says

The Fabia supermini is one of the oldest models Skoda has on offer. It was launched in 2007 and despite its mid-life facelift it's slipped in terms of sales due to stiff competition from newer French rivals in the European market. The numbers don't lie. Last year, Skoda could only shift 202,000 units, that compared to 2012 is a drop of about 38,000 units.
Skoda Fabia rendeirng 5 photos
Photo: Skoda
Skoda Fabia RenderingSkoda Fabia RenderingSkoda Fabia RenderingSkoda Fabia Rendering
There are a number of flaws with the Fabia, mainly concerning the perceived quality and the noisy engines. Most if not all will be fixed by the brand new Fabia, which Skoda themselves confirmed yesterday for a Fall 2014 launch.

That rough debut date for the Czech car roughly coincides with the Paris Motor Show, which starts in the very first days of October. Traditionally, Skoda has always started production of new models just after major motor shows with deliveries only taking place in the Czech republic for the first few months.

So what can we expect from this new Fabia. Probably more of the same. Rumors suggest Skoda doesn't want to use expensive MQB technology and is instead opting for a revised version of the PQ25 platform that underpins the current Fabia. This is consistent with Volkswagen's decision to facelift the Polo supermini instead of making an all-new car.

But while the platform could be old, the design will be new, carrying over from the clean lines we've seen on their recent concepts and on the Octavia. New engines are also guaranteed. The base Fabia models will come with the same 1.0-liter units as the Polo facelift, which are actually borrowed from the Citigo/Up!. Offering either 60 or 75 PS, the triple-cylinder mills will replace older 1.2-liter units with Skoda developed for the outgoing Fabia. The 1.2 TSI turbo options should still be available, but they will be accompanied by a 1.0 TSI three-cylinder used for the TSI Greenline III model. Also, a new diesel should arrive, also with three cylinders and also fitted to a Greenline badged TDI making 90 PS.

Besides the Fabia, another interesting revelation made by Skoda is that they plan on adding another model to the Kvasiny plant in the Czech republic. This ties in perfectly with rumors that the Snowman SUV would be built there. Supposedly a three-row model, it's likely to be the largest model derived from the same platform which underpins the Golf.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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