Photo: Skoda
After completely updating its compact and mid-size vehicle range, Skoda is keen to go back to its roots at the Paris Motor Show with replacements for its smaller models. We've already seen the new Fabia 5-door hatchback, a practical and economical supermini with updated design and a wider body. However, this will be joined by an all-new Fabia Combi in Paris.
Confirmation came from Skoda today, along with a couple of extra tech details. The all-new estate is said to be 90 mm wider and 31 mm lower than their predecessors. No word on cargo volume yet, but it's reasonable to expect more than any of its competitors.
While the Fabia and Fabia combine will be shown together in Paris, they won't go on sale at the same time. The normal car with be available in Europe as early as November (starting in the Czech republic), while the Combi will launch in early 2015.
“The new Skoda Fabia is, in every respect, simply more car and offers both innovative technology and emotionally-charged design,” says Skoda CEO Prof. Dr. h.c. Winfried Vahland. “A great car for heart and mind, ideal for the modern, urban mobility of today. We are very confident that the new Fabia will write another chapter in the model’s success story, win over new customer groups and, as an important pillar of our growth strategy, further strengthen the brand’s shine within international markets.”
Skoda successfully implemented its sales growth plan for 2013, delivering 920,800 vehicles worldwide. However, the company was dragged down by the Fabia, which, for the duration of the year, only managed 202,000, down 16% from 2012.
The all-new Fabia 3 is still built on the same platform as the older car, not the newer MQB. In spite of this, it's lighter and more efficient, thanks in part to the latest engines developed by the Volkswagen group. In 2015, a 1.4-liter diesel Greenline model will be launched, capable of emissions as low as 82 g/100km.
While the Fabia and Fabia combine will be shown together in Paris, they won't go on sale at the same time. The normal car with be available in Europe as early as November (starting in the Czech republic), while the Combi will launch in early 2015.
“The new Skoda Fabia is, in every respect, simply more car and offers both innovative technology and emotionally-charged design,” says Skoda CEO Prof. Dr. h.c. Winfried Vahland. “A great car for heart and mind, ideal for the modern, urban mobility of today. We are very confident that the new Fabia will write another chapter in the model’s success story, win over new customer groups and, as an important pillar of our growth strategy, further strengthen the brand’s shine within international markets.”
A desperately needed change
The third generation Fabia comes in the nick of time to save the company's ailing supermini sales. The outgoing model is widely viewed now as badly designed (tall and narrow), its competitive edge being lost after many years on the market.Skoda successfully implemented its sales growth plan for 2013, delivering 920,800 vehicles worldwide. However, the company was dragged down by the Fabia, which, for the duration of the year, only managed 202,000, down 16% from 2012.
The all-new Fabia 3 is still built on the same platform as the older car, not the newer MQB. In spite of this, it's lighter and more efficient, thanks in part to the latest engines developed by the Volkswagen group. In 2015, a 1.4-liter diesel Greenline model will be launched, capable of emissions as low as 82 g/100km.
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