Photo: Skoda
Volkswagen Group is among the manufacturers worst hit by the new emissions regulations in Europe. This doesn't just affect the diesel engines, but we weren't surprised to see that the Rapid and Fabia models are now lacking TDI mills.
We regularly check back to see what Skoda and VW configurators have to say. Neither the Rapid nor the Fabia is as popular as they used to be, but not having TDI engines is sure to hurt sales further.
Skoda used to have a smaller 1.4 TDI 3-cylinder, but that got discontinued during the Fabia's facelift. However, the 1.6 TDI is also missing now, even in the bigger Rapid compact models.
In 2017, the Rapid still had a 90 HP 1.4 TDI and 116 HP 1.6 TDI. Even the 1.4 TSI seems to be discontinued, though that's hardly surprising considering it's being replaced by the 1.5 TSI.
Small diesel engines are costly to develop (and align with emissions tests) while also being more expensive by at least €1,000 compared to gasoline counterparts. In short, Skoda doesn't need them, especially when the 1.0 TSI is relatively economical and cheaper for the customers.
But that doesn't mean you can't buy a Fabia TDI is you're dead-set on doing lots of highway miles. VW Group is spending millions on parking for cars it can't sell. And even after September 1st, dealers will still be able to sell non-compliant engines if they were pre-registered. It's just like regular folks exchanging cars.
Audi's Fabia-sized model, the A1 Sportback, just ditched its TDI engines for good, so it's a group-wide strategy. But we still fondly remember such oddities as the Fabia RS with a 1.9-liter engine or the woefully underpowered 1.9 SDI.
As we previously mentioned, diesels are not the only ones affected. The Octavia RS just lost its base 230 horsepower engine, which was only a year old.
Skoda used to have a smaller 1.4 TDI 3-cylinder, but that got discontinued during the Fabia's facelift. However, the 1.6 TDI is also missing now, even in the bigger Rapid compact models.
In 2017, the Rapid still had a 90 HP 1.4 TDI and 116 HP 1.6 TDI. Even the 1.4 TSI seems to be discontinued, though that's hardly surprising considering it's being replaced by the 1.5 TSI.
Small diesel engines are costly to develop (and align with emissions tests) while also being more expensive by at least €1,000 compared to gasoline counterparts. In short, Skoda doesn't need them, especially when the 1.0 TSI is relatively economical and cheaper for the customers.
But that doesn't mean you can't buy a Fabia TDI is you're dead-set on doing lots of highway miles. VW Group is spending millions on parking for cars it can't sell. And even after September 1st, dealers will still be able to sell non-compliant engines if they were pre-registered. It's just like regular folks exchanging cars.
Audi's Fabia-sized model, the A1 Sportback, just ditched its TDI engines for good, so it's a group-wide strategy. But we still fondly remember such oddities as the Fabia RS with a 1.9-liter engine or the woefully underpowered 1.9 SDI.
As we previously mentioned, diesels are not the only ones affected. The Octavia RS just lost its base 230 horsepower engine, which was only a year old.
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