- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr He
2021 Skoda Fabia Hatchback. 4th generation
The Skoda Fabia is a compact five-door hatchback, produced since 1999 by a Czech automobile manufacturer, Skoda Auto. In Europe, the car is very popular: for example, the third generation was sold at 100-150 thousand units a year. In May 2021, a new, fourth generation hatchback entered the market. Let’s find out more about it.
Exterior
The new Skoda Fabia has remained true to its signature faceted style with squinting headlights and a wide radiator grille. The design makes the small hatchback similar to the older models, but at the same time it can be distinguished by horizontal taillights with additional sections on the fifth door, like the Volkswagen Polo (both models share the same platform). The diode headlights are optional, while the LED headlights are standard. Wheel diameter varies from 14 to 18 inches. The aerodynamics have been dramatically improved: the Cd coefficient has been reduced from 0.32 to 0.28, which, according to Škoda, makes it ‘the best compact car’.
Important: The 2021 Skoda Fabia has moved to the MQB-A0 modular platform, which is also used on the Audi A1 and Seat Ibiza. This made it possible not only to increase the range of electronic driver assistants, but also, thanks to the optimized body structure and chassis, to keep the weight of the car at the same level, although the Fabia has grown noticeably. The hatchback has become larger and more spacious: the overall length has been extended by as much as 111 mm (up to 4,108 mm), and the width has also become significantly larger - by 48 mm (up to 1,780 mm). The wheelbase has grown by 94 mm (up to 2,564 mm). And the body, on the contrary, has become 8 mm lower (1,459 mm).
Interior
Trunk volume has also grown, offering a range from 330 to 380 liters under the rack, or from 1,150 to 1,190 liters with the rear row of seats folded down. The fourth Fabia has become the first Skoda with round ventilation deflectors, but the central deflectors are still rectangular and are now located under the screen of the media system. There are three layout options with 6.5-, 8.0- or 9.2-inch screens, and the most expensive multimedia system has a navigator, Internet access (eSIM) and automatic updates.
The basic instruments are analog, but for a surcharge, you can now install a digital dashboard with a 10.25-inch screen. The interior lighting has become more interesting due to the diodes in the area of the door handles. The front passenger seat can have a folding backrest and Isofix mounts. The new Fabia can offer four dozen solutions from the Simply Clever series (Skoda branded ‘tricks’). For example: a USB-C connector at the base of the driver’s rear-view mirror, a niche for an umbrella in the driver’s door (a feature borrowed from the older Superb model), convenient pockets for smartphones, many hooks and niches for small items, plus a hammock in the trunk. And there is also an additional net, fixed at the bottom of the luggage rack and withstanding a load of up to 3.5 kg.
Powertrains
The new model can be equipped only with petrol engines from the Volkswagen Group Evo engine range. This is a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder naturally aspirated MPI engine (65 or 80 hp), a 1.0-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder TSI engine (95 or 110 hp), and a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged TSI engine with 150 hp with a system for shutting off half of the cylinders. No hybrid versions are available.
Equipment
The 2021/2022 Skoda Fabia is standardly equipped with six airbags and Electronic Stability Control. In general, the list of options has been significantly expanded. For example, it features heated steering wheel and windshield, panoramic roof, dual-zone climate control and adaptive cruise control Travel Assist. It will be possible to order a driver’s knee airbag and rear passengers’ side airbags.
