What's the news?
Skoda will use the upcoming Geneva motor show to debut a new Fabia small hatch. Well, we say new - it's not new at all really, just the same Fabia with new lights, grille, and some small other tweaks. That means those waiting for the Fabia to switch to the impressive new MQB-A0 chassis, as seen under the new Volkswagen Polo and SEAT Ibiza, will have a wait a while longer.
Skoda has said that the updated Fabia will get the option fo new all-LED headlights to give the car "a much stronger look." New all-LED rear lights will be standard. Skoda has also said that it intends to introduce new 'Simply Clever' functions, but hasn't told us exactly what. Other models have such 'Simply Clever' features as an ice scraper built into the fuel flap, umbrella holders in the doors, cupholders that allow you to open a bottle of water, one-handed, and slots for storing bigger 'phablet' mobile phones.
Although small car sales are dipping a little these days, as buyers make the move to compact crossovers, the Fabia remains a very important model for Skoda. The Czech brand broke the 1.2-million worldwide sales barrier last year, and the Fabia is still a big contributor to that number. Since 1999, over four million units of three generations of Fabia have been sold worldwide, with the current model generation alone accumulating sales in excess of the 500,000 mark.
With a launch at Geneva, we'd expect to see production cars arriving in dealerships around Christmas, in time for the 191 registration period. Engines will likely be more or less carried over, as the Fabia already has the new generation of 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, although we might see a reduction in the diesel option as buyers start to move more and more away from DERV.