Used Skoda Fabia (2015-2021) Review

The Fabia hatch is stylish, has a better cabin and feels grown-up and competent on the road. And yet it still represents excellent value for money thanks to reasonable prices, decent equipment levels and low running costs. It faces a lot of competition, but should be a feature on any car buyer’s shopping list. 

It’s designed to be better at covering longer distances and being comfortable than it is being ‘fun to drive’, thanks to good refinement and comfort. Try to avoid the least powerful engines to make the drive easier on your ears. Seat comfort is another plus point, and even if the cabin materials look a bit plain, they’re durable.

Unless you really need a diesel, go for the 1.0-litre TSI with 95PS or 110PS. The 95PS will be fine for most uses, although you will have to be 'proactive' with the five-speed manual gearbox to keep momentum up. It's fairly quiet and refined, with that typical three-cylinder thrum should you build up the revs. That gearbox is pleasant to use, while the clutch is light and easy to operate.

The diesel option was only available from 2015-2018 and more sluggish 1.0-litre MPI models are best avoided.

Skip the S trim on Fabia, as it’s missing some kit that’s now considered essential and opt for SE for air conditioning, rear parking sensors and roof rails. Or, for something fancier, the SE L has climate control, keyless ignition, and sat-nav with its 6.5-inch infotainment screen.

Buyers are spoilt for choice when it comes to small hatchbacks - almost every manufacturer offers a small car in one form or another. 

There’s the big sellers in the shape of Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and Volkswagen Polo. But, want something that’s fun to drive? You can for a MINI or Peugeot 208. Something a bit more upmarket? Try the Audi A1. There’s even electric options from Renault with its Zoe and as an option on Corsa and 208. 

Then there’s the bargain basement models. Go for a Dacia Sandero if costs are your number one concern, it’s regularly Britain’s cheapest new car and that’s reflected on the used market.

The Fabia’s interior is well built and well finished, demonstrating quality in a no-nonsense kind of way. However, it is a very dark cabin, with lots of dark materials used. There is some variation in texture and colour to break things up a bit. You can also have the central band that crosses the dash in a lighter colour to help break up the darkness, while the Monte Carlo version has some splashes of colour in its seat fabric to brighten things up.

We’ve come to expect high quality interiors from Skoda and on this score, Fabia doesn’t disappoint. The Czech manufacturer may not do flash, but it does solid very well. A few touches of colour or chrome would make the Fabia’s interior a more welcoming environment, but it’s certainly robustly built.

The same is true of the boot space, where the carpet and finish majors on function over form. However, you won’t mind this when it’s easy to keep clean and doesn’t show every little scuff or scrape from loading in the dogs, kids and bags.

Standard on every Fabia hatchback is Skoda’s 6.5-inch infotainment touchscreen. It’s a pared-down offering on the base S model, with a simpler ‘Swing radio’ set-up and the two rotary buttons on either side feel a little flimsy in use. However, the shortcut buttons on either side of the display work with solid precision and take you to the required menu very easily.

This system has DAB radio, Bluetooth, and USB and SD card ports. In the SE model, this is upgraded with Skoda’s Smartlink+ to make it easy to access apps from your smartphone. It also lets you access music through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Go for the SE Drive or higher trim versions of the Skoda Fabia hatchback and you get the Amundsen version of the infotainment. It comes with sat-nav included and one year’s internet access from new. We like it, as it’s an intuitive system thanks to clear menus and big on screen icons that make them clear and simple to select when driving. There may be more feature-packed systems out there, but we’d take the Skoda’s ease of use every time.

For a small hatchback, the Fabia is incredibly practical. The boot is impressively spacious at 330 litres, beating rivals from Ford and Vauxhall. The opening is wide and there are nice touches like a cargo net and bag hooks. Sadly the load area isn’t flat, with a load lip to lift items over. That is, however, a minor quibble for what is otherwise a very practical load area.

In the back, there’s plenty of space for legs, heads and shoulders, so you can have a pair of adults in here in ample comfort. You’ll get three children across the bench and each has a three-point seat belt. Skoda also fits a pair of ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outer seats, which have great access through the wide-opening back doors to round off the Fabia’s excellent credentials as a practical hatchback.

Skoda has opted for a very simple engine line-up for the Fabia hatch. For newer buyers, there’s no diesel option, as this 1.4-litre engine ran from 2015-2018 before being discontinued. 

Petrol are both 1.0-litres: MPI and TSI. The 1.0-litre MPI petrol motor has a slovenly 60PS and is best avoided for most buyers in favour of the 75PS version. The TSI petrol engine is better still and available with 90, 95 and 110PS. 

The 95PS motor comes with a five-speed manual gearbox as its only transmission choice. It takes 10.8 seconds to get from a standing start to 62mph if driven as hard as possible, which seems acceptable on paper. On the road, this isn’t the case and the 95PS engine always feels just a little too slow, especially on the motorway.

A lot of this is down to the five-speed gearbox asking the engine to be more flexible than it can offer. The shift action of the five-speeder is not quite as smooth and easy as the six-gear transmission used as the sole option for the 110PS turbo petrol.

Aside from the better gear change of the six-speeder, it has a better spread of ratios to provide the right one for any circumstance. Add in the extra power and low-down shove of the 110PS version of the three-cylinder engine and it’s a winning combination for us.

This is demonstrated by acceleration figures that have the 110PS Fabia hatchback going from 0-62mph in 9.4 seconds, and that 1.1 second difference has a big impact on how relaxed the Fabia hatchback is when pulling out of junctions or joining faster flowing traffic. Particularly impressive is the fact that there’s barely any detrimental effect on fuel economy or emissions by choosing the more powerful engine, it is by far the most sensible choice in the Fabia hatchback.

The three-cylinder turbo petrol engines that are fitted to the Fabia hatchback are the norm in most other small cars now and those in the Fabia hatchback are as good as most. You won’t get quite the same smooth power delivery as the Ford Fiesta’s, but you will find they are well mannered and quiet at town speeds and when cruising along multi-lane roads at the legal limit.

Push the engines a bit harder, such as when driving up a steep hill, and the three-cylinder engines can become a little gruff and vocal. It’s not an unbearable noise, but you will feel a little vibration through the steering wheel, pedals and gear lever.

Skoda has carried out a thorough job of distancing the Fabia’s cabin from wind and road noise. All models with the exception of S gets roof rails fitted as standard. However, there’s very little whistle or rustle from the breeze as it passes over the car at higher speeds. You will also find the Fabia isolates the interior very well from roar from the tyres, even in those versions that ride on bigger wheels.

Skoda has always placed a focus on safety and that’s clear with the Fabia hatchback. It’s one of the few superminis to have autonomous emergency braking as standard. Called Front Assist, it detects potential hazards in the road ahead and warns the driver with audio and visual alerts. If the driver doesn’t react, the car will apply the full force of the brakes to bring it to a safe stop or minimise the impact of a collision.

You also get twin front, side and curtain airbags as standard across the Fabia hatchback range, as well as three-point seat belts and headrests for four occupants, but you have to pay extra for the same for the middle rear passenger. All models have two ISOFIX child seat mounts to securely hold kiddy seats in the back. There’s also ESP stability and traction control, and ABS anti-lock brakes.

The Fabia was awarded a five-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash tests, with 81 per cent scores for adult and child occupant safety. Safety options for the Fabia hatchback includes Hill Hold Control to stop the car rolling back when pulling away on inclines and upgrading from drum brakes to discs at the rear.

Other optional safety equipment is offered with the Driver Fatigue Assistant to spot and warn if the driver is due a break. Rear parking sensors are offered for the S, but standard on other models, while the SE Drive has front parking sensors included rather than being an option on the rest of the range.

Cruise control is standard on many trims and an option where it isn’t fitted. However, the S cannot be ordered with the upgraded Adaptive Cruise Control. The same is true of Blind Spot Detection and a rear-view camera.

All Fabias benefit from low insurance groups. The cheapest Skoda Fabia hatchback being the 95PS S model that falls into group 8. Take the same version with the 110PS engine and it moves up to group 12.

The other 95PS trims of the Fabia hatchback all reside in group 9, while all of the 110PS-powered cars are in group 12 except the Monte Carlo, which is piped into group 13.

Earlier Skoda Fabias benefited from the older road tax VED system, falling into Bands A and B. That means either very cheap road tax or no road tax at all.

Now every Skoda Fabia hatch you can buy new falls into Band G for Vehicle Excise Duty, so you’ll pay road tax at £175 for the first year and £150 in subsequent years.

It’s possible that it could edge up into the next band and cost you extra for the first year depending on which options you choose that can increase the carbon dioxide emissions.

Skoda originally offered the Fabia hatch in S, SE and SE L trims when it launched in 2015. It has not expanded that line-up, but it still begins with the S that has 15-inch steel wheels, electrically adjusted and heated door mirrors and daytime running lights. Inside, it has black cloth upholstery, a 6.5-inch touchscreen that provides DAB radio, Bluetooth and USB port.

Opt for the SE and you get alloy wheels, roof rails finished in black, front fog lights, and rear parking sensors. The SE also has a three-spoke steering wheel with remote buttons for the stereo. The infotainment gains six speakers and Smartlink+ for easy access to your phone and its apps. Just as vitally, you get air conditioning, an umbrella stored under the front passenger seat, and a height adjustable driver’s seat.

Colour Edition is based on the SE but has 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, and a roof and door mirror covers painted in black, white or silver to contrast with the body colour.

SE Drive gets front parking sensors and its own fabric for the seat upholstery. It also has the Amundsen touchscreen navigation system and 12 months’ internet connection from new. Choose the SE L and it has different alloy wheels, cruise control, keyless ignition, and climate control. It also has satin black cloth and suede covering the seats.

Top of the range is the Monte Carlo with its black-painted alloy wheels, Led rear lights, and sport steering wheel and front seats.

Key options for the Skoda Fabia hatch are the Panoramic glass sunroof to offset the dark colours of the cabin. A reverse parking camera is also useful.