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More than £13,500 for a supermini is a lot of money. So given Skoda's ethos for offering value for money, how is this Fabia going to fit?
For starters this is the estate version of the Fabia, powered by the 105PS 1.9-litre diesel, with the top spec '3' trim that doesn't leave much room for option ticking. Standard equipment on our test car included alloys, powered and heated door mirrors, front fog lights, full-size spare wheel, climate control, six airbags, trip computer, passenger airbag deactivation switch, MP3 connection for CD player, remote central locking and, most surprisingly for a car of this size, cruise control.
This last item gives a real indication of Skoda's intentions for the Fabia estate. The VW-owned firm is looking to steal sales off the major fleet players' lower medium hatchbacks - the likes of the Ford Focus, Peugeot 308 and Vauxhall Astra hatches.
At this point £13,610 starts to look attractive. To specify one of the above hatchbacks to the level of the Skoda and you'll be paying a lot more than £14,000. This is particularly so if you want the performance of the Skoda, which is capable of 0-62mph in 11.0secs and returns 57.6mpg on the combined cycle.
Even space isn't compromised - at least in boot volume and front passenger room. Where it becomes limited is if you want to seat three adults in the rear. And two adults and a child seat, just isn't possible. But then, if you look at the car from the outside, specifically head on, the Fabia is still a supermini and as such is narrower than cars in the category above.
Running costs are kept in the supermini category and easily beat small family hatchbacks such as the Focus, but the Skoda also does well against other supermini-based rivals such as the Peugeot 207 SW and the Nissan Note.
The Skoda still behaves like a supermini in terms of the driving experience, and while cruise helps on the motorway, it is more susceptible to side winds than a larger and heavier hatch. But what you lose on the motorway you gain in town where the Fabia estate is easy to manoeuvre and park.
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