High on the highway: The Fabia 1.2’s power deficit is made up for by its engine’s torquey nature and the shorter third gear

The Fabia, Skoda’s latest offering in India, is a good car except for its price tag which is a bit steep for a hatchback in India. Skoda hopes to somewhat lessen the Fabia’s sticker-shock by introducing the Fabia 1.2 petrol. Does this finally make the Fabia value for money?

Under the hood

Let’s get the bad bits out of the way first. Four cylinders is harmony, three-cylinders is not. This 1198cc three-cylinder petrol has a lumpy idle. You can feel a few vibes coming in through the seat and the floor when the car is idling. It smoothens out as the revs build, but it never gets as smooth as the Swift’s four-cylinder unit or even Skoda’s own 1.4-litre petrol.

Second, the engine sounds like a household appliance gone berserk as it nears the red-line. This thrashy nature of the motor encourages you to shift up earlier, which is a good thing. More on this later. Third, if you want the 1.2’s performance to match its hot hatch looks (especially in this shade of red) you will have to figure out how to turbocharge it.

You see, this 1198cc engine puts out a very modest 69bhp. 69 horses to drag 1050 kilos down the road. Performance as a result is modest. Once it revs to 3000rpm, where this long stroke motor puts out its peak torque of 11.04kgm, the rate of acceleration picks up.

But if there ever was a car that works best when you short-shift (use the engine’s power so as not to strain it), this is it. And this is the reason why the Fabia feels strained on the highway. Out on an open highway, it will get to 120kph fast enough, past which you will need a lot of road and the patience of a wildlife photographer to see it run to its 155kph top speed.

Driver’s deal

What is surprising is the Fabia’s driveability. The Fabia has short gearing to help disguise the power deficit. And it works to a certain extent. It’s two seconds faster than the Swift in the 20-80kph run, thanks to the engine’s torquey nature and its considerably shorter third gear. This is evident when you are driving in city traffic. You will not feel the lack of power when you are simply driving along with other traffic.

Inside story

The Fabia’s cabin. It is unlike any other small car available in India. Yes, this top-of-the line Ambiente’s cabin comes finished in boring shades of grey and black, but you will not argue about the way it is put together or how functional and spacious it is. In fact, if the Great Khali was forced to buy a hatchback, we would bet 500 litres of petrol that the Fabia would be the most comfortable one for him.

We cannot find fault with the seats either. Supportive and spacious, the only small complaint we have is with the rear seatback being a tad too upright. Adding to the comfort is the fantastic way this Fabia rides. The pliant ride and almost perfect damping makes this easily the best ride seen this side of an Octavia.

In fact, you could compare the handling to a D-segment car. The steering is direct, grip from the tyres is good and we would even go as far as to say the new Honda Accord is not as much fun on a twisty road as this hatchback. It’s that good.

There are three variants of the 1.2 Fabia. The base Active costs Rs 5.11 lakh, but equipment levels are modest with only a driver airbag and no CD player or power windows.

Next up is the Classic trim, which has power windows, an integrated CD player with the auxiliary input port, power windows and dual airbags. It costs Rs 5.48 lakh. Then comes the top-of-the line 1.2 Ambiente, which adds alloy wheels, powered mirrors, remote locking and ABS with brake assist and it can be yours for 6.09 lakh, which makes it Rs 1.4 lakh cheaper than the diesel Fabia.

Final verdict

Fuel efficiency? The high-ish kerb weight and the shortage of horses do not help the Fabia at the fuel pumps. That said, it’s not too much lower than the Swift. Expect around 9.1kpl in the city and 14.2kpl on the highway.

The bottomline? The cheaper Fabia 1.2 is a move in the right direction. You get a spacious and high quality hatchback for a little more than the Swift. Also, 30,000km down the road, the Fabia will also age much less than the Swift, thanks to its better build quality.

If all you care about is quality and the feel-good factor that comes as standard equipment with every Skoda, then the higher price of the Fabia 1.2 should not matter to you. It’s a great car to drive in the city and it comes loaded with features as well. However, on the highway, the Swift, with its better power-to-weight ratio will be a better bet.

spec check

Fabia 1.2

• Length: 3992mm
• Width: 1642mm
• Height: 1513mm
• Wheelbase: 2462mm
• Kerb weight: 1050kg
• Engine: 4 cylinders in-line, 1198cc
• Installation: Front, transverse, front-wheel drive
• Power: 69bhp at 5400rpm
• Torque: 11.04kgm at 3000rpm
• Gearbox: Five-speed manual
• Fuel tank: 45