Over the last decade in particular, rising SUV and crossover sales have blitzed that of several vehicle categories, sedans, wagons & hatchbacks in particular have seen options dwindle worldwide. However, there’s one manufacturer that still offers vehicles in all of these three categories and has been doing so with success. That company is Skoda and if you walk into one of their dealerships today, you can walk out with a Fabia, an Octavia or a Superb Combi, splendid!
Clearly then, Skoda’s offerings in these three categories have to be very good to resist the chopping block. But, we’re not here to talk about the Octavia or the Superb, it’s the Fabia that is of interest today. The little Skoda has been around since 1999 and has sold over 4.5 million units in the 27 or so years that have since gone by. In fact, the Fabia’s launch signaled a turning point for the now 130-year old Czech brand and can in-part be credited for Skoda’s rise.
To celebrate both their 130th birthday and the Fabia, combining the two into a limited-edition celebratory model seemed to be the sensible thing to do, how very on brand! But, is the 130 simply a racier looking Fabia or have there actually been some performance tweaks to justify its $54,000 price tag?
As far as the automotive business goes, Skoda are one of the oldest names still in the game. The Czech powerhouse began life in 1895 as ‘Laurin & Klement’, a bicycle manufacturer that moved to motorcycles in 1899 and then cars in 1905. Various struggles post World War One sparked the consolidation of ‘Laurin & Klement’ and Plzen based engineering firm, ‘Skoda’. From then on, feathers weren’t really ruffled until the beginning of Skoda’s merger with the Volkswagen Group in 1991, the rest as they say, is history!
Choosing the Fabia as a vehicle for its 130th anniversary celebration was a no-brainer for Skoda! The hatchback is the spiritual successor of the Felicia and is now in its fourth generation, during which time it has played a significant part in expanding Skoda’s operations worldwide. It also holds the title for being the most expensive Skoda ever manufactured, that is if you count the one-off life sized Fabia (cake) that was baked in 2007, the total cost of which was 500,000 GBP!
Like a cake placed placed in an oven, the Fabia too has seen a rise in its dimensions over the years. This fourth generation model measures in at 4.1m long, 1.46m tall and 1.78m wide, the first time that a Fabia has crossed the 4m mark in length! However, the upside of expanding its dimensions means more space for the occupants and storage inside. The Fabia will comfortably fit four adults inside and a very usable 380L of boot space leaves plenty of room for shopping.
With this generation Fabia having already been around for five years, its dimensions and such are probably common knowledge by now. What you really want to know is what difference the ‘130’ stickers make. And indeed, these special stickers can be found on both front wings, as well as the bootlid. Special 18-inch wheels hide ‘130’ specific red brake calipers and there’s plenty of aero to boot, visible twin exhausts add to the theater! A rear lip spoiler compliments the front splitter and side skirts to complete the exterior options.
The ‘130’ limited edition also adds four unique colour combinations. This particular model came painted in the ‘Race Blue/Magic Black’ scheme which would be my pick of the bunch but if blue is not your hue then I’d suggest going with the ‘Velvet Red/Magic Black’ option instead, both of which can be had at no extra cost.
The interior has also been given plenty of love as part of the 130 limited-edition. Opening the door unveils ‘Fabia 130’ branded polished sills and heavily bolstered sports seats. The racy fabric pattern extends across to the rear seats as well but unlike the front two, they are not heated. The seats themselves are very comfortable, lumbar adjustment as well but its all manual, there’s no electric adjustment on offer. Not an issue though really when you have these grippy seats that are brought to temperature very quickly by the heating elements as is the leather wrapped steering wheel which is also heated, both very welcome and well used inclusions as I reviewed this car during the height of winter!
Sparingly used red ambient LED lighting helps continue the not so subtle sporty undertone of this limited-edition Fabia 130.
Despite this being a hotter Fabia, it doesn’t lose sight of its core Skoda values, namely the ‘Simply Clever’ stuff. There’s umbrellas hidden in the two front doors, a parking ticket holder on the dashboard, a cleverly organized boot set-up as well as a centre console with conveniently sized nooks for everything from a pen to the car key! Really, this is Skoda at its best. Considering space is a premium inside of any Fabia, you don’t really feel wanting for more of it once in the car.
Then there’s the question of its driving capabilities, manufacturers have become very good at cosmetically enhancing their cars to look sporty but when it comes to dynamic engagement, that’s not quite there. I’m afraid that the Fabia can’t be tarred with this same brush. While this platform itself offers a great starting point as proven by the Monte Carlo, the 130 adds extra punch via a 1.5L four cylinder turbocharged engine. It puts out 130kW (ironic) and 250Nm, delivered to the front wheels through a 7-speed DSG gearbox. A 0-100 time of 7.4 seconds isn’t really blistering but its not slow either. The Fabia does struggle under hard acceleration and it seems to run out of steam at the top end of the rev-gauge but then again, this isn’t promising to be a fire breathing hot hatchback!
Clearly, straight line acceleration is not its strong point but where the Fabia really thrives is when the road starts to twist. It offers an engaging drive, going around bends with ease and rewarding the driver with plenty of confidence as well as feedback. You can slot the gearshifter into its manual mode and go for gold! Then, when you’re back in town, you’re reminded of the harshness of its ride. Sitting on 18 inch wheels coated in a sliver of rubber doesn’t exactly aid its already stiffly sprung suspension, combine that with a cabin that lacks soft surfaces and you have the recipe for a rather harsh ride, particularly on our open pore rural highways. However, the Fabia can redeem itself in the cities because it will literally turn on a dime. Both of my personal cars are renowned for their atrocious turning circles so it was refreshing to drive the Fabia which meant I could actually perform a u-turn for once! Throughout my 350 or so kilometres with the car, I recorded an average consumption figure of 6.8L/100km which I was also pleased with. Then when you finally come to a stop and exit the car, the extremely reassuring ‘thunk’ of the door slamming is a subtle reminder of a vehicle that has been meticulously thought through.
The Verdict
What can I say, I’m a fan of the Fabia! It’s hard to hate on this supermini, no matter who you are. It’s compact on the outside, yet spacious inside. The build quality is excellent, there are little luxuries like heated surfaces thrown in, you get enough power for most purposes and an engaging drive. And in this 130 guise, it looks sharper than any other Fabia has done before. Aside from its harsh ride, the only downside really is the price, at $54,000 it’s not cheap but then again, what else would you buy on this side of a Golf GTI should you want a nearly hot hatchback?
Think about it and I’ll bet you couldn’t really produce an alternative which then makes the verdict a simple one, the Fabia 130 really has no competition. On one hand, it deserves a positive review but on the other, a lack of competitors speaks to the sorry state of the hatchback segment today and while that does make me sad, I have to tip my proverbial hat to Skoda for continuing to fly the hatchback flag.
2026 Skoda Fabia 130: 4.5/5
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Car courtesy of Skoda New Zealand. Pictures and words by Matthew D’Souza.
