Skoda Fabia TDI Elegance vs VW Polo TDI Highline

For long the Skoda Fabia had been the benchmark in terms of quality, equipment and upmarket appeal among hatchbacks. But then the Polo came into the fray and with its lower pricing, equally good quality and fit and finish, racy styling and new engines, suddenly seemed the better bet. So, Skoda had little choice but to sell its car at a huge discount.

Now, with its facelift, Skoda has not only cut the prices of the Fabia dramatically (sadly it has cut down on equipment as well), but has given it the same engines as the Polo. So, the question everyone is asking now is which is the better car to buy?

Interiors feel roomier and are equally well built. Only thing new though is the steering wheel and gear lever

The rear of the new Fabia continues completely unchanged. Skoda hasn't bothered altering the tail lamps, bumper or tail gate

The most telling difference between the two cars has to be their design. The changes on the Fabia as part of the facelift are minimal – it gets new headlamps, a new grille and a new front bumper, but nothing else. Inside too, it only gets a new steering wheel while everything else remains unchanged.

On the outside, we prefer the Polo. It looks younger and more upmarket. Inside too, at least in the respective top-ofthe- line version on test here, the VW has more appeal. The liberal use of chrome and various design elements look fresher and more enticing. Moreover, with the Czech fi rm getting rid of a lot of equipment compared to the previous model – electric ORVMs, cooled glovebox, rear demist and rear wash and wipe are all absent on the new Fabia it holds no advantage over the Polo.

The Fabia however continues to feel more spacious courtebrothers sy higher seating and lighter coloured insides. It also has the more practical cabin that’s easier to live in as well. It has more stowage spaces and these are better thought out as well; the door pockets are more usable, there’s a twin glovebox and the central tray between the front seats is more functional.

The seats too on the Fabia are pretty comfy. The ones at the front hold you well and there’s good support all round. The driving position is good too. The Polo has comfy seats as well, but with its high dash and comparatively lower seats, the view and feel isn’t as commanding.

Polo's inside come across as more modern and we like the use of chrome inside as well as the steering design

Polo's rear isn't as racy as its front. In fact, it does look a little bland. As a saving grace, the tail lampslook really nice when switched on

The rear on both cars meanwhile is near identical. The Skoda is more spacious and offers higher usable kneeroom but otherwise, it’s diffi cult to tell which car you're in. The seats feel just the same, be it the cushioning, the slight lack f thigh support or the good back upport or even the usability of the door armrests. But, thanks to a higher seat height, the Fabia is easier to get in and out of. Begin driving and still there’s isn’t too much of a difference in terms of feel. Yes, the Fabia feels like the bigger car, it also has better steering feel (though not by much) and rides better at slower speeds.

The Polo on the other hand is more comfortable at higher speeds and over more noticeable road irregularities. It smoothens most of it and even the bigger, squarish bumps can’t get the better of the car.

The Fabia though has a slightly choppier ride at the rear. And it’s most felt over road joints. It can also get noisy over broken surfaces.

Handlingwise, again the cars are pretty similar with the Polo feeling a tad more planted. But, you still wouldn't be able to pull away in the VW, not even with the Polo Highline's larger wheels.

Skoda Fabia 1.2-litre diesel is noisy but very fuel efficient

Well, this is getting monotonous now, but the engines feel the same as well. Yes, these engines are identical and the respective gearboxes are identical too, right down to the gearing. In fact, the engines are also equally loud at start up and on the move. Moreover, with less than 10kg difference in kerb weight (Fabia being the heavier), both return near identical performance as well.

VW Polo But the engine is; it's the same engine after all

The acceleration to 100kmph is nearly the same. It's only close to 120kmph and above that the Fabia begins to pull away, but not by much. The Fabia also manages slightly quicker rollon times but the difference again isn't telling. As for fuel economy, we got identical figures on both our city and highway runs. We even tried a new route, but in the end, the Polo returned its worst of 15.6kmpl and the Fabia drove away with 15.3kmpl.