Skoda Fabia User Reviews

After going to number of test drives and research on net, I finally zeroed down to Skoda Fabia 1.2 ambient  Here are my views on this car.

Engine: Not so noisy as mentioned in many reviews, even
though it is of 3 cylinder it is equivalent to the performance of Fusion, Swift, Getz.

Pickup: it doesn’t have good pickup at first gear compared to Getz/fusion but if you are an expert driver you can make it.

Drive: You can not make out that you are going in 100KPH, nice road grip, you feel vehicle is sturdy, heavy and comfortable. Can drive at 3rd gear at the speed 15 - 20 KPH, this helps in less gear shift in the traffic. Comfortable at path holes.

Brake: Ambient has Dual rate brake assist which comes in handy at situations.

Ground clearance: 146mm. Even though it is lesser than the Swift/Getz but it has hard suspension to clear the humps. With 5 people in the car makes it difficult to clear the hump and is the same case with any other car.

Space: hatch backs are comfortable four and it meets that width, ample leg space at rear seats. boot space is 300lts good enough for things...

Safety: Airbags for driver and the front passenger seat, it has ABS, Collapsible steering, Side Impact beams and tubeless tyres.

Comfortableness: 2 AC ducts under the front seats for the rear coolness, Aux in near the hand brake can use i-pod easily, not a good audio instrument provided by the company, one touch power windows and a very nice interiors.

Fuel Efficiency: i have no idea about the FE, but after so much of research i found that it gives minimum of 10 Kms/L with full AC.

Nothing comes freely in this world. for a better quality and comfortnes you need to pay for it.
overall  Fabia 1.2 ambient is a good hatch back with all the facilites and its worth for the money.

No new car is bad in the market but every car has its pros and cons and Fabia 1.2 ambient has more pros than any other car in its segment.

PS: Fabia has VolksWagen engine but no dealer mentions about this. You can check in the wikipedia. Link is - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skoda_Fabia
Safety, Security, Build Quality, enough leg space, comfortable Aux inSlow pickup, Spares are costly, resale value, bad music system

 

Exterior Styling is superb, Just love the way the Skoda Fabia looks from Outside.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Features are really amazing specially the ABS, AIRBAG utility and height Adjustable and Space. Its really Adequate.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Performance seems to be just about Adequate nothing great nothing bad. Engine Noise is little on the higher side when standing still however i kinda love the sound in my own way, this could vary from person to person. Fuel Economy seems to be on the higher side although need to test it hard before i comment on it. Gearbox has been a crucial part of Skoda Cars and it lives upto its expectation.

 

Ride Quality & Handling No comlains about Ride Quality, it superb. I wonder how Skoda Laura and Superb would be in there own segment. Handling is also great, Feels very stable and grounded.

 

Final Words Seems to be nice. Will write more about it when crossing 5000 KMS mark.

 

Areas of improvement Maybe give a bit of more power to the engine.

 

Style, Stability, Drive Comfort, Adequate Engine Pull, FeaturesCould be Ground Clearance

 

I own New Skoda Fabia. Rs 5.83 lak is fab on road in bangalore  ( 1.2 MPI Ambient - mid range model, purchaged in Jan 2011)  in cities like Mumbai may be 20k-30K less , starting at 4.19 ex-showroom in mumbai,  & also 10K corporate discount (if u work for big company, check with Dealer for that)- Adding skoda shied for 2+2 yr warranty cost on road ~ 6 Lak inclusing my owne music system - Hightlights, It give u highest boot space, Its the longest hatch in india, Rare leg room is also very nice. Its AC is very strong, it has vents for AC at the bottom of the front seats. Safest hatch in india as it will give u 2 air bags at that cost of 6 Lack!!! Best in class finish, Ivory finish from mid-level, simply rich

The stearing has horizontal & vertical adjustments as well are too cool, well me tell u not many in class have this feature, Gear box is excellent. Its got top class ride quality, highway drive, I find Fabia is excellent, even at 120 or 140 u will feel very stable.

Its heaviest hatch in class so mielage is may be 1 KM less than the light the other light hatches in India.

It gives 12-14 so almost equal to others. Fog lamps!!!  Biggest & sexiest in class... But you get them only in Elegance model. Sad part is u can not fit them in Ambient but can in basic model

Fab key is too cool, But you get them only in Elegance model.

What I got from dealer: Mud Flaps, Sun film, Mats, Idol, Perfume, Side beddings of the door. NOW MOST IMP PART *** ppl will discourage u but on A.S.S & Maintanance, I guess the rumble against skoda in Team bhp has more to do against their A.S.S rather than the cars themselves., Believe me the A.S.S is improving greatly here(Touch wood).Partly because of competition, partly because spares are more localised and easily available and with increased volume its slowly becoming viable for the dealers.For example a clutch plate which used to be imported from Prauge and costed 35K is localised now and costs 16K. So prizes have revised from Jun 2010, unfortunatly i have the scan copy in pdf format so can not give more egs. Also frankly i have not comapired them but per wht I heard from experts is its not huge diff for the spare part prices.

Let me tell ppl that its the NEW fabia facelited on 12th Oct 2010, with new heart ( engine) same as VW Polo. (VW is parent campany of Skoda). The fabia has actually a new lease of life after the facelift and dropping of prices.Sales have increased from the 200 odd to over 1000 a month now. Opening and closing the door once is enough to tell the difference from the ALL others in the segment, THE GENUINE THUD and a premium feel unmatched by any car the south of 15lakhs, All will tell u same stuff for Fabia its built like a tank. There are hundreds who just buy whatever sells the highest numbers. That's the only reason Maruti is the market leader (purely my opinion). The service intervals are getting longer ie 15k KM, dealers are being more responsible, extended warranties are being offered ( 2+2 yrs, isn't that too cool !!!) so definitely things are moving in the right direction. The aura surrounding these polos and skodas ( car from same Parent Company)  cannot be matched by other hatches. Let me tell u... Skoda Octavia Petrol ranks highest on the TNS Total Consumer Satisfaction study - Scores 100/100!, It has raced far ahead of competition such as the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Chevrolet Optra Magnum Petrol. This tells that skoda is gr8 brand & you will certaily feel proud to tell others I own a Skoda car.

So u Test Drives all the hatches in india & then only take a call is my advice, also u need to get advice from many ppl in ur locality on how good are the local dealers,.... remember take any hatch & u will have ppl with good & bad experience.

And my final word is - If the heart says yes, just go for it.. for that matter any car u choose .. u  don't buy car often so take a call carefuly ... 

I did huge amount of review for all Hatches in india, so per me its the best VFM car. Its just that you need to think little out of box & do not go by word from ppl unless u see & test it of ur own. My only worry is about small cities A.S.S

 

Best in class Boot space,Best in class built, Best in class Warrenty 4yr, Best in class Ride, VFMOff-course A.S.S & Expensive spares 10-20% more

 

Hi!

I bought a Skoda Fabia in June 2010, after comparing and test driving all the cars and specially after constant nagging of my two teen aged kids not to go in for a cheaper option who already had done a research on the internet.

I drove both my brother's cars, Ford Fiesta, Suzuki and Hyundai and test drove the Skoda fabia with my wife, daughter and son and all test driving themselves(Thanks to the Dealers rep. Mr.Viswanathan of S7 cars, Salem )

Since, I work abroad, and this car was meant to be driven by my wife and daughter I gave the preference for safety. Then wanted a small car, a hatch back that may be easier for the ladies to drive. Finally, we were looking for better boot space to carry the loads of luggage of my son who is studying in a Boarding school.

Though I was interested in a sedan or MPV, since I won't be driving much, and by the pressure from my kids who chose the car, colour, even the registration number etc, we settled with Skoda Fabia Ambient 1.2 L Petrol, Corrida Red color. I too have a BMW and personally seen the performance and quality of these German made cars abroad.

Apart from the slightly heavier price tag, we didn't regret the choice, as the brand image appeals to the most which is evident. The look is distinct with the detailing of body work and head & tail lamps. And the built quality also didn't let us down.I am happy as the safety features are better and family feels proud of the car.

The interior could have been better for the price though the quality and the comfort outweigh the odds!The gear shift is so smooth even my daughter can do it effortlessly. Despite the fact that it has speakers only in the front, the quality of the audio system is so good that you don't realize it! The air conditioner is very efficient. With even two ducts at the back it gets cold quickly. There is one in the glove box to keep the chocolates and drinks cooler. The engine's power stays the same with the A/c on or off. The illumination of the panel is good in the night. More storage for drink bottles in the door and seating area. Ample space to reach the front from back in between seats, Clear vision all around. The cabin light which switches on automatically when the remote is activated and fades off gradually.

The minor points I can frankly mention is the horn which is not enough for the Indian roads, The headlamp that needs more power, the drive a little bit of bumpy at times, bit noisy engine(I didn't much notice due to the high quality audio system.) and the petrol tank lid which doesn't have a opening lever from the inside which is a bit annoying.

Just after taking delivery within two weeks we had done around 3000k.m driving to Thirupathi(Andra Pradesh), Thiruvannamalai, Vellore, Ooty, Coimbatore, Salem, Erode, Trichy, Namakkal etc. Now the noise level has come down and the body rolling also has eased.So far there is no problem. And the service interval is 15,000k.m. with two free services. The dealers too are very professional, friendly and helpful. Had a good experience!

Over all I would say It is one of the very good cars, if one is caring about the safety and the comfort and not too particular about the price!

Sorry for the lengthy comment! Hope it will be useful for a prospective buyer like me.

All the best!

Soma

soma2uk@yahoo.co.uk

 

Good Style,Built Quality,Spacious,Smooth gear shift,Safety,Rear A/c duct!A bit expensive price tag,Noice level, Bumpy at times!

Exterior Build quality is superb, as its a european car . Doors are very smooth to open. Key feature for glass opening.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Plastic quality is much better than other inidan cars. Simple buttons on dashboard are easy for handling. Card holder along with light system.  Inbuilt front speakers and component in the A pillar.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Need more power, still for Inidan roads its more than enough. After completing 50000 km in 11 months still the pickup is same no problem in clutch. I have done only the normal service @ Skoda service stations. NO issues with the gearbox and the Engine.

Ride Quality & Handling At cornering and the sudden braking vechile is very stable.

Final Words I am very happy with my desicion for buying this car. Its cool ride. No maintenence. Value for money .No other inidan car is coming with Dual airbag in this cost.

For any guidance regarding FABIA  : 09730170123 (Akshay Chouhan) Automobile Engg.

Areas of improvement Head light is very less powerfull.

Comfortable and Study ride on highways while driving @ 180kmph,Rear AC vent, Pen holderHead light need massive improvement. Need additional cabin light in the middle of the car.

 

Exterior Looks too similiar but fog lamp is boxier and head lamp is longer.Rear has a very old feel.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Interiors are good looking but needs power windows,rear demister,rear wiper and powered mirrors and also climate control but gets a feature,rear AC Vents,first in class.Very spacious like old model and great and comfortable seats.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox The 75 bhp is not much power but the 18.3 kgm is too much.Fuel economy is great and gear is crisp.

 

Ride Quality & Handling Ride is stiff in low speeds than Polo but at 100kph is more settled than Polo.Great handling and is best.

 

Final Words Before you consider Swift VDI or Figo ZXI Diesel than check  New Fabia 1.2 TDI Classic(The base variant)also.The New Fabia 1.2 TDI Classic has driver airbag and rear AC vent and is better than dated and awkward looking Swift VDI and unresponsive Figo.Fabia has better boot space in 300 litres while Figo is better than Swift in 284 litres and Swift has a tiny and puny boot in 232 litres.The only downside is the feature list but excellent VFM car.I cancelled booking of Fabia New 1,6 Elegance and booked Classic New Fabia Diesel.

 

Areas of improvement Nothing.

 

Value for money,build quality,engine has lot of torqueHalf features are missing like rear wipers and defogger

 

While buying this car i studied almost for 1 year i was nearly buying of swift vdi but my natural instincts told me to at least take a test drive of FABIA!! Actually I am not a driving person but after buying this car I almost covered all india on my own and thanx to skoda that I got real pleasure of driving and enjoying what the germen technology is appreciated for.

When you are in fabia no body can overtake you at the speed of 160 km/hour except ocatavia, laura, superb, bmw, audi, merc, corolla and camary.

If you drive this car on highway with a proper air pressure in tyres according to companies suggestion and maintain a speed 80-100 kms/hour you will definately get 27-28 kms/liter. If you exceed 100 to 140 it will give you 20-22 kms/liter, In metro cities you will get 16-18 kms/liter according to traffic. And in other cities you will get 18-20kms/liter

Always check tyre pressure as per companies recommendaion never rely on what your skoda dealer tell you about tyre pressure. they usually reccomends 30 psi  but it is not correct.

good fuel economy,comfy,best handling in its class ,only higher version can beat this car on highwayengine noise ,outside ,inside it really doesn't matter,it can only carry 5 persons

This review is based solely on the diesel variant i test drove.
Long awaited, but extremely disappointing. The engine sounds like an old generation diesel almost tractor like, the looks arent great, the interior plastics are pathetic and its priced at 7.5 (on road b'lore). I was appalled by the quality of parts. It was ridiculous, worse than a M800, and am not exaggerating. The sideview mirrors are controlled by a knob!!!! that looks like it would come off in under 3 mnths. What were these guys (Skoda) thinking?
On the plus side, the engine; though noisy is a good motor, has a lot of punch. The drive is smooth and this car has a seriously good steering, very accurate. The transmission also is wonderful and the gears knotch in beautifully. Even the basic versions come with dual air bags and that is a great thing.
But seriously speaking, this car cannot be priced more than 5 lacs if they want to sell. Somehow the dealer knew this. He was totally incapable of selling it to me, instead said with a sheepish grin "a bit over priced sir"... A bit??? i ask.
The swift is better by a country mile. I was waiting for this car to come so i could make a decision and now it has been made. I think Skoda has failed miserably on this one. Time to go back to the drawing boards.
Good engine, good boot space, excellent steering feelAwful interior quality, high pricing, noisy engine

Styling, Fuel Economy, Great Interiors, Roomy Trunk Space, Feel Great FactorLittle Noisy Diesel Engine, Low wheelbase, Center console placement