It was the late 1930s when Skoda inaugurated the Monte Carlo series with a Popular special edition to mark the race car's second-place finish at the 1936 Monte Carlo Rally for vehicles powered by engines up to 1.5 liters. Fast forward to 1977, the iconic 130 RS scored a double victory at the Monte Carlo Rally for the class up to 1.3 liters. The 1990s saw the Favorit and Felicia claiming double wins.
Later on, the company's most victorious race car arrived – the Fabia. It managed a few podium finishes before the Fabia Super 2000 triumphed in in its class at the 2013 Monte Carlo Rally. The subsequent Rally2-spec Fabia R5 was first in the WRC2 category in the same race in 2017 and 2018. The Czech marque also enjoyed motorsport success with the newer Rally2 evo.
Next week, a road-going Fabia Monte Carlo version will be launched to sit alongside similar versions of the Scala and Monte Carlo. Despite the rich rally history, the range-topping supermini will be limited to visual upgrades rather than receiving some significant mechanical tweaks. There might be a stiffer sports suspension with a lowered ride height, but don't expect more power.
Gallery: 2022 Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo teaser
Instead, the car will get a bespoke set of the largest allow wheels available for the latest Fabia, so like an 18-inch set. Skoda's equivalent of the Polo R-Line is going to receive an assortment of black accents as well as a generous list of standard equipment. The Monte Carlo trim will be the most exciting of them all since the Czech marque is not planning to bring back the Fabia RS.
One of the previous teaser images showed a gearbox lever for a six-speed manual transmission, meaning the Fabia Monte Carlo will be available with the 1.0 TSI engine. However, we're fairly certain Skoda will want to advertise this car with the larger, DSG-only four-cylinder unit making 150 horsepower.
Prepare to fork out some serious money considering the Fabia 1.0 TSI DSG in the Style trim already costs €20,000 before options in some European countries. Chances are a fully loaded Monte Carlo with the bigger engine will set you back close to €25,000, which is frankly too much for such a small car coming from a mainstream brand.
The Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo will go on sale later this year following its official premiere in a week from today, on February 15.
