MOTORISTS seeking a budget-friendly supermini that still ticks all the boxes would do well to check out the latest Skoda Fabia.
A recent 530-mile round-trip from Glasgow to the Peak District for a short break amply demonstrated just how good the Czech marque’s car is in every respect.
The model I had on test came in high-end SE L spec with a three-cylinder, 110PS, 1.0-litre petrol engine mated to a seven-speed automatic gearbox.
And the powertrain impressed me on every mile of our jaunt – there was plenty of oomph on tap throughout the range, while the DSG transmission was silky smooth.
Adding to the easy-going driving pleasure was the lack of engine noise in the cabin, even when pushing the car quite hard, and the superb fuel efficiency.
Despite some fairly spirited driving, I easily managed to be towards the upper end of the 47.1 to 50.4mpg official average, which equates to 137 to 128g/km of CO2.
The ease with which the Fabia shifted along motorways and country roads is also backed up by a 0-62mph time of 9.9 seconds and a 127mph top speed.
Responsive steering with good feedback and reassuringly swift braking provided added confidence when negotiating twisty lanes and busy urban traffic.
Moreover, the suspension coped admirably with some pretty weather-beaten road surfaces that we encountered.
I was also pleased with the space on offer in the boot (380 litres), which allowed my wife and I to pack in a few small cases, hiking gear and groceries for our trip.
With the rear seats folded, the capacity rises to 1190 litres, which is sizeable for a car in this category.
The cabin, with contemporary cloth upholstery and LED ambient lighting in the SE L, is also a comfortable place to spend long journeys.
Multiple seat and steering wheel adjustments make it easy to find an ideal driving position, and there is good room for four adults on board.
I particularly liked the use of cloth trim across the dashboard and the sporty looking circular air vents, with chrome detailing, at either side.
A free-standing 9.2in infotainment set-up atop the dash gives easy access to a raft of car systems and offers split-screen functionality to display sat nav, media and phone details simultaneously.
I found it took no time at all to get to grips with it and quickly managed to set the all-important navigation function to reach our destination.
The system can be operated by gesture or intelligent voice control and includes an emergency call feature as well as full smartphone connectivity.
This is backed up by a multi-function trip computer in the driver instrument cluster that can handily display navigation instructions among many other things.
Facing typically changeable summer weather on our trip, the dual-zone air con also showed how effective it was as outside temperatures varied from 11 to 25C.
Other aids include auto lights, cruise control with speed limiter, driver alert system, automatic emergency braking, keyless engine start/stop, lane keep assist and rear parking sensors.
My test vehicle also came with a number of very reasonably priced options that added the likes of keyless entry, wireless mobile phone charging, rear-view camera and parking assist.
They were all well worth the extra pennies, in my opinion, while the standard on-the-road price of £21,335 for the SE L with this powertrain also makes it a winner in its market sector.
If you needed further persuasion, the Fabia is now more sharply dressed than its predecessors, with my version sitting on stylish 16in alloy wheels.
The exterior features plenty of dramatic sculptural lines, sharply drawn light clusters front and rear, a striking chrome-framed grille and a large rear spoiler.
Finally, of course, like all Skodas, it has some of the brand’s Simply Clever features such as an ice scraper in the fuel filler flap and umbrella in the driver’s door.
A removable cup holder between the front seats offers the driver and front passenger more flexibility, too. It’s safe to say that the Fabia SE L certainly added considerable enjoyment to our short holiday south of the Border.
