The Skoda Fabia was launched five years ago and since then has won a bucketful of accolades around the world. It should be coming to India soon and we tell you if it’s worth the wait.

The Scandinavians have a dim view about speeding. The maximum speed limit in Denmark and Sweden is 110kph while in Norway it’s only 90kph. And there’s very little tolerance. The story goes that the Swedish prime minister was fined around 7,000 kroners (Rs 55,300) for exceeding the speed limit by just 10kph! That nugget of information hung like a sword over my head for the rest of day, spent driving fine cars on fine roads.

The day began with a slow drive over the Oresund bridge that links Denmark to Sweden. The relaxed pace allowed me to marvel at this feat of engineering which I have raved about elsewhere in this issue. It’s this bridge which formed an impressive backdrop to the 2007 line-up of Skodas which the Czech company laid out for us to sample on sparsely trafficked roads in southernmost Sweden. However, the model range on offer had nothing new or relevant for the Indian market. The Superbs were similar to what we have and the new Octavia (Laura to you and me) came with specs that are unlikely to find their way into an Indian showroom. So it made sense to pick out the Fabia, which Skoda has been promising to give us for several years now, and spend the maximum time driving it.

The Fabia is critical to Skoda’s long-term growth in the Indian market. While the Octavia and Laura have established Skoda’s credentials as a quality carmaker, it will be the Fabia that can take the company to new heights. That’s purely because the Fabia will be the most affordable Skoda yet which gives it the potential to sell in far greater numbers. But this also means mixing it with the masters of the C-segment, notably the Honda City, which has now become the default purchase in the Rs 7-8 lakh range. Unlike the Octavia which started out with no history in India to draw from, the Fabia will surely piggyback on the awesome reputation for durability and quality its bigger brother has established.

In fact, it’s hard to mix up the Fabia for anything except a Skoda. The family genes are quite clear. Styled by Dirk Van Braekel, who since then has moved on to design Bentleys, the Belgian-born designer has stuck close to the Skoda look. The chunky shape, the straight-cut headlights and the bonnet ridges that run down into the edges of that unmistakably Skoda grille leave you in no doubt where this car comes from. While there is no doubting the Czech origins of this car, this compact Skoda is actually based on the Volkswagen Polo’s platform — and that’s a good thing. You know it’s built to the highest of safety standards and comes with the same build quality which the German marque is renowned for.

First impressions are that the Fabia looks like a shrunken Octavia and the saloon version is dimensionally smaller than the Honda City with similar proportions to the Fiesta and Aveo. It’s not as aesthetically appealing as the Fabia hatchback (expected to come after the saloon) and the high waistline and chunky boot give it a frumpy look from the rear.

But like the Octavia, one of the Fabia’s greatest tricks is to convince you that you’re piloting a car several classes up. The minute you step inside and slam the solid doors shut, no other car in this class isolates you from external influences so effectively. Okay, Sweden’s quiet and sanitised environment plays a soothing role here but we did find the odd patch of road that could easily have been paved by Mumbai’s BMC. It was on these rough surfaces that the Fabia’s ability to soak up the road came to the fore. Again, like the Octavia, the Fabia’s suspension is a well-judged balance between ride and handling.

Piloting the Fabia at moderate speeds, it feels superbly planted and that underlying feeling of rock solid-stability tempts you to drive harder and faster. Our guide, Peter Hoeger-Wiedig of Eventpower, who knows every inch of the route, senses my frustration as I drive with one eye on the speedo needle. “I vill show you ze roads where there are no police,” he says kindly, directing me onto narrow, winding roads that snake through deep forests.

Scandinavia is known for its forests and the paper this magazine is printed on comes from the trees in Sweden and Finland. This wooded area is so thick that it blots out daylight, more so on this damp and cold afternoon. It’s not surprising why the practice of switching on headlights during the day, so alien to the Indian psyche, is compulsory in Sweden. In fact, cars sold in Scandinavia have their electrical systems modified to switch on the headlights with the ignition. However, since the Skoda press fleet had come from the Czech Republic, the lights had to be manually switched. I was constantly reminded of this by Peter every time we started off. It’s a 500-kroner (Rs 3,950) fine if you’re caught with your lights off. Even at 12 noon on a bright and sunny summer’s day.

Pushing the Fabia hard didn’t ruffle its composure. It’s a benign-handling car which doesn’t feel sporty but keeps you filled with confidence to drive to your limit. There’s a fair bit of body roll and the steering doesn’t feel as alert as the Fiesta’s. It’s quite a mushy handler but no doubt the Indian Fabia will have a stiffer ride and the 120mm ground clearance have to be raised as well.

The 1390cc petrol 16V motor develops a modest 80bhp and though it’s smooth with a nice linear power delivery, it lacks the grunt we have now come to expect from 100bhp saloons in the same category. On Indian fuel, this engine would see a further power drop which would make it underpowered in the face of competition. However, it is also likely that Skoda may introduce the Indian Fabia with the more potent 100bhp motor, which is essentially the same 1.4 motor but in a higher state of tune. Also, expected in the Fabia is a 1.4 TDI motor developing close to 80bhp but unfortunately this engine option wasn’t available at this press meet. What we did drive was the Fabia RS which comes with a stonking diesel that develops 130bhp and 31.61kgm of torque.

Returning to the subject of the interiors and after spending several hours inside the Fabia, it is clear that legroom at the rear isn’t as generous as some of its future Indian rivals. The City feels distinctly roomier and it’s hard to match the sense of space Honda’s cab-forward design offers. However, where the Fabia comes up trumps is in sheer build quality. The design maybe understated and lack panache, like other Skodas, but true to tradition it makes up with the top-class feel and texture of cabin materials. Everything feels built to last and that’s the most special part about the Fabia, especially when you consider what a workout Indian roads can give any car. Like the Octavia, you can expect the Fabia to feel daisy-fresh after 40,000km, a feat not many others will manage.

But before you get carried away and run to your Skoda dealer, hang on. There is no clarity yet on Skoda India’s plans for the Fabia, much of which hinges on VW’s India’s plans. To share costs, it’s likely that a joint-manufacturing programme between the Fabia and VW’s small car for India could be considered. In which case, Skoda could bring the all-new Fabia due for launch next year in Europe and in 2008 in India. On the other hand, Skoda may not want to wait that long and introduce the current model as soon as possible. All we can say is either way the Fabia is worth the wait.

VARIANTS GALORE
The wide range of engine options that Skoda offers with its 2007 international model highlights the limited choice Indian buyers have. While the Laura (or the new Octavia in case you forgot) only comes with a 1.9 diesel for India, in Europe you can choose from eight engine options, ranging from the basic 1.4-litre petrol to the blisteringly quick 200bhp RS petrol motor.

There’s a diesel Octavia RS as well which pumps out 170bhp and a mental 35.7kgm of torque. Incredibly responsive and quick, it’s hard to fathom that such performance is possible from a diesel.

Quick bursts to ludicrous speeds were too tempting to resist, even if it risked getting a speeding fine equivalent to five years’ salary. The thing about quick diesels is that you have to shift very quickly as you don’t have more than 4000 revs to play with. But the easy way to drive is by sticking to a high gear, letting the mammoth wave of torque do all the work as you effortlessly waft forward.
The 1.4 Octavia would work well as a chauffeur-driven car in India, especially if it was priced well, but that’s unlikely to happen because it would clash with the Indian Octavia.

The Superb too comes with a range of options and what caught my attention was the base 1.9 diesel which uses the same engine as the Laura’s. Again, this would appeal to the chauffeur-driven class (to which Superb customers largely belong to) and allow the Superb to be priced substantially cheaper, just a notch above the Laura.

Skoda’s flagship would then be even better value. Is anybody listening?

FACTFILE

Price Rs 7-8 lakh (est)
Top speed 170kph (est)
Power 80bhp @ 5000rpm
Torque 13.46kgm @ 3800rpm
Fuel economy 8-9kpl
Kerb weight 1090kg
Engine 4-cyls in-line, 1390cc
Installation Front, transverse, front-wheel drive
Dimensions (l/w/h) 4232/1646/1449mm
Verdict
A smaller and more affordable Octavia