Looking fab... The new-look Fabia.
Looking fab... The new-look Fabia.
In the world of the supermini, two models — the Volkswagen Polo and ŠKODA Fabia — tend to stand head and shoulders above the rest. The fact is, of course, though they each have their own identities and characteristics, they’re both essentially peas out of the same pod... in this case, that pod is the giant Volkswagen Group. And that, of course, is no bad thing.
So, no surprise then, that within days of each other, both Volkswagen and ŠKODA have released details of specification and pricing for what are, essentially, their 2022 models. And the good news is, both the new Polo and Fabia are available to order now from Arnold Clark. Prices start at £17,885 for the Polo, with the entry-level Fabia priced from £14,905. First deliveries of the ŠKODA are scheduled to arrive before the end of the year.
The fourth-generation Fabia has grown: in fact, its 2564 mm wheelbase, which has grown by 94mm, is actually longer than the original ŠKODA Octavia back in 1996. Worth highlighting it’s still around 19mm shorter than that of the current Renault Clio. There’s also 50 litres more bootspace in the new Fabia, up to 380-litres. For the rear seats down, and that increases to 1190 litre.
It’s available with a choice of four trim-levels — S, SE Comfort, Colour Edition and SE L — the range will be further supplemented next year with a sportier Monte Carlo model.
The entry-level Fabia S includes a 6.5-inch infotainment system, manual air conditioning and LED headlights. Also standard is a suite of driver assistance technology, including lane assist, front assist, and an e-Call system. The latter contacts the local emergency services in the event of a major accident.
Next up is the Fabia SE Comfort, which starts at £16,795. This trim adds rear parking sensors, front fog lamps and 15in alloys. Inside the cabin there’s height-adjustable front seats with lumbar support, plus a two-spoke leather multifunction steering wheel, and leather trim for the handbrake gaiter and gear knob.
Starting at £17,495, the Fabia Colour Edition gains contrasting paint — either graphite grey or magic black — for the roof and door mirrors, in addition to rear privacy glass and larger 16in alloys. Inside the cabin there’s a 10-inch digital gauge cluster and an eight-inch infotainment system, as well as ŠKODA’s very clever umbrella mounted in the door trim.
The current range-topper, the SE L, benefits from more tech, including a 9.2-inch infotainment system with a one-year subscription to ŠKODA’s connected navigation service. A front centre armrest, dual-zone air conditioning, an ambient lighting system, and a removable cup-holder are all standard in the £18,980 price.
Powertrains will continue to rely heavily on a range of petrol three-cylinder units. The range starts with a pair of naturally-aspirated 1.0-litre units delivering either 64bhp or 79bhp. Both are mated to a five-speed manual gearbox as standard.
Next up are two turbocharged versions of the same 1.0-litre engine; these deliver either 94bhp and 115Nm of torque or 109bhp and 200Nm of torque. The former is available only as a five-speed manual, while the more powerful unit can be ordered with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic.
The range will eventually include a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 148bhp and 250Nm of torque. Expect the arrival of this engine to coincide with the launch of the Monte Carlo in 2022. Available only with the seven-speed automatic gearbox, Skoda says the package will deliver 0-62mph performance of 7.9secs.
The new Polo has been given a refreshed, new look — but don’t worry, it still looks like a ‘baby Golf’ — adding more technology and level two autonomous driving. Worth mentioning that more than 18 million Polos have been sold in the model’s 45-year history.
Available with the same choice of three trim levels, as found in the Golf and Tiguan, buyers of the new model can choose from the entry-level Life — which is expected to account for 75% of sales in the UK — then the 'comfort-focused' Style. The current range tops-out with the performance-inspired R-Line. Each of the latter two start from £20,785.
Those keen to enjoy more pace and sportiness will need to wait a few weeks before details and prices of the Polo GTI are confirmed.
While the Polo’s lighting strip has been updated, across the range all cars get LED headlights as standard, plus LED tail-lights. For the first time in the Polo, the LEDs are available with matrix technology, labelled IQ Light.
There’s also new front and rear bumpers, and the tailgate has been redesigned. The back-end now boasts the VW family signage, with the large VW logo with Pololettering underneath. And while the new model is slightly longer than its predecessor, namely because of the reprofiled bumpers, the actual wheelbase remains the same.
Also for the first time in the Polo, Travel Assist is available as an option. First seen on the VW Passat, the level two autonomous driving feature combines adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance to enable partly automated driving at up to the car’s 130mph top speed. Fitted as standard across the range is a more regular version of lane-keeping assistance.
Yup. There’s a redesigned, multifunction steering wheel fitted as standard, while the driver gets an 8.0in digital instrument display. Also standard-fit is VW’s latest infotainment system with a 8.0in touchscreen, though a 9.2in version is available as an option. Carried over from the Golf, and again sitting lower on the centre console, is the new slider temperature control.
Across the range, the choice of engines remains the same. That means all-petrol three-cylinder line-up delivering power outputs from 79bhp to 108bhp. Buyers can also choose from a five-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
As you would probably expect, there are no plans to add a an electric variant of the Polo. Volkswagen understandably points to the ID range as currently plugging that gap. It does though have plans to introduce a smaller EV that will sit below the Golf-sized ID 3.
