This is our first glimpse at the all-new Fabia IV.
Although the current SkodaFabia is still a great vehicle in terms of practicality, it is a lot older than the SEAT Ibiza and VW Polo in terms technology and design. These issues will soon be addressed by the Czech brand as the new Fabia will debut in the coming months. Our spy team has discovered a few prototypes that cleverly concealed their production bodies.
The body-colored panels hide the sheet metal on both the red and white hatchbacks. This is a clever (yet frustrating!) camouflage technique that the Volkswagen Group uses to conceal their prototypes for many years. The same story applies to the taillights and headlights. The clusters are covered with stickers that mimic the design of the optional LED light bulbs for the Fabia III.
The headlights look quite different. While the Fabia’s current Fabia has four LED dots, the daytime running light consist of an uninterrupted lightbar. The light signature at the back is sharper and continues onto the tailgate, a first for superminis. The next-gen model appears to have grown in size, judging from the four parking sensors that are available on the small hatchback.
Overall, the Fabia is a mature design that has caught up to its MQB-A0 supermini sibling. The Fabia doesn’t seem particularly interesting, even in Monte Carlo specifications. But that’s only because of the camouflage. The drum brakes at its back can clearly be distinguished from the red prototype, which has discs.
According to the rumours, the RS hot hatch will not be returning after it was canceled following the discontinuation the second generation. Fabia III, the most powerful Fabia, was a limited-run edition that was inspired by Fabia R5 rally cars. However, it only had 125 horsepower and was a vast improvement on the Fabia II RS’s 180 hp.
The silver lining is that the Monte Carlo, pictured here, could develop into more than an attractive package. It will use the same engines that the Fabia standard model, so customers will still be able to choose the turbocharged 1.0-liter gasoline engine. We would love to see the 1.5 TSI VW Group engine, but it’s unlikely that you will have any other choice than to upgrade to the more expensive Ibiza, Polo or A1.
The Fabia IV will be available as a wagon, unlike all the VAG cars I mentioned. It will be the only model of its type in Europe’s B segment. Skoda will not ship it with the hatch this year, as it wants to wait until 2022 before the long-roof model is available for sale. The current Fabia Combi will continue to be a viable option until then, seeing the half-full glass.