2010 Skoda Fabia Review
Price
RM79,900
Installment
RM762/mth
2010 Skoda Fabia at a glance
The 2010 Skoda Fabia covers all the bases, and stands out with its smooth ride, cabin refinement and generous room. However Skoda's poor brand image, coupled with the 2010 Skoda Fabia's potentially high depreciation, are key drawbacks.
2010 Skoda Fabia quick specs
| Body Style | Hatchback |
| Class | Small Family |
| Assembled | - |
| Engine Range | - |
| Fuel Options | - |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
2010 Skoda Fabia ratings (overall rating : 3.5/5.0)
| Styling | |
| Handling | |
| Comfort | |
| Quality + Reliability | |
| Performance |
| Roominess | |
| Running Costs | |
| Value for Money | |
| Equipment | |
| Environment |
Styling
The Fabia continues Skoda's new design direction which was first seen on the Skoda Roomster, looking modern and current compared to its square-jawed predecessor. The 2010 Skoda Fabia's nose is obviously shared with the Roomster, while its black-coloured A and B pillars bring about a sleeker look from the front. But despite the overall improved looks, the 2010 Skoda Fabia is not the prettiest small hatchback out there.
Handling
The chassis is carried over from the previous Skoda Fabia but with additional strengthening. As a result, the overall driving experience feels rather similar to before. Winding roads are taken on with lots of grip and well-controlled body movements, but the 2010 Skoda Fabia is not as responsive or agile to drive as class-leaders. Despite being accurate, the light steering could provide more feedback.
Comfort
The well-tuned suspension gives the 2010 Skoda Fabia a composed, compliant ride over bumps and potholes. Cabin refinement is commendable, too. Road and wind noise are audible but never intrusive at cruising speeds. Drivers enjoy an excellent driving position thanks to plenty of driver's seat and two-way steering adjustments. The simple dashboard features logically-placed and clearly-labelled controls. The light driving controls and good all-round visibility allow for easy city driving.
Quality + Reliability
While the 2010 Skoda Fabia's cabin is hardly the most stylish in the class, it boasts solid build quality with everything seemingly well put together. Most of the dashboard plastics are dull and hard to the touch, unlike the soft-touch materials found in class leaders. Skoda is not well-known in Malaysia, but it is overseas. Under Volkswagen's watchful guidance, Skoda has revamped itself with a series of mechanically dependable models including the Fabia.
Performance
With 84 bhp at 5000 rpm and 132 Nm at 3800 rpm, the in-line four 16-valve 1.4-litre is strong enough, reasonably refined and keen-to-rev. The power is transmitted via a smooth, decisive four-speed automatic transmission through the front wheels.
Roominess
Being 47 mm taller and 22 mm longer than before, the 2010 Skoda Fabia is roomy by class standards, providing good head- and leg-room for four adults to travel in comfort. Those over 1.8 metres can fit in the rear with little problems. More significant than the increased interior room is the enlarged boot capacity: at 300 litres, the boot is 40 litres larger than before, and the rear seats can split-fold for an impressive 1163 litres of loading space. Rear wheel arches intrude into the boot, however.
Running Costs
Fuel economy is highly competitive with what Japanese rivals offer. Servicing and repairs should be reasonably priced, too. Depreciation is the biggest concern, however; the Skoda brand is far from established or desirable in Malaysia, which would result in the Fabia suffering worse-than-average depreciation.
Value for Money
The 2010 Skoda Fabia rides smoothly and refinedly, and provides generous room by class standards. And crucially its pricing is more competitive than before, undercutting many Japanese rivals. Even so, many locally assembled rivals are cheaper. On the whole, the 2010 Skoda Fabia is a slightly above-average small hatchback that suffers from a poor image and potentially high depreciation—not what recommendations are made of.
Equipment
The 2010 Skoda Fabia has all the bases covered, including standard equipments such as alloy wheels, electric door mirrors, electric windows, remote central locking, air-conditioning and radio/CD/MP3 audio system. Safety kit includes dual SRS airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA).
Environment
The 2010 Skoda Fabia is kind to the environment with its class-competitive fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions. The only blemish is that the Skoda Fabia is fully imported, which would cause more pollution than a locally assembled rival.
Live Life Drive Verdict
Composed, compliant ride
Good cabin refinement
Roomy by class standards
Poor brand image
Disappointing cabin plastics
Potentially high depreciation
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