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Skoda Fabia review by Top Gear

The Skoda Fabia Hatchback is cleanly styled, well made, quiet-running and sweet if unexciting to drive. An entirely logical choice, and possibly more dependable than the French supermini default. Owners absolutely adore them, and their dealers come to that –see the Top Gear survey.

  • Comfort

    A strong point. There's plenty of space in that upright body. The ride is supple and the tyres and suspension quiet. The engines are well-insulated. The seats are supportive and the driving position adjusts to fit anyone, from dumpling-fed Czech farmer to size-zero British learner.

    Rated 7 out of 10

  • Performance

    Excluding the 1.4 TSI in the vRS, there are two petrols with two power outputs each - a 1.2 with 60 or 70bhp and a 1.2 TSI with 85 and 105bhp. There is also a 1.6 TDI with 90 or 105bhp. Ignore the entry 1.2 - although perky enough, with just three cylinders it's loud and can be hard work. The TSI models are much better. Even the entry 85bhp version is fun to drive and feels more powerful than it actually is - 0-62mph is a respectable 11.8 secondsand it has a top speed of 111mph. The 1.6 diesel is only slightly smoother and quieter than the old 1.9 TDI and doesn't feel as if it has that much more power. However, it will cruise easily at higher speeds.

    Rated 6 out of 10

  • Cool

    It shows you don't quite do the normal thing. It shows you're straight-thinking not ditsy or fashion-led. It's also good-looking in a chilly, northern way. Does any of that make it cool? Not terribly, but it's by no means an embarrassment.

    Rated 6 out of 10

  • Quality

    The old Fabia's interior quality was stand out, and the new one is even better; beautifully crafted using materials that are both nice to look at and touch.

    Rated 6 out of 10

  • Handling

    Compared to its recent rivals (such as the Clio, 207 and Punto) the new Fabia has grown up the least, sitting as it does on much the same platform as before. This means it feels quite compact and nippy compared with its ever-expanding rivals. The well-connected steering opens the gate to cornering with a sense of fun. You can tuck the nose in or even loosen the tail if you trim the throttle. This is not the straight-laced behaviour you might expect of a respectable Skoda, and it's all the more welcome because of it.

    Rated 7 out of 10

  • Practicality

    The Fabia's cabin is deceptively spacious. Okay, those in the rear don't have room to stretch, but it's not breaking any human rights conventions, swallowing five people in relative comfort. That's relative to, say, being skewered by a herd of rhinoceroses. The boot is a generous size for a supermini at 300 lires which then increases to 1,163 when the rear seats are tumbled forward.

    Rated 6 out of 10

  • Running costs

    There's a low-carbon Greenline version to keep fuel and tax right down. Depreciation is low, unlike for many ‘bargain' brands. But then Skodas aren't really sold at bargain prices any longer. Service intervals 10,000 miles, a long way for a supermini, and three-year/60k warranty too.

    Rated 10 out of 10

 

Article source: www.topgear.co.uk

Andreas plans ultimate celebration run in Cyprus 

ŠKODA UK Motorsport’s Andreas Mikkelsen is planning the ultimate celebration run on the Cyprus Rally (2nd - 4th November), as the 23-year old Fabia S2000 pilot is set to become the first driver to retain the Intercontinental Rally Challenge title.

Andreas and co-driver Ola Fløene won their first IRC titles with victory in Cyprus last year, and with an unassailable points lead heading into the final round of this year’s series, neither can be beaten to the drivers’ and co-drivers’ titles.

With ŠKODA already confirmed as IRC Manufacturers’ champions for the third consecutive year, Andreas and the entire ŠKODA UK Motorsport team are determined to end the IRC season on a high, and will be pushing as hard as ever to score a good result.

Victory in Cyprus will not be easy, as a tough challenge comes from the turbocharged Fiesta RRC driven by Nasser Al-Attiyah and the normally-aspirated Fabia S2000 of Sepp Wiegand (ŠKODA Deutschland).

This year’s Cyprus Rally, which also counts towards the FIA Middle East Rally Championship, is a mixed surface event, with 70% rough gravel and 30% asphalt. The majority of the stages are located in the Troodos Mountains, the highest point of the eastern Mediterranean island. Andreas: “I love competing in Cyprus, the stages are really tough and challenging and we won there last year, so I’m looking forward to returning. It’s a great feeling to know that I’ve become the first driver to win back-to-back IRC drivers’ titles and that ŠKODA is already manufacturer champions for a third time, so we can now go to Cyprus and have some fun. We will try to win, because I want to give all the guys in the team who have worked so hard for this year’s success, plus all our fans, a really great ending to what has been a truly fantastic season.”

This year’s Cyprus Rally contains 13 special stages covering 147.35 miles (237.14kms), with the centralised service park based in Pafos. The action begins with a spectacular 2 mile (3.2km) superspecial around the streets of Pafos on the evening of Friday 2nd November.

Leg 1 continues the following day. Starting at 08.15, it contains one mixed surface, one asphalt and one gravel stage, all of which are repeated in the afternoon. One of the exciting changes to this year’s route is the inclusion of the 12.07 mile (19.43km) Prodromi-Neo Chorio stage, which last year was used for the Golden Stage Rally and is considered a “beautiful and spectacular stage” by IRC Manager Jean-Pierre Nicolas. After seven stages and 64 miles (103.52kms) of competition, all cars must be in parc ferme for the final overnight halt by 20.30.

Leg 2 on Sunday 4th November gets underway at 07.00 and contains a further three stages in the morning, all of which are repeated in the afternoon. Two are mixed surface, while the all-gravel Panayia stage is, at 18.89 miles (30.41kms), the longest stage of the event. This will also be the final stage, prior to the traditional champagne ceremony at 17.00.

Article source: www.skoda.co.uk

ŠKODA announces exceptional value for money autumn offers

  • Hugely popular ‘Pay no VAT’ continues
  • Zero per cent finance offers
  • Three years free servicing with low-rate ŠKODA Finance

ŠKODA’s famed outstanding value for money cars have just become even better thanks to a range of seasonal special offers.

Buyers will be delighted to hear that SKODA’s popular ‘Pay no VAT’ campaign has been extended until the end of the year. It applies to every Fabia, Roomster, Superb Hatch and petrol-powered Superb Estates, as well as most Octavia models (excluding Scout, 4x4 and SE Connect).

In addition, customers can choose between 0% finance or low rate 7.9% finance with up to 3 years free servicing. The 0% Hire Purchase offer applies to selected models from the Fabia, Roomster, Octavia and Superb ranges. 7.9% APR representative Hire Purchase (HP) and Solutions Personal Contract Plan (PCP) with free servicing are available on selected models across the range.

These two exceptional deals give customers plenty of reasons to choose a new ŠKODA. But here’s the icing on the cake – customers who buy a qualifying new Octavia model before the end of the year can get the first £500 of their deposit paid for them by ŠKODA Finance.

This offer is only available to customers buying qualifying models using specific ŠKODA Finance products.

ŠKODA understands that some customers are happy to pay less for an ex-dealer demonstrator, but want to benefit from great offers, too. Now they can, thanks to two generous low-rate finance offers especially tailored to ex-demo models:

    • 7.9% APR Solutions Personal Contract Plan (PCP) with free servicing (up to three years, minimum deposit of one month’s payment).

  • 7.9% APR Hire Purchase (HP) plan with free servicing (24 to 48 months, minimum deposit 10%, maximum deposit 50%).

ŠKODA Finance is also offering deals at the same low rate on many trim levels across the ŠKODA range, including the award-winning ŠKODA Citigo. Again, these offers include free servicing.

Alasdair Stewart, Brand Director for ŠKODA UK commented: “Customers can combine these excellent finance offers with our ‘Pay No VAT’ deal to get amazing value for money on a new car. What’s more, they also get peace of mind that their servicing is free for three years.”

Article source: www.skoda.co.uk

ŠKODA: higher deliveries in September

  • Deliveries rose 3.3 per cent to 83,900 units in September 2012
  • In the first nine months of 2012, ŠKODA grew by 7.9 per cent
  • ŠKODA’s market share in Western Europe up

ŠKODA AUTO has continued on its growth course in September 2012. Year on year ŠKODA’s deliveries to customers rose 3.3 per cent to approx. 83,900. From January to September 2012, the brand’s sales increased by 7.9 per cent year on year. In total, ŠKODA delivered 717,200 cars to customers as at the end of September 2012 (January to September 2011: 664,800).

“ŠKODA has grown further in September 2012 despite an increasingly challenging environment,” says Werner Eichhorn, ŠKODA board member for sales and marketing. “The situation, especially in some European markets, remains difficult. We have held our own and gained further market share. We expect a tailwind in the months ahead as we launch our new ŠKODA Rapid in the markets from October 2012,” says Eichhorn.

In Western Europe, ŠKODA suffered from the market’s weakness, but performed better than the overall market, delivering a total of 33,700 cars in September 2012 (September 2011: 35,200). ŠKODA’s market share rose from 2.8 to over three per cent in the first nine months of the year. The brand especially showed good health in Germany, its largest European market, where it grew 9.2 per cent to approx. 13,700 sold, bucking a strongly declining overall market. In Great Britain, the brand’s second-largest market in Western Europe, ŠKODA sold over 7,400 (+ 1.1 per cent) resulting in their second-best sales figures in there corporate history.

In Eastern Europe, ŠKODA outperformed the market in September 2012. Deliveries rose 22.7 per cent to 11,700 (September 2011: 9,500), making ŠKODA’s growth three times faster than that of the Eastern European market overall (with 7.2 per cent forecasted). The brand’s share of the market in Eastern Europe rose from 3.4 to over four per cent in the first nine months of 2012. In Russia, the region’s largest market, ŠKODA posted an increase of 35.1 per cent, selling 8,800 cars (September 2011: 6,500) and outperforming the market by a factor of over three.

In Central Europe, ŠKODA sold 9,300 cars in September 2012 (September 2011: 10,400). The Central European market overall was weaker year on year, declining by 4.4 per cent. In its home market the Czech Republic, ŠKODA delivered over 4,600 cars to customers in September 2012 (September 2011: 5,100), translating into a market share of some 37 per cent. In the first nine months of 2012, ŠKODA raised deliveries in Central Europe to 94,000 for a year on year increase of three per cent, expanding the brand’s market share in the region from 18.4 to 18.8 per cent in the same period.

ŠKODA also posted growth in the Chinese market as sales rose 6.6 per cent to 22,500 in September 2012 (September 2011: 21,100) for the best monthly figures ever since ŠKODA started selling cars in China.

ŠKODA advanced further in India in September 2012, raising sales by 18.3 per cent to over 2,600 (September 2011: 2,200). In the first nine months of 2012, ŠKODA deliveries in India were up 32.9 per cent to 28,100, meaning the brand outperformed the overall market almost threefold as the latter is forecast to have grown by 11.2 in the same period.

ŠKODA brand deliveries to customers in September 2012 (in units, rounded, by model; +/- in per cent year on year):

ŠKODA Octavia (35,800; -2.1%)

ŠKODA Fabia (18,900; -22.0%)

ŠKODA Superb (10,700; +4.2%)

ŠKODA Yeti (8,400; +29.9%)

ŠKODA Roomster (3,500; -1.1%)

ŠKODA Rapid India (sold in India only: 1,500; new model)

ŠKODA Citigo (sold in Europe only: 4,900; new model)

Article source: www.skoda.co.uk

Skoda Yeti review by TopGear

Well built, decent to drive, economical and practical – there’s a lot to like about the Yeti. Look out Qashqai, Skoda has you in its sights.

  • Comfort

    Like any car of this shape and size the Yeti's jacked-up suspension means it lollops over speed bumps, but the ride isn't squidgy.

    Rated 7 out of 10

  • Performance

    There’s 1.2 and 1.8-litre TSI petrols and a 2.0 diesel with either 110, 140 or 170bhp. So far we’ve only driven the 1.2-litre, turbocharged unit matched to a seven-speed DSG ’box. It’s a great little combination: efficient yet rapid, quiet yet revvy. Despite being small it doesn’t feel short on power, though it could start to struggle with a big load.

    Rated 6 out of 10

  • Cool

    Surprisingly cool... for a family car.

    Rated 6 out of 10

  • Quality

    Inside, the knobs, dash and dials are familiar from other VW Group cars and are predictably well put together.

     

     

    Rated 8 out of 10

  • Handling

    Show it some pace and it rolls slightly as it leans on those high springs. But it grips well and certainly handles better than a Qashqai, which is an unrewarding thing to drive quickly.

    Rated 7 out of 10

  • Practicality

    There's plenty of room here for five passengers and the maximum boot space of 1,760 litres is huge. But it's the Varioflex seats that impressed us the most, with a folding/flipping/removable second row like the Roomster. The Yeti loses 20 litres of max bootspace to its MPV sibling, despite being a bigger car, because its roof is lower. Still, 20 litres is just a couple of carrier bags.

    Rated 7 out of 10

  • Running costs

    The 1.2 is the cheapest to run, thanks to 149 g/km of CO2 (£125 road tax) and 44mpg, although the 140 and 170bhp diesels come close with 159 g/km of CO2 (£150) and 46mpg. Stay away from the 1.8 TSI - it returns just 35mpg and is in the £215 taxation band.

    Rated 9 out of 10

Article source: www.topgear.com

More Articles...

  1. Skoda Octavia vRS review by Top Gear
  2. New Architectural Icon
  3. Yeti SE Plus pulls in double win for ŠKODA at Towcar of the Year Awards
  4. Business Contract Hire

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