The weight of a new Fabia vRS is potentially resting on this car’s shoulders. Should demand for the Fabia 130 be sufficient, the powers that be in Mladá Boleslav might decide to go whole hog.
Does it do a good enough job to warrant a full-fat version? Yes. Would a future Fabia vRS make it almost irrelevant? Also yes.
This 130 gets its name from two sources: it makes 130kW (174bhp) and Skoda turned 130 earlier this year.
To get to that figure (a 26bhp upgrade), some subtle upgrades have been made to the Volkswagen Group's ubiquitous four-cylinder 1.5 TSI Evo2 engine.
Its ECU has been modified and bits of the engine have been upgraded to cope with the additional power in a curiously global parts bin special kind of way: larger intake manifolds and charge air pipes from Mexico and thicker cylinder head gaskets from China.
There’s just the one set of 18in wheels to choose from, which the engineers are thrilled about, because it means they can make steering and camber adjustments specifically for this car without worrying about variables in wheel size.
There are a few 130 badges dotted around the outside and beneath the rear window is a solid black stripe (curiously going across, rather than down like a racing stripe) to denote that you’re in a special edition.
It’s available only with a dual-clutch automatic (DSG) gearbox. The 1.5-litre turbo engine can be specced with a manual in a few different Volkswagen Group cars, but not here. Skoda says there won’t be enough demand. But the software of the seven-speed DSG has been upgraded and it now holds on to gears a bit longer to make better use of the additional power.
I wish that it didn’t. The engine sounds very strained in the upper limits of its rev band, especially past 5000rpm. And that’s even with a new exhaust system (which makes this the only Fabia on sale with visible pipes).
The 0-62mph sprint is dealt with in 7.4sec and in-gear acceleration is pretty brisk. The DSG gives off the standard bolt in the back of your seat when changing up in Sport mode to make it really feel like you’re hammering home those shifts. But even with it set to manual mode, it will change up should it feel like you’re stretching the RPM too highly.
There’s a bit of fun to be had with a new ESC Sport mode, which allows for a bit of slip. In something relatively low-powered, it feels great on the road – like something you could actually use and not get into trouble with.
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Today list price is an issue with any type of car. With regard to EVs, it's not even the main one. EVs are simply unfit for most people living in cities without private parking. Charging an EV car at public charging stations is not an option. Period.
Not an option, I think you'll find it is an option.
Maybe the emission test was done during daylight hours. Sure it wasn't condensation?
The performance is fine like others have said, a manual would be nice, but I am surprised it's not quicker with that amount of power, 174bhp is quite a lot really, I was expecting sub 7 seconds to 62, so I assume it weighs a lot or the gearing isn't set up for acceleration.
all that said, again I have no issue with its performance, more than enough really, just with that much power I'd have thought it'd be quicker.
Skoda pitching the Fabia 130 as a “warm-ish” hatch feels like a smart read of today’s shrinking hot-hatch space. The global parts-bin tweaks to the 1.5 TSI and the single 18in wheel setup for consistent tuning are especially interesting. I’m curious whether buyers will miss a manual as much as enthusiasts do—kind of like chasing clean lines in Slope Game without overcorrecting.
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Skoda pitching the Fabia 130 as a “warm-ish” hatch feels like a smart read of today’s shrinking hot-hatch space. The global parts-bin tweaks to the 1.5 TSI and the single 18in wheel setup for consistent tuning are especially interesting. I’m curious whether buyers will miss a manual as much as enthusiasts do—kind of like chasing clean lines in Slope Game without overcorrecting.