| Low CO2 Skoda Fabia | ||
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(Wed 27 Feb 08) Like related companies Volkswagen and SEAT, Skoda has come up with a high-economy, low-CO2 version of its supermini model.
The comparison isn't quite as direct as it might seem, though. The Fabia GreenLine has panels underneath the floor and a raised front bumper (both for aerodynamic reasons) and a space saver spare wheel (to reduce weight), but not the higher gear ratios, revised ECU and low-friction tyres of the Polo BlueMotion and SEAT Ibiza EcoMotive. Nevertheless, the Fabia GreenLine has a CO2 rating of 109g/km, which means that it is subject to just £35 annual car tax and will be exempt from the London congestion charge from October 27 this year (that is, unless Porsche manages to force London Mayor Ken Livingstone into a change of plan). In fact, the less powerful versions of the Fabia 2 1.4 TDI, on which the GreenLine is based, is in the same bracket for car tax and congestion charging, so there's no saving there. The improved fuel economy is the important bit. The estate is being quoted as the least CO2-emitting car of that body style on the UK market. Actually, the MINI Clubman Cooper D also produces 109g/km, but Skoda reckons that the Fabia wins on a tiebreak because it is more than £3000 cheaper. To be precise, the estate costs £12,140, while the list price of the hatchback is £11,490. |
