Skoda Fabia 3 1.4 TDI review
by David Finlay (18 June 2007)
As I drove the Fabia 3 1.4 TDI I couldn't help thinking that this car has a very serious rival. It's more refined, it's more fun, and it's almost unbelievably cheaper. It's also, like this one, built by Skoda.
I really liked the entry-level 60bhp 1.2-litre petrol Fabia, subject of a recent road test. That car costs just under £8000, while the 1.4 TDI costs over £12,000. The TDI is therefore more than 50% more expensive, but it is hardly 50% better.
Part of the cost discrepancy, and part of the problem, is due to the engine. Look at the stats and you may find this surprising. The three-cylinder turbo diesel produces more power than the 1.2 petrol, performance is substantially better, and fuel economy is in a different league - over 60mpg on the combined cycle.
The running costs will therefore be lower, but you would have to go round the world several dozen times before you recouped the £4000-plus difference in purchase price.
To be fair, a lot of that extra money goes on the test car's higher trim level, and we'll come to that in due course. First, though, what is it about the TDI that makes it so objectionable?
Quite simply, it's the noise. This engine has been fitted to several small cars from the Volkswagen Group, and it sounds clattery in every single one of them (even the Polo, which is supposed to be the beau ideal of petite yet refined hatchbacks).
The Fabia barks into life first thing in the morning and never quietens down. You have to be doing at least 50mph before the wind and road noise begin to drown out the clatter of the engine. Stationary at traffic lights, the Fabia actually vibrates in time to the thumping of the little TDI unit.
This car's advantages over the 1.2 petrol may not mean much to buyers who want something for the town and perhaps the occasional journey in the country. In those low-mileage conditions the TDI's extra economy may not be significant, and nor will its extra power.
That power is certainly useful if you're in a hurry and you need to do some sharp overtaking, though if this sort of thing is on the agenda you're going to have to be prepared to work the engine hard. Compared with the 1.9-litre TDI also supplied with the Fabia, the 1.4 is inevitably weak, and unable to provide much acceleration below 2000rpm.
On the other hand, the 1.4 TDI engine's 80bhp - in addition, perhaps, to its weight, all focussed on the front axle - makes it a little less secure on the road than the 1.2. I can hardly imagine anyone getting into trouble with the 1.2, even if they're driving it flat out, but the TDI is less forgiving.
Right, then: about the trim level. The test car comes in what Skoda describes as Level 3, which is the ultimate in the Fabia range. Climatronic air-conditioning is included in the price, as are four extra speakers and two curtain airbags not found further down the range. Similarly, 16" alloy wheels, cruise control, an alarm and rear parking sensors are fitted as standard.
The parking sensors are the most important, since the Fabia's C pillars crucify rear visibility (an unfortunate glitch in an otherwise clever design which provides plenty of room for four adults, and between 260 and 1016 litres of luggage space).
Well, I can see how all this adds up, and of course there is a premium to pay for the diesel engine since they're expensive things to build. But the fact remains that for £12,335 (or £12,685 if you go for the metallic paint option) you get a car which can not match the appeal of the £7990 base model. Skoda built its reputation on value for money, and the Fabia provides that - just not this Fabia.
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