The new range-topping Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo will be the sportiest version
- New Fabia is larger than the outgoing model
- Regular models are now on sale starting from £15,305
- New range-topping Monte Carlo model will be revealed on 15 February
The new Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo will be unveiled on 15 February. When the new model arrives, it will sit at the top of the Fabia range, rivalling sporty-looking hatchbacks like the Ford Fiesta ST-Line and Volkswagen Polo R-Line, with a vRS performance version looking unlikely.
The confirmation of the new model's arrival came with a new teaser showing the car’s special badging. It follows the first teasers of the new Fabia Monte Carlo, which show the model will get a sporty makeover inside and out including special badges, red trim and larger alloy wheels.
The arrival of the new Fabia Monte Carlo is expected to complete the lineup for Skoda’s small supermini, which went on sale late last year. Now in its fourth generation, the new Fabia has been given a complete overhaul with a new design, an array of the latest technology and improved practicality. It sits on the VW Group’s ‘MQB A0’ platform, which already underpins the latest iterations of the VW Polo and SEAT Ibiza.
Read on for everything we know about the new Fabia Monte Carlo, and the full details on the new Fabia range…
2022 Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo
Design sketches released earlier this month confirm that the new Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo will be the sportiest-looking version in the range so far. The front bumper sports a deeper front splitter, while the sides of the car have widened side skirts and larger two-tone alloy wheels. At the rear, there’s a new bumper diffuser and a spoiler mounted at the top of the hatchback.
While Skoda has yet to reveal details of the new car's power output, we’d expect to use the VW Group’s four-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol engine. This produces 148bhp, and is usually paired with a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox sending power to the front wheels. This will make the Monte Carlo the quickest Fabia by some margin, with a 0-62mph time of 7.9 seconds.
Inside, the Fabia will get the full Monte Carlo treatment, with sports seats, a new flat-bottomed steering wheel with ‘Monte Carlo’ badging, and leather trim on the handbrake and gear lever gaiter. Elsewhere, it will also feature red contrasting stitching throughout the interior, and several matching trim pieces on the dashboard and door cards.
Pricing for the Monte Carlo model is yet to be revealed, but we’d expect it to command a slight premium over the SE L model, with a price tag starting from around £21,000.
Trim levels and pricing
Buyers can currently order the new Fabia in a choice of four trim levels: S, SE Comfort, Colour Edition and SE L. Before the Monte Carlo model arrives later this year.
The S model is the entry-level version, so starts from £15,305. It still comes with a long list of standard equipment including a 6.5-inch infotainment screen and manual air conditioning. It also gets an extensive amount of safety features such as LED headlights, front assist, lane keep assist and e-Call, which automatically contacts emergency services after a major accident.
SE Comfort starts at £17,195. Exterior additions include front fog lamps, 15-inch alloy wheels and rear parking sensors. Inside, upgrades include height adjustable front seats with lumbar support, a two-spoke leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel along with matching trim on the gear lever gaiter and handbrake.
The Colour Edition trim starts from £17,895, adding silver 16-inch alloys and rear privacy glass. Buyers can also spec a contrasting paint colour for the roof and door mirror caps from either graphite grey or magic black. It also adds a Skoda-branded umbrella that’s stored in a cubby located in the driver's door. Technology upgrades include an eight-inch infotainment screen and a 10-inch digital dial cluster.
The Fabia SE L is the flagship model at launch, and features several enhancements to signify its position at the top of the range. Standard equipment includes a 9.2-inch infotainment screen, dual-zone air conditioning, ambient interior lighting, LED interior lights, a front armrest and all-round electric windows. On the outside, Skoda has added chrome trim to the window surrounds along with a set of 16-inch alloys finished in silver and black. Prices for this model start from £19,380.
Design and styling
A major change for the new model is the additional 111mm in length over the outgoing model, taking its bumper-to-bumper figure to 4,108mm. Skoda has also stretched the Fabia’s wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels) by 94mm.
Together with a raised roofline, this means the new Fabia has much more space for both passengers and luggage than the previous model. There’s an extra 50 litres of boot space, taking its load bay to an impressive 380 litres. This isn’t far off many family hatchbacks such as the SEAT Leon, Ford Focus and Audi A3 from the class above, and means the Fabia is now more practical than nearly all its main rivals, including the Ford Fiesta, Toyota Yaris and Vauxhall Corsa. It doesn’t quite match the Clio, which is 11 litres larger, but the new Fabia trumps its French rival by offering a full 1,190 litres when the rear seats are folded down.
In terms of styling, the new Fabia follows in the footsteps of other recently updated Skoda models, including the new Kamiq. It now features styling details such as Skoda’s new, larger grille and LED ‘hawk-eye’ headlights, along with L-shaped LED daytime running lights. The front bumper is more angular than before and gains new front fog lights and active cooling vents in the lower bumper, which can close to improve efficiency.
The detailing continues along the side of the car, with a triangular motif that adjoins a neat crease at the bottom of the door panels. Designers claim this is a nod to the Czech flag. At the rear, the Fabia gets wider tail lights and a spoiler integrated into the top of the tailgate. Skoda’s new lettering completes the detailing across the centre of the bootlid.
The new Fabia is available in nine colours, including the new Phoenix Orange previewed in these official images, and with the option of a contrasting roof on some versions.
Interior and technology
The Fabia’s dashboard features a fabric coating on mid-range models upwards, similar to those seen in the latest Octavia and the new Enyaq iV, along with a line of body-coloured trim, which provides some contrast to the grey plastic. It comes with a 3.5-inch information screen as standard but a 10-inch digital instrument panel is available as an option.
A two-spoke steering wheel also features, which we’ve already seen in the latest Octavia. Elsewhere, contrasting dash inserts are trimmed in what appears to be faux leather, with a set of rotary switches and buttons for the ventilation controls located beneath. Below this sits a new look gear stick and a central storage cubby.
A large touchscreen infotainment screen is the biggest change from the old car, which is complemented by a digital dial cluster. Skoda says it is retaining a 6.5-inch infotainment system with DAB radio for entry-level cars but the majority of Fabias come with an eight-inch Bolero touchscreen that features Bluetooth. A 9.2-inch display system is also available, offering online-supported navigation and a WiFi hotspot, and Smartphone mirroring with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is likely to be standard on all trim levels. This system runs Skoda’s MIB 3.0 software, which was first seen in the Kamiq SUV.
Depending on the trim level, the Fabia now comes with ambient lighting and dual-zone climate control. Extra safety technology includes lane assist and front assist, and you can choose to have top and bottom ISOFIX child seat mountings on the front passenger seat.
Skoda has become known for its ‘Simply Clever’ features, like an ice scraper hidden in the fuel filler cap and umbrellas in the front seats. The new Fabia benefits from many more of these innovations (up to 43, we’re told); 13 are new to the Fabia and five of those are Skoda firsts. You can opt for a USB-C socket mounted on the rear-view mirror – to plug a dashcam in – or specify a folding front passenger seat in order to carry long items. There are also phone holders in the seatbacks and a storage pocket underneath the boot cover.
Engines and pricing
The new Fabia is powered predominantly by three-cylinder petrol engines: a normally aspirated 1.0-litre MPI and a turbocharged 1.0-litre TSI.
Base models feature the 1.0-litre MPI unit with 64bhp or 79bhp, both linked to a five-speed manual gearbox. There is also a choice of turbocharged TSI motors, with either a 94bhp power output, matched to a five-speed manual gearbox, or a 109bhp engine, linked to a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch auto. At the top of the range, it’s anticipated the 1.5 TSI Evo four-cylinder turbo petrol engine will be fitted, producing 148bhp. This engine is mated to a seven-speed automatic gearbox, and will be the quickest in the range managing 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds.
The absence of an electric or hybrid model means the most economical version will be the 94bhp 1.0-litre TSI, with an official economy figure of 55.4mpg and CO2 emissions as low as 113g/km.
Keyword: New Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo will be unveiled on 15 February