Long Term Review: Skoda Fabia Elegance 1.6 MPI petrol (Part II)

The Fabia came to me with just over 17000km on the odo, and it’s feeling its age. There are rattles and squeaks, and somehow concrete spots have got all over the car – good thing it’s silver, else my obsessive-compulsive disorder that requires me to have clean cars would’ve made me clean it immediately.  So far only the windscreen has been made concrete-free to save the wipers and keep night visibility within the bounds of reason. 

I haven’t used the car much so far beyond a very short trip, but there is one incident that stands out. An acquaintance of mine is looking to purchase a car in the price bracket that the Fabia falls in. While going to hunt for cars, we went and looked at everything possible, the theory being that the more you know, the better you’ll be able to choose. We looked at Indian, Japanese and European brands but the prospective buyer was most impressed by the Fabia. In particular the boot space, quality of the interior and the refinement of the four-cylinder 1.6, which I’ve tried to crank while it is already on multiple times myself. 

I was planning a short trip with the Fabia where I’d exploit its full 100PS potential, and I ended up doing an airport run instead. The Fabia swallowed up a full-size suitcase and two haversacks in the boot without a problem – something that not too many hatchbacks can manage with such ease. Also with a full five-passenger and luggage load, it never felt underpowered – another thing hatchbacks in India cannot claim.