SKODA’S latest Fabia is proof, if it were needed, that you really can have your cake and eat it! And their recipe for success is in building a car that’s one of the best value for money machines in the supermini class. Although some might question whether the Fabia is really a supermini, because there’s not a lot miniscule about its dimensions. It offers you a healthy sized slice of metal which will carry a family of four in adequate comfort and with room to spare. Probably why the original car, launched seven years ago, has been such a hit in the UK. Buyers here have snapped up over 130,000 of them and more than 1.5 million have been built in that time. And it’s won a shelf full of awards.
The latest model, launched earlier this year, majors on the benefits of the previous Fabia as it takes on the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and Renault Clio in the battle for sales, and starts at a competitive 7,990 for the entry level 1.2 HTP 1. It has a decent amount of standard equipment in a CD player, ABS, power steering, immobiliser and dual front airbags, but obviously sacrifices have to be made to keep the price down, so you won’t find...