New Skoda Fabia...no VRS?

[Eighteeteewhy]

Nice looking car, but Skoda say they have no plans for a VRS sadly.

[jimmyt1202]

Probably because compared to the mk1 vrs, the mk2 was somewhat of a flop? Expensive, not hugely reliable and not really a target audience, along with the fact that most people bought the first because it was a performance diesel and the mk2 was only available as a petrol automatic are probably the reasons why? I could never understand why they went polar opposite of the formula that made the 1st one so successful!

[CallorFold]

Shame really, this one looks considerably nicer than the first 2 IMO and the VRS Edition would kick it up another notch.

[Monty Python]

Looks a bit bland to me.

[kambites]

Monty Python said:

Looks a bit bland to me.

Skodas aren't exactly aimed at extroverts.

[anonymous-user]

The last one was a big flop so I'm not surprised. One may come along later I guess if there's enough interest. Tidy little car, supposed to be very good indeed.

[Monty Python]

kambites said:

Skodas aren't exactly aimed at extroverts.

I wouldn't say the Seat Leon was a car for extroverts but it's better looking than this.

[Swanny87]

That's weird, there seems to be enough interest in the Polo GTI for VW to put that on sale. I guess that is part of the reason though, it might cannibalise sales of the Polo...

[Swanny87]

But then the latest Ibiza has a Cupra edition?

[IanCress]

I'd say out of the mainstream VAG group that SEAT IS the choice for the extrovert. Skoda seem to be held firmly in their place as the boring sensible one, with only the Octavia VRS showing a little bit of flair. A shame really as the Mk1 Fabia VRS was a great budget warm hatch.
Don't see why they can't do the same with perhaps the 1.8Tfsi or 2.0 TDi 150bhp under the bonnet of the new car.

[daveco]

I'm not sure what people are looking at here. That looks atrocious to my eyes. The front looks oversized, like the last batch of Peugeot hatches.

[carparkno1]

The mk2 sold badly because the monte carlo editions cannibalised sales. All of the looks without the engine. That and it wasn't as cheap as it should have been.

[anonymous-user]

I expect Vrs will come in time.
The estate version looks better to me..
It is car of the year 2015, bit strange as there is 90% of the year to go still!

Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 12th February 11:47

[kambites]

Monty Python said:

kambites said:

Skodas aren't exactly aimed at extroverts.

I wouldn't say the Seat Leon was a car for extroverts but it's better looking than this.

Seems an odd comparison, it's a completely different class of car.

Mind you, the Ibiza is a better looking car too.

[neil1jnr]

Nice colour, looks awful in 5 dr, nose looks heavy in my eyes.

[liner33]

vRS sold well enough over here but not the rest of Europe and that's where the Fabia sells

Bit bigger than the mk2 , useful boot , less useful back seats . Nice looking car imo

[vescaegg]

Baised because I have one but I do think Skoda had a great little car in the Mk1 VRS. Fairly nippy (subjective) but very economical. The Mk2 was just a strange looking petrol hatch. Not partcularly fast and DSG only!

[liner33]

Lot faster than the mk1 which always felt much faster than it was

[vescaegg]

liner33 said:

Lot faster than the mk1 which always felt much faster than it was

I dont mean its not fast compared to the MK1 its just not fast in general. Being petrol it was thirsty and being DSG it was crap.

MK1 was a bit nippy but was made that much better becuase it was economical. Neither handle particularly well but at least the economy was good on the original.

[neil1jnr]

vescaegg said:

Baised because I have one but I do think Skoda had a great little car in the Mk1 VRS. Fairly nippy (subjective) but very economical. The Mk2 was just a strange looking petrol hatch. Not partcularly fast and DSG only!

How can the Mk 1 VRS be 'fairly nippy' but the MK 2 VRS be 'not particularly fast'??

I haven't driven either but I've had a mapped diesel Leon before at 200bhp and it wasn't as fast or as fun as a standard Ibiza Cupra (of which the MK2 VRS shares its runnning gear and engine). I'd say both are nippy but I would imagine that the MK 2 is noticeably quicker than a MK 1 and the MK 2 had pretty god economy too.

However, the MK 1 VRS is a much better looking car, the high roofline of the MK 2's in comparison to the Polo GTI and Ibiza Cupra maybe had something to do with it being a sales flop.

In regard to the DSG comments, the MK 1 would have been better off with the DSG over manual and the MK 2 probably better if it were manual.

Edited by neil1jnr on Thursday 12th February 13:34