2026 Skoda Fabia 130 | PH Review
Mk4 Fabia gets extra power in a rally-inspired makeover, with promise of more to come...
We could well be on the brink of a surprise resurgence for the compact petrol hot hatch - and a new lukewarm Skoda could be about to ensure it. In the first five years of this decade alone we’ve seen the death of all things Renault Sport, the culling of an ever-popular Ford Fiesta ST, and a Hyundai i20 N reduced to a flash in a pan. They’re all gone. Sure, the Volkswagen Polo GTI and Mini JCW soldier on, prioritising roundedness over outright fun in plus-£30k packages. But in the past few months alone, the mood hasn’t just changed, actual product plans have - and this, the new Skoda Fabia 130, is a tangible example of it. Better yet, it might be just the start.
Priced from £29,995, the 130 sits atop the Mk4 Fabia lineup with a 177hp version of the VW Group’s 1.5-litre TSI Evo2 engine, mated to a seven-speed DSG transmission that sends power to the front wheels for a Mk2 Fabia vRS-aping 0-62mph time of 7.4 seconds. The chassis is lowered 15mm on firmer springs, and the body gains a splitter up front and spoiler at the back to reduce lift at both ends. The 130 also gets retuned electric power steering and a bespoke ESC Sport mode. But best of all - or most surprising, at least - is the presence of a lever between the front seats that manually controls the parking brake. I believe it’s called a hand brake?
It feels appropriate in a model that bears the 130 name, which is not a nod to output (even if 177hp is about 130kW, if you round it down), but rather Skoda’s 130th birthday - as well as the brand’s 50-year-old 1977 Monte Carlo Rally-winning 130 RS. You’ll likely know that the Fabia has no shortage of rallying pedigree of its own, having competed in the top-tier World Rally Championship in the noughties, and today’s Fabia Rally2 remains such a popular choice for WRC-2 entrants that it’s officially the world’s best-selling rally car. All things considered, it’s actually a surprise to see the Fabia 130’s makeover remain so subtle.
It does get a few performance hatch must-haves, like painted brake calipers and wheels - in this case, 18s - that fill the arches nicely. Elsewhere, 130 stickers adorn both front wings, while the tailgate sports a black strip inspired by the Rally2. Nevertheless, splitter aside, the nose doesn’t look that different to a standard Fabia, and inside, the 130’s status isn’t immediately clear. A pair of cloth-covered bucket seats, some fake carbon strips and a part-perforated steering wheel do set it apart from its lesser siblings, and the screens and equipment are all top-grade Fabia. But it’s a shame its designers didn’t have the desire (or budget, presumably) to add more rally-inspired flamboyance here.
Added to this is the fact the 130’s lowering springs aren’t exclusive to the model, as you can option them onto lower-grade Fabias. But its turbocharged engine, with 27hp more than the Monte Carlo it ranks above, has a new intake plenum and tougher internal rocker arms for more air and durability - and the result is a noticeably punchier mid-range. Peak torque actually arrives from just 1,500rpm, so the 130 feels authentically hot hatch fast at urban speeds, but it rides and steers mostly like a normal Fabia. To the average owner, the feeling will be that of a more effortless five-door hatchback, rather than anything that drives with greater purpose.
Not surprisingly, all of the efforts to enhance the 130 can only really be felt in Sport mode, and even then it’s not until you get some momentum going that this Fabia feels notably quick. Pick up the pace and the motor’s extra muscle is modest but noticeable up top, and the gearbox happily hangs onto gears for longer before upshifting. That said, it’s a bit hesitant to drop gears even in the automatic ‘S’ setting, so you’re forced to use the small, plastic paddles on the back of the wheel for more effective engine braking. But while things would obviously be more interesting if we had a three-pedal setup, those DGS software changes have definitely had an impact - albeit one you feel more than hear, as the engine and exhaust notes are quiet to say the least.
This warm vibe is matched by the chassis, which is on the softer side of sporty, so any Fiesta ST-style kicks of lift-off oversteer can only be encouraged when that manual hand brake is called into action (on a closed road, we hasten to add). Otherwise, it takes a heavy dose of trailed braking into a bend with some serious commitment to get the 130 squirming on its outside rear ContiSport Contact 5. Predictably, it’s less dialled in than a serious hot hatch and in that sense, this Fabia doesn’t feel totally different to an old Suzuki Swift Sport. Like that car, a lack of limited-slip diff isn’t an issue because you don’t have enough power to overstress the rubber up front. There’s no need to be gracious with the throttle. That in itself is fun.
Still, it all makes for a level of performance and engagement that would only satisfy those who haven’t driven the best front-drive hot hatches, which, to be frank, is probably exactly who the Fabia 130 is aimed at. The only reason a dyed-in-the-wool PHer might consider one of these over, say, a 2.0-litre VW Polo GTI, is probably running costs, because at £31,415 the Polo’s only going to be a few pounds a week pricier for a PCP buyer. But here’s where it gets vaguely interesting. The Fabia 130 is a limited-run car, with just 650 units intended for the UK, and once that allocation is sold out, Skoda is pondering the idea of doing something much more substantial...
There’s a real appetite, it turns out, to return the concept of a red-blooded Fabia vRS to production for the first time since 2014. This is because, while it's certainly true that the vRS was killed off due to low demand at a time when competition was white-hot, Skoda now sees an opportunity to fill an obvious gap in the market. Using the same 207hp setup as the Polo GTI to an in-house tune, it might conceivably beat other recently hinted-at returnees, including a petrol-powered Abarth 500 and, if we’re lucky, an Alpine-tuned Renault Clio, to production. That means that if the 130 sells well, a vRS ought to be almost inevitable. Reason enough, surely, for you to tell your friends about it. And then cross your fingers.
SPECIFICATION | SKODA FABIA 130
Engine: 1,498cc, inline-four, turbocharged
Transmission: 7-spd dual-clutch automatic, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 177@5750-6000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 184@1500-4000rpm
0-62mph: 7.4sec
Top speed: 141mph
Weight: 1,206kg
MPG: 50.4 combined
CO2: 126g/km
Price: From £29,995
But if they can make this - they can make a more powerful one, and then other manufacturers can follow, and then we can have a good crop of cheap (ish) and cheerful hot hatches - available from new again…
Like there always should have been, before, you know…
Let's remind ourselves that this is faster than a MK2, MK3 and I think MK4 Golf GTI....
I've had a Leon FR 1.4 150 DSG and that was similarly a nice blend of speed, decent handling and every day usability.
Glad it exists though
But having paid 34k for a GR Yaris new I too struggle with a 30k fabia. Probably very nice normal runaround
For me it feels like they didn’t want to fully commit to making something a bit different and special, not sure if I was looking for a hatchback this would tempt me to spend the extra to get the “warm” elements.
This model, despite being the aspirational version one’s supposed to really want, doesn’t seem to offer much of the X Factor. Oh well.
(Next door have run a pair of particularly frumpy looking Fabias for at least the last 12 years and my retired parents have been through a succession of Fabias and Octavias for over 20 years. I seem to have modern era Skodas in my life on a permanent basis).
But a 2nd car that never goes more than 100miles from home? R5 every time.
Cars from about 2015-2020 seem to be in a modern "sweet spot"; there have been very few new models to recommend since.
But having paid 34k for a GR Yaris new I too struggle with a 30k fabia. Probably very nice normal runaround
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