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All that you look for Is there in Skoda Fabia’s new petrol version

The Fabia was launched first in diesel guise, and now it is the turn of the petrol version. It’s easy to like Skoda’s new baby, especially in this 1.4-litre petrol version. It has all the things we loved in the diesel Fabia — the high quality, spacious interiors and exemplary ride and handling. And it is minus most of the things we didn’t like about that car — namely, the engine’s gruff vocals.

Yes, at Rs 7.14 lakh, this petrol Elegance version is still expensive for a hatch, but if you really want a Fabia, then this is a whopping Rs 92,000 cheaper than the diesel Elegance. You’ll get the sunroof, the parking sensors and the projector lamps for this price. Sadly, Skoda is currently offering the petrol version only in this top-of-the-line Elegance trim. Plans are on to bring out the 1.4-petrol in cheaper trim and even with a 1.2-litre petrol engine later this year. Until then, this is the only petrol you can drive out of your local Skoda dealer.

Open the hefty doors, step inside and this car has the same high quality, two-tone interiors that the diesel Fabia has — no surprises here. The comfortable seats, the good legroom and the great ergonomics give you the impression that you’re sitting in a 10 or 12 lakh rupee car. The buttons are meaty and expensive-looking, everything works with a solid, slick feel and the top-class quality and colours complete the picture. The seats have plenty of room for tall drivers, with lots of seat travel, and everything is adjustable: seat height, steering reach and rake, etc. This means finding the perfect position isn’t all that hard, and once you find it, driving for hours is never a problem. Passenger space at the rear is really good as well, thanks to the long wheelbase. The boot is massive as well, at 300 litres. It is larger than even the Getz, but that comes into perspective when you consider that the Fabia is even longer than the Ford Fusion, although it hides its bulk well.

Equipment levels are high — powered mirrors, windows and doors; airbags for drover and passenger and an mp3-compatible audio system with an auxiliary input are all on the list. Strangely, though, the music system has no rear speakers. One very useful addition is the tripmeter that calculates fuel consumption in real time and refreshes every few seconds. What is similar is the hush when you shut the doors of the Fabia — they thud shut and you’re insulated from the noise of the world so well, it’s hard to believe. It is when you turn the key that the differences are evident. The diesel engine’s slight shake as it comes to life is missing. This car settles into a smooth idle and you can barely hear it tick over. It does get a bit raucous near the redline, but it is quite a sporty noise. Slot into first and the lighter clutch and instant responsiveness are apparent. This 1390cc, 16-valve, multi-point fuel injection engine uses twin overhead camshafts and has four cylinders, unlike the diesel’s three. It puts out a modest 85bhp, so don’t expect Octavia RS-esque performance levels.

In the power stakes, it sits right between the Swift petrol’s 87bhp and the Getz petrol’s 83bhp. But, the Fabia weighs a bit more than them, so expect performance to be a quarter step behind. That said, power delivery is very linear — it is spread out over 6000rpm and this makes the petrol Fabia very easy to drive in traffic — more so than even the Swift. Even in third gear, it pulls forward cleanly and almost instantly from 1000rpm. However, you will find yourself changing gears more than necessary. The Fabia’s ‘hot-knife-through-butter’ gearshift will see to that. It is precise, accurate and smooth and you’ll use it to drop the engine into the powerband more than is required.

The car’s responsiveness is also thanks to the peak torque that this engine puts out. At 13.4kgm, it isn’t very much lower than the diesel engine’s 15.8kgm. Impressive. But, what won’t be as impressive is this Fabia’s fuel economy. We didn’t get a chance to put it through a full test, but don’t expect it to be as frugal as the diesel. Also be warned that there is a considerable waiting period for the petrol Fabia. All in all, if you want a genuinely great all-round package and don’t mind paying extra for it, this is a good option.

Length 3992mm

Width 1642mm

Height 1513mm

Wheelbase 2462mm

Turning circle dia10.0m Kerb weight 1060kg

Power 85bhp@5000rpm

Torque 13.4kgm@3800rpm

Gearbox 5-speed manual

Fuel tank 45 litres

Brakes (F/R) Ventilated discs/drums

Tyre size 185/60 R14

Boot 300-1163 litres

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