CZECH company Skoda has thrown its fur hat into the hot hatch ring with its sparky Fabia RS, powered by the same engine and using the same dual-clutch automatic transmission as the Volkswagen Polo GTI.

Unique to its segment, the RS is also available in wagon form, combining the perk of the hatch with the load space of a much larger (and pricier) car.

The 'RS' moniker already has some currency for the Czech brand, making up a substantial proportion of sales on its most popular model, the Octavia.

Our first drive of the fastest Fabia showed that while there is a lot to like about this quirky pair, only the wagon makes a knock-out case, with the hatch priced too near the slightly-better Polo.