Skoda teases new-gen Fabia, return of the RS?

SKODA has given the world its first look at the forthcoming new-generation Fabia light car through a series of development sketches, with the pint-sized runabout set to return in both the familiar hatch and wagon guises when it debuts early in May.

Switching across to the Volkswagen Group’s modular MQB platform (MQB-A0), the new Fabia will reportedly be 111mm longer and 48mm wider than current model, resulting in an extra 50 litres of boot space and a heap more room for occupants.

Unsurprisingly the brand’s smallest offering looks set to adopt many of the styling cues found on the bigger Octavia including the flat headlights, wider, more chiselled chrome and black grille and far more sculpted body features all round.

Below the grille in the lower intake are a set of ‘actively adjustable cooling shutters’ while the reshaped lights are said to be full-LED units complemented by an L-shaped daytime running light signature.

At the back is an elongated roof spoiler said to improve aerodynamics while the higher grades will reportedly score full-LED tail-lights to match the front. Wagons will also score roof rails.

The new sharply contoured theme continues inside the cabin too with the interior flaunting a distinctly chunky appearance while many of the technological features “from higher vehicle classes” are said to have been crammed in.

Just eye-balling it we can see a new (bigger) infotainment touchscreen, configurable virtual cockpit (confirmed to be an optional extra), satellite navigation, dual-zone climate control and radar cruise control.

While no specifics have been revealed yet, we would not be surprised to see a performance-minded RS version re-emerge as the world continues to fall in love with pint-sized performance cars like the Toyota GR Yaris, Hyundai i20 N, Ford Fiesta ST and the inevitably related Volkswagen Polo GTI.

If such a variant does materialise, chances are it will be powered by the same turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine as the Polo (147kW/320Nm) while sharing its six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission – and platform – just like the Octavia RS does with the Golf GTI.

A new Fabia RS hatch would not only snatch Skoda a slice of the performance supermini market, but a wagon version would effectively hand the Czech brand a niche almost entirely of its own, again like the Octavia RS.

While just speculation for the time being, the sketches add credibility to the theory with one image clearly showing a more aggressive looking variant flaunting a completely blacked-out grille, bigger intakes and more focused alloy wheels – three signature hallmarks of an RS model.

Below the RS we would also expect the sporty-themed Monte Carlo variants to return, or at least an equivalent, as teased by the red image above.

Skoda Australia has sold just 178 Fabias so far this year ending March, accounting for a slim 1.5 per cent of the sub-$25,000 light car segment and marking a 7.8 per cent sales dip year-on-year.