Skoda Fabia Estate (2015 – 2022) Review
Skoda Fabia Estate (2015 – 2022) At A Glance
The Fabia Estate is testament to Skoda’s straightforward approach to car design. While other small hatches do their best to eke out the most from their compact cabins or try to be sporty, the Fabia wagon just gets on with delivering the maximum amount of room given its dimensions. This isn’t to say Skoda’s small estate is a one-trick pony and trap or dull, it’s just dutiful and honest and easy to live with. That extends to the way it drives, which is comfortable, smooth and unruffled. Admittedly, the entry-level models are sparsely equipped, but it’s affordable to move up a grade or two and enjoy some luxuries along with the simple life.
A lot of it has to do with the way the Fabia sidesteps all of the one-upmanship that can afflict decisions when picking a car. Instead, the Fabia marks you out as an independent thinker.
On top of this, the Fabia Estate does practicality like no other in its, admittedly niche, sector of supermini-based estates.
Lift up the tailgate and you’re presented with a huge boot of 530-litres with the rear seats still upright and in use. That’s getting on for executive estate dimensions. Tumble them down and the Fabia has 1395-litres to play with.
As well as all this space, Skoda makes it easy to use thanks to a low loading sill height and boot sides that are free from interruptions that might snag a bigger bit of cargo as it’s slid into or out of the car. The optional variable height floor is well worth ticking on the options list as it means the base of the luggage bay is all at one level, again making it less hassle to fit in bulkier items with the rear seats tipped forward.
Throughout the rest of the Fabia Estate, there are all the little touches that make the Skoda such an appealing prospect for anyone who has to live with car day in, day out.
Details such as the large bottle holders in the door pockets and centre console, and even the ice scraper hidden in the fuel filler flap that’s a trademark of the company. It all adds up to a car that fits into your life without asking anything in return
The Fabia Estate won’t ask much of your finances either thanks to a range of petrol engines that are frugal. They come with a choice of 1.0-litre engines in models from the 2018 facelift forward, or you could have a diesel motor by choosing a used version from when this Fabia Estate was launched in 2015.
Whichever engine takes your fancy, the Fabia wagon is very comfortable and glosses its way over bump-battered roads with calm efficiency.
Granted, you won’t feel entertained at the steering wheel of a Fabia in the way you would with a Ford Fiesta, but the Skoda has chosen comfort and quiet over an overtly sportier feel. Still, it deals with twists, turn, motorway and towns with the same relaxed air of competence.
Such an unpretentious approach doesn’t mean you have to wear a hair shirt when driving the Fabia Estate. Base versions are quite Spartan in the amount of equipment they come with, but it’s easy to choose a higher grade version and enjoy all of the luxuries you could want in a small hatch while also lugging large amounts of cargo.