Skoda Fabia Estate Review

For anyone keen on plastering a smile across your chops at the mere prospect of a gnarly country road, the Skoda Fabia Estate is not going to be your go-to car. While a Ford Fiesta or Renault Clio will deliver the thrills, the Skoda just gets on with delivering the goods thanks to it's huge load area.

This is where the Fabia Estate excels and why you will buy it. Whether you need to carry the family dog in palatial comfort, pack all the kids’ holiday gear or just cart about plenty of stuff, this Skoda has you sorted.

It’s also very good at covering long distances thanks to good refinement and comfort, though we’d steer clear of the least powerful engines to make the drive easier on your ears. Seat comfort is another plus point, and even if the cabin materials look a bit plain they are hard wearing.

As a wagon that many will cover big mileages in, including company drivers, the diesel-engined Skoda Fabia Estate made a lot of sense when it was available. Used buyers may well take this route, but for new car customers it’s a decision between the two 1.0-litre petrol engines available.

Wisely, Skoda does not offer the 60PS 1.0 MPI non-turbo engine in the Estate as it would just be too sluggish when the Fabia wagon was loaded up. That leaves you to choose from either the 95- or 110PS 1.0 TSI turbo engines. Our preference is the more powerful, brisker unit as it gives you more in reserve when driving on the motorway.

There’s a range of five trims to select from when buying a new Fabia Estate. We’d skip the S as it’s missing some kit we reckon is essential nowadays and head for the SE that has air conditioning, rear parking sensors and roof rails. Or, if you want something plusher, the SE L has climate control, keyless ignition, and sat-nav with it's 6.5-inch infotainment screen.

The only contender to the Skoda Fabia Estate in the small wagon sector is the Dacia Logan MCV. With engines and running gear lifted from Renault, the Logan MCV is decent to drive but nowhere near as refined as the Skoda and not as refined on longer trips.

Where the Dacia does have the upper hand is it's very low list price and the even bigger load space it provides next to the Skoda. With 573 litres of boot capacity, the Logan MCV is a car for those who really need to pack in the bags.

For other alternatives, you’ll need to look to the used market for the likes of the SEAT Ibiza ST that is practical but not as roomy as the Skoda. Others include Skoda's own Rapid Spaceback.

If you’re a Johnny Cash fan, you’re going to like the Fabia Estate’s cabin as it’s largely decked out in black. This isn’t as unremittingly bleak as it first sounds as there is some variation in the tones and textures of the materials used to give some relief. You can also have the central band across the dash in a lighter colour to help break up the darkness, while the Monte Carlo version has some splashes of colour in it's seat fabric to brighten things up.

Such a sombre approach would be tough to accept if it wasn’t for the Skoda’s excellent build quality. As we’ve come to expect from the Czech manufacturer, it may not do flash, but it does solid very well. A few touches of colour or chrome would make the Fabia’s interior a more welcoming environment, but it’s certainly robustly built.

This also applies to the boot space, where the carpet and finish majors on function over form. However, you won’t mind this when it’s easy to keep clean and doesn’t show every little scuff or scrape from loading in the dogs, kids and bags.

Each and every Fabia Estate comes with Skoda’s 6.5-inch infotainment touchscreen. In the base S model, it’s the simpler Swing radio version and the two rotary buttons either side feel a little flimsy in use. However, the shortcut buttons on either side of the display work with a solid precision and take you to the required menu very easily.

The system comes with DAB radio, Bluetooth, and USB and SD card ports. In the SE model, this is upgraded with Skoda’s Smartlink+ to make it easy to access apps from your smartphone. It also lets you access music through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Choose the SE Drive or higher trim versions of the Skoda Fabia Estate and you get the Amundsen version of the infotainment. It comes with sat-nav included and one year’s internet access from new. It’s an easy system to get to grips with thanks to clear menus and big onscreen icons that make them clear and simple to select when driving. It may not be as whizz-bang when it comes to features, but we’d take the Skoda’s ease of use every time.

When it comes to fitting in luggage, there isn’t a small estate to touch the Skoda Fabia Estate. Of course, it helps that this is a wagon where all of it's main rivals are hatches just like the Fabia hatch, but let’s not split hairs on this point.

Instead, let’s look at how much space there is in the Fabia Estate. With the tailgate swung open, you have a large, wide opening to access the boot through and the load sill is a good deal lower than in most small estates. Inside, there’s 530-litres of carrying capacity and this isn’t an exercise in measuring every nook and cranny to get to that figure, it really is a massive load bay with sides that are unaffected by the wheel arches.

Either side of the main load floor are storage cubbies set into the space between the rear of the car and the wheel arches. They are ideal for keeping all of those smaller items that would otherwise rattle around free in the boot. Skoda also supplies it's simple plastic holder that slots into the side of the boot wall to keep bottles upright.

The floor itself has a shelf you can use to vary the height of the cargo base. In it's higher position, it creates a space underneath to stash valuable items from passers-by. In this setting, it also creates a flush floor with the back seats when they are tumbled forwards that frees up as much as 1395-litres. They are split 60/40 to give you the option of varying people carrying with load duties.

When it comes to the rear occupants, they have plenty of space for legs, heads and shoulders, so you can have a pair of adults in here in ample comfort. Three children will fit across the bench and each has a three-point seat belt. Skoda also fits a pair of Isofix child seat mounts on the outer pews, which have great access through the wide-opening back doors to round off the Fabia Estate’s excellent credentials as a practical wagon.

Skoda’s simple engine line-up for the Fabia hatch is even more pared back for the Estate as the wagon does without the 1.0-litre MPI petrol motor with it's slovenly 60PS. What you get instead is a straight choice between the 1.0 TSI turbo petrol with 95- or 110PS.

The 95PS motor comes with a five-speed manual gearbox as it's only transmission choice. It takes 10.8 seconds to get from a standing start to 62mph if driven as hard as possible, which seems acceptable on paper. On the road, this isn’t the case and the 95PS engine always feels just a little too slow, especially on the motorway.

Much of this comes down to the five-speed gearbox asking the engine to be more flexible than it can offer. We also find the shift action of the five-speeder is not quite as smooth and easy as the six-gear transmission used as the sole option for the 110PS turbo petrol.

Aside from the better gear change of the six-speeder, it has a better spread of ratios to provide the right one for any circumstance. Add in the extra power and low-down shove of the 110PS version of the three-cylinder engine and it’s a winning combination for us.

This is borne out by acceleration figures that have the 110PS Fabia Estate going from 0-62mph in 9.7 seconds, and that 1.1 second difference has a big impact on how relaxed the Fabia Estate is when pulling out of junctions or joining faster flowing traffic. It’s also a useful extra slug of power when the car is weighed down with passengers and their bags. And given there’s barely any detrimental effect on fuel economy or emissions by choosing the more powerful engine, it is by far the most sensible choice in the Fabia Estate.

Three-cylinder turbo petrol engines are the norm in small cars and the Skoda Fabia Estate’s duo are as good as most. They don’t have quite the same smooth power delivery as the Ford Fiesta’s, but you will find they are well mannered and quiet at town speeds and when cruising along multi-lane roads at the legal limit.

Work the engines a bit harder, such as when driving up a steep hill, and the three-cylinder engines can become a little gruff and vocal. It’s not an unbearable noise, but you will feel a little vibration though the steering wheel, pedals and gear lever.

In every other way, Skoda has carried out a thorough job of distancing the Fabia’s cabin from wind and road noise. Even with the roof rails fitted as standard to all but the S model, there’s very little whistle or rustle from the breeze as it passes over the car at higher speeds. You will also find the Fabia isolates the interior very well from roar from the tyres, even in those versions that ride on bigger wheels.

Skoda is one of the few small estate makers to fit autonomous emergency braking as standard to its cars, including the Fabia Estate. Called Front Assist, it detects potential hazards in the road ahead and warns the driver with audio and visual alerts. If the driver doesn’t react, the car will apply the full force of the brakes to bring it to a safe stop or minimise the impact of a collision.

The Fabia Estate also comes with twin front, side and curtain airbags as standard across the range, as well as three-point seat belts and headrests for four occupants, but you have to pay extra for the same for the middle rear passenger. All models have two Isofix child seat mounts to securely hold kiddy seats in the back. There’s also ESP stability and traction control, and ABS anti-lock brakes.

Euro NCAP tests awarded the Skoda Fabia a five-star mark, with 81 per cent scores for adult and child occupant safety. You can make the Fabia Estate even safer with a number of options that includes Hill Hold Control to stop the car rolling back when pulling away on inclines and upgrading from drum brakes to discs at the rear.

Other optional safety equipment is offered with the Driver Fatigue Assistant to spot and warn if the driver is due a break. Rear parking sensors are offered for the S, but standard on other models, while the SE Drive has front parking sensors included rather than being an option on the rest of the range.

If cruise control isn’t standard on the trim level of Fabia Estate you want, it’s an option, but the S cannot be ordered with the upgraded Adaptive Cruise Control. The same is true of Blind Spot Detection and a rear-view camera.

The cheapest Skoda Fabia Estate to get cover for is the 95PS S model that falls into group 8. Take the same version with the 110PS engine and it moves up to group 12.

The other 95PS trims of the Fabia Estate all reside in group 9, while all of the 110PS-powered cars are in group 12 except the Monte Carlo, which pipped into group 13.

Every Skoda Fabia Estate you can buy new falls into Band G for Vehicle Excise Duty, so you’ll pay road tax at £175 for the first year and £150 in subsequent years.

However, this could edge up into the next band and cost you £215 for the first year depending on which options you choose which can increase the carbon dioxide emissions.

When it was launched in 2015, Skoda offered the Fabia Estate in S, SE and SE L trims. It has not broadened that line-up, but it still begins with the S that has 15-inch steel wheels, electrically adjusted and heated door mirrors and daytime running lights. Inside, it has black cloth upholstery, a 6.5-inch touchscreen that provides DAB radio, Bluetooth and USB port.

Switch to the SE and you get alloy wheels, roof rails finished in black, front fog lights, and rear parking sensors. The SE also has a three-spoke steering wheel with remote buttons for the stereo. The infotainment gains six speakers and Smartlink+ for easy access to your phone and its apps. Just as vitally, you get air conditioning, an umbrella stored under the front passenger seat, and a height adjustable driver’s seat.

The Colour Edition is based on the SE but has 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, and a roof and door mirror covers painted in black, white or silver to contrast with the body colour.

Next is the SE Drive with front parking sensors and its own fabric for the seat upholstery. It also has the Amundsen touchscreen navigation system and 12 months’ internet connection from new. Choose the SE L and it has different alloy wheels, cruise control, keyless ignition, and climate control. It also has satin black cloth and suede covering the seats.

At the top of the range sits the Monte Carlo with its black-painted alloy wheels, Led rear lights, and sport steering wheel and front seats.

As for options for the Skoda Fabia Estate, we’d recommend the Panoramic glass sunroof to offset the dark colours of the cabin. A reverse parking camera is also a useful addition.