Skoda Fabia 130

FIRST DRIVE Czech brand celebrates its 130th birthday with the launch of a new range-topping version of its smallest car

- Jordan Katsianis

IT'S best not to mistake the '130' moniker of this new Skoda Fabia for its rating in horsepower, because that would be underselling this charming little package. In fact, by celebrating 130 years of Skoda, and matching that figure with a 130kW (174bhp) power output, this new range-topper could be the model that finally puts Skoda's competent, if bland, supermini in the spotlight.

Under the skin there are a fair few changes over the existing Fabia, starting with the engine. The 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder motor has been given a subtle increase in power, up from the 148bhp in the range's previous flagship model. This is due to a number of changes beyond just a tweak to the ECU, including various unique components inside the engine.

The result isn't just more power, but also more of it available across more of the rev band. Peak torque is still 250Nm, and the car gets from 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds – 0.6s quicker than the next-fastest Fabia.