I own Skoda Fabia 1.5 TDI for last 5 years. It is the original first lot. It is really sad that this is end of the road for such a good vehicle. It is difficult to understand Indian market good product do not succeed and lousy overpriced cars from 3rd grade company sells like hot cake ( I am referring to Hyundai). I have till date driven almost all brands never felt better after driving Fabia. Let me tell you it is a truly a European brand not flashy or zippy (as well as flimsy) like Japanese/Korean counterparts. It is built like tank as they value life of its occupants. My car was once hit hard at the back by an Octavia. Impact was so high it sounded like a blast. I thought my car was gone. But when I check it had just scratched the bumper. No dent at all. Any other car would have dented badly. But we Indians will never appreciate build quality. All they want is flashy gadgets like touch screen music system or steering controls etc.
It is a Diesel version which gives 18 KMPL in city and 20-22 on highway. Stable like a rock at high speeds. Has better turning radius than a Zen ( I own a Zen too) hence it is a pleasure to drive or park but how many of us ever bother about the turning radius. Has one of the most torque engine. It is like driving something macho. You will feel the thrust when turbo kicks in. Plastic & upholstery quality is one of the best do not believe the review which says otherwise, looks new even after 5 years. Has much better space and sitting comfort than WW Polo. You really feel you are in a good car. Has best sounding music system if your really has an ear for quality.
Now on the down side engine is noisy. It is a heavy car so no zipping around in city & meant for serious driving. It is really made for good roads and will make you feel little uncomfortable on bad roads. Handle it carefully and it will perform. Rash driving, break something and you will end up paying dearly at the service station. Really high tech car which the even authorized dealer know little hence roadside repairs or spares are ruled out. There are issues with the service people mainly because the volumes were very less & they have to recover their cost. Oh yes, there are some failure of power window switches. Wiper needs replacement every year.
Finally a car which is different but proven totally misfit with Indian psyche. A brand very much maligned. Has no resale value. With so many negatives I have decided to continue with it as once you get used to it you will never like Maruti or Hyundai as they will feel like tin boxes. I can now only upgrade to a SUV. Go for it if you love safety, you are good driver, like European styling, know what quality means, can survive without flashy things and raves about German engineering. In a nutshell if you are different, otherwise go buy Maruti.
S k Kashyup skkashyup@yahoo.com