Exclusivity

Skoda says only 650 Fabia 130s will be offered in the UK – so, effectively, you’re paying for the exclusivity of a limited run. But what else do you get? Not as much as you might think. Despite this being a top-of-the-range model, heated seats and adaptive cruise control are both optional extras, for example.

Beneath the skin, though, there’s better news, because this is more than merely a styling package. The suspension has been lowered by 15mm (although the Polo GTI’s adaptive dampers aren’t available) and the steering recalibrated compared with the standard family hatchback.

There are 18in alloy wheels and tweaks to the traction control, throttle response and steering weight in Sport mode; there’s now a Sport+ setting for the traction control, too, so it cuts in later.

You can’t help but wonder whether Skoda could have been a bit more adventurous with the looks, though. The tiny blue-and-red 130 logo on the wings and the black strip across the boot lid, which hark back to Skoda’s classic rally liveries, are cute, but can you imagine how good this car would look with, say, stripes redolent of those old liveries running along the bottoms of the doors, or across the bonnet and roof?

Inside job

The interior feels rather plain, too. Skoda has stripped out all the red accents of the Monte Carlo, which made it feel sporting and special, replacing them with grey ones that don’t. Red-striped upholstery is retained, however, which lends a whisker of sporting character.

So too are the chunky sports seats, which are comfortable yet hold you securely during cornering. And because there’s so much legroom in the back, their size doesn’t compromise rear-seat comfort.

There are 380 litres of boot space, too, and the dashboard design – with physical buttons for the heating and ventilation – is a breath of fresh air compared with the touchscreen-centric interiors that are so common these days. There’s even a manual handbrake.

On the road

Setting off in a Fabia 130 is unspectacular. This isn’t a no-holds-barred racer; it’s designed to be easy to live with day to day, and it feels exactly like that. Through towns and villages the ride is firm but not unforgiving; the gearbox shifts swiftly and smoothly, while the engine note remains muted.

It would be stretching it to say the Fabia 130 came alive on the smooth, twisting roads of the Peak District. But it did reveal hidden depths.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: it’s the engine. Yes, it provides a solid wave of torque, so there’s plenty of urge regardless of gear, making it accessible and forgiving. However, there’s no reward for holding on to the revs with the gearchange paddles behind the steering wheel, no high-rev payoff to get your spine tingling. Nor is there any aural excitement, merely a booming engine that lacks character and joy.