New Skoda Fabia price shock

From next month, the Skoda Fabia will no longer be the sub-$20,000 city-car that previously made it a hit with first-car buyers and budget-savvy motorists Down Under.

That’s because the new fourth-generation Skoda Fabia will land in showrooms in August in a single high-spec Monte Carlo Edition 150 trim grade, priced at no less than $37,990 drive-away.

That’s right, there won’t be an entry-level variant – at least for the foreseeable future – and nor will there be a manual gearbox option for the all-new Fabia, which Skoda will position as a premium warm hatch thanks to a bigger and more powerful engine, sports suspension, and a blacked-out exterior.

Skoda Australia’s smallest model now shares the Volkswagen Group’s latest MQB A0 platform with the Skoda Kamiq small SUV and the recently upgraded Volkswagen Polo, which also moved upmarket from its sub-$20K predecessor in May and is now priced from $25,250 plus on-road costs for the base Life manual, making it about $10K cheaper than the new Fabia Monte Carlo.

Skoda Australia boss Michael Irmer told carsales that supply restrictions only allowed the company to secure 600 units in the first 12 months, and added that more Fabia variants – including a cheaper, lower-spec grade – may become available later on.

“Our entry point is just a bit higher than it used to be but mind you, maybe in a year or two years it could well be that the supply situation is different. Then we [might] bring in a smaller engine and a less-specified car for a lower price point,” said Irmer.

“But not in the immediate future. I’m talking later – as in 18 months, two years [at] the earliest.”

For reference, the outgoing Skoda Fabia is currently priced from $23,990 drive-away but was previously priced from $17,490 plus ORCs as recently as 2020.

But the new model’s higher entry point won’t be a problem for Skoda buyers, according to Irmer, who says the tech and value packed into the Czech brand’s newest hatch – including the possibility of a seven-year warranty and a guaranteed future value – more than justifies its sticker price.

When challenged on the new Fabia’s near-$40K price tag, a Skoda Australia spokesperson admitted “people are going to baulk at the price”, but said the option of $112/week repayments via Volkswagen Group Finance makes it more palatable.

The Czech brand will also offer five- and seven-year service packs, priced at $1500 and $2100 respectively.

The new 2022 Skoda Fabia is a big 110mm longer than before (now 4108mm) and also grows in wheelbase (2564mm), width (1780mm) and height (1459mm), bringing a roomier cabin and a larger 390-litre boot (up 60L), extending to 1190L with the rear seats folded.

Under the bonnet of the Monte Carlo Edition 150, the previous Fabia’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine is out, replaced by a VW Golf-sourced 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol unit mated exclusively to a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission that sends power to the front wheels via an electronic locking differential.

Skoda is yet to post a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time for the incoming Fabia Monte Carlo, but promises it’ll be quicker than before, thanks to 110kW of power and 250Nm of torque on tap.

It’ll be slightly thirstier too, sipping 4.9L/100km of 95RON premium unleaded on the combined cycle – up from 4.7L/100km.

Standard equipment includes sports suspension, drive mode selection, larger 18-inch black Libra alloy wheels (with a space-saver spare), bi-LED headlights with cornering function, LED fog lights, LED tail-lights, LED side repeaters and LED daytime running lights (DRLs), plus a gloss-black grille, spoiler, mirrors, rear diffuser and badging.

Inside, the sports theme continues with aluminium-faced pedals, aluminium door sill trims and black headlining and pillar trim, plus heated and cloth-trimmed Sports comfort front seats with integrated head restraints and power driver’s adjustment, and a flat-bottom multi-function sports steering wheel.

In terms of multimedia tech, there’s a larger 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster and a larger 9.2-inch Amundsen touch-screen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, voice control, satellite-navigation, digital radio, six speakers, four USB-C outlets and a revised dual-zone climate control panel.

Park Assist is a $1000 option (the only other optional extra being Phoenix Orange or Velvet Red metallic paint for $500), but the host of standard driver assistance aids includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with cyclist and pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, speed limiter, blind spot monitoring, lane assist, driver fatigue detection, six airbags, front/rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring and rain-sensing wipers.

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