Skoda Fabia 2022 Review

The all-new 2022 Skoda Fabia marks a bold new step for the Czech brand in Australia, where it makes no apologies for the fourth-generation compact car’s new premium one-size-fits-all brief.

Once a go-to city-car option for first-time buyers, as well as empty-nesters and the budget-oriented, the Fabia is no longer available from under $20,000 and is instead offered in a single Monte Carlo grade priced at a cool $38,000, which is a lot of money for a light-size car.

It mirrors a theme that’s been playing out in Australia’s dwindling compact-car market for the past decade – fewer models to choose from and a much richer mix of variants – but has Skoda taken the right path with the new Fabia Monte Carlo and is it any good?

Let’s find out.

In basic terms, the admission price of the Skoda Fabia has risen by $14,000 for 2022, following the axing of the previous entry-level 70TSI and 81TSI variants, a manual transmission, a three-cylinder engine and a wagon body style.

Instead, the 2022 Skoda Fabia line-up has been pared back to the solitary Monte Carlo Edition 150 variant, priced at $37,990 drive-away.

That means the latest Fabia is no longer a competitor for popular and much cheaper light cars like the Kia Rio, Mazda 2, MG3, Suzuki Swift, Toyota Yaris or its sister model, the Volkswagen Polo.

In fact, the new Monte Carlo is not much cheaper than the Polo GTI hot hatch ($38,750 plus on-road costs) and even the ‘premium’ MINI Cooper hatch (from $37,500 plus ORCs).

All that said, Skoda Australia claims the new Fabia delivers customers a claimed $6700 in additional value compared with the outgoing Monte Carlo, which was priced at $29,490 plus ORCs, and that’s not counting its more powerful four-cylinder engine, which we’ll detail below.

The Czech car-maker says there is currently no plan to sell the Fabia RS hot hatch Down Under, but longer-term it has left the door open to more affordable Fabia variants – if and when supplies become available.

For now, the new Monte Carlo’s standard equipment list certainly reads like a range-topper’s and includes sports suspension, drive mode selection, 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 front seats with integrated head restraints and power driver’s adjustment, and a flat-bottom multi-function sports steering wheel.

Infotainment now comprises a 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster and a 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.

The fourth-generation Fabia is yet to be independently safety-rated in Australia.

In terms of aftersales, the Fabia Monte Carlo carries Skoda’s standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and up-front servicing packages are available for $1550 at the point of purchase, which covers the first five years/75,000km worth of ownership (across 12-month/15,000km intervals). The service packages are also completely interchangeable between owners.

The 2022 Skoda Fabia hasn’t simple grown in price for the fourth generation: it’s grown in size as well.

Skoda Australia’s smallest model now shares the Volkswagen Group’s latest MQB A0 platform with the Skoda Kamiq small SUV and the recently overhauled Volkswagen Polo.

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 380-litre boot (up 50L), 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.

The 1.5-litre makes 110kW and 250Nm, returns a claimed fuel consumption average of 4.9L/100km and requires minimum 95 RON premium unleaded fuel.

For all the marketing rhetoric, there’s no denying the premium positioning of the 2022 Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo when you see it in the metal.

From the outside, it makes a more impactful statement with LED lights at every corner, more mature styling and classy gloss-back highlights that draw your eye.

The interior is also decidedly more upmarket. The large centre screen and digital instrument cluster feel like they belong in a vehicle from the next class up, or indeed a vehicle wearing a more exclusive luxury European badge.

And the interior space manages to execute the classier brief while staying true to Skoda’s user-friendly and practical ethos.

Having a bank of traditional dials and switchgear in the dashboard centre fascia makes a nice point of difference from comparable Volkswagen offerings. It means you can make simple climate control or vehicle commands without having to wade through various menus on the centre screen.

The exception is audio volume, for which there’s no physical knob, just buttons.

The Monte Carlo side of the ledger – designating Skoda’s historic success at the Monte Carlo Rally – is also appropriately represented in the Fabia’s use of different interior materials, contrasting stitching and lush finishes.

It translates to a cabin that is fun, funky and laden with useable tech, while also offering the handy incidental storage and practicality solutions (read: integrated umbrellas) the Czech brand is famous for.

The rear seat takes a big leap forward in terms of passenger amenity, benefitting immensely from the vehicle’s larger proportions in the way of legroom, plus the introduction of rear air-vents.

The raked rear-side window line will no doubt obscure the outward view for little ones, yet this is still a well-executed space complete with three top-tether points and ISOFIX attachment points on the outbound pews.

The boot is also impressive in its relative size and layout, complemented by various luggage nets, bag hooks and holders, plus a space-saver spare tyre underneath.

On the road, the Fabia benefits from its newfound size with a more mature ride and handling set-up.

Its ability to displace bumps on the road over a larger footprint translates to a more settled urban ride and confidence-inspiring roadholding through corners. On long highway hauls, the Fabia also feels better tied down to the road and not tiresome to drive in the same way other compact cars can be.

Ultimately, however, a persistent level of road and engine noise makes it debatable whether the Fabia really justifies its new premium positioning on the road.

But it definitely sets a higher benchmark than its predecessor and the bigger engine under its bonnet is a case in point.

The larger-displacement four-cylinder belies its relatively meagre 110kW/250Nm outputs by reaching peak torque from a lowly 1500rpm. It will happily percolate right through to the 6500rpm cut-out, making use of the slick-shifting dual-clutch automatic on the way.

Highway or round-town passage is a cinch and the four-pot has no qualms in matching its 4.9L/100km economy claim. In fact, there were several instances on test when we managed to comprehensively undercut it.

About the only blight on the drivetrain is the low-speed hesitation synonymous with the VW Group’s dual-clutch DSG automatic gearbox.

The 2022 Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo is indeed a major step-change for the once budget-conscious city-car.

Much more convincing in its presentation, technology and overall execution, the new Fabia takes Skoda’s light car entrant to a convincing new level.

However, the elephant in the room remains its price. In a dwindling market segment, it’s hard to imagine the Monte Carlo specification really gaining much popularity – especially when some of its competitors can be had for almost half the price.

And especially when hot hatches including the closely related VW Polo GTI deliver a lot more performance for a little more money.

There’s no doubt about the preference for premium variants among Skoda buyers in Australia and the days of the budget-friendly light hatch are over for the Czech brand. But only time will tell whether Aussies warm to the fourth-generation Fabia in its exclusive new premium guise.

How much does the 2022 Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo cost?
Price: $37,990 drive-away
Available: Now
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 110kW/250Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 4.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 113g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not yet rated