Skoda Fabia RS Wagon 2012 Review

Trying to assess the Skoda Fabia RS Wagon in the context of its rivals is quite difficult. Simply put, there is nothing else on the market that can combine the thrills you’d expect from a hot hatch with the practicality of a small wagon body.

The latest 132kW Fabia RS is available in both five-door hatch as well as the wagon variant reviewed here. At launch, Skoda listed the five-door, CVT-equipped Swift Sport Hatch and three-door Mini Cooper S as rivals for the $27,990 hatch, proving its value on a dollar per kilowatt basis. And, while that equation still works out when substituting hatch for the $2000 more expensive wagon, its practicality benefits craft it a niche all of its own.

Sharing underpinnings with the perennially undersupplied Polo GTI, Fabia RS houses is powered by VW's Twincharged (super and turbocharged) 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine. It generates those 132kW at 6200rpm, revs to 7000rpm and offers an impressive 250Nm spread thickly from 2000-4500rpm. Seven-speed DSG is mandatory equipment, with wheel-mounted paddles augmenting the floor-mounted shifter. It remains a slick arrangement, and returns a claimed 6.2L/100km on the ADR combined cycle.

Seeing the Fabia RS Wagon in the flesh elicits a range of responses. It looks understatedly sporty- particularly in silver, grey or white- and makes do without the optional contrasting roof colour available on the altogether feistier-looking hatchback. Black-painted exterior mirrors and B-pillars, subtle RS badging  and LED daytime running lights hint at its potential, while the rear-end treatment is more overt with its black diffuser, rear roof spoiler and chrome dual exhaust system.

Smart 17-inch ‘Gigaro’ alloys shod with 205/40/17 rubber(Continental SportContact 2’s in the test car’s cas) are standard to Fabia RS yet curiously are 10mm narrower than those fitted to Polo GTI. We’ll get back to why that is an issue in a moment.

The body appears to dwarf the wheels with its bulky side styling and the interior is more spacious than first glance suggest. Cloth trimmed seats are invitingly comfortable, if a little narrow in the sides. The use of grey on the dash pad and chrome accents lightens the cabin, and the hard-wearing plastics should stand up to the abuse of little hands... Until you reach for the internal door handles and find the are made of a flimsy plastic.

You sit high in the front, but there is excellent headroom and the leather portions of the otherwise mundane-looking steering wheel offer a chunky feel.

The eight-speaker sound system and controls for the Climatronic system may look basic, but that's a plus -- there is no fiddling about with myriad buttons and switches. Bluetooth operation, however, is not so intuitive -- the car able to sync with the phone but unable to play audio. Reading instructions via the dashboard rather than from the centre console also proves problematic.

Out back, headroom remains a highlight, while foot and knee room are also very good for what is still a small car. Curiously, in what is otherwise a thoughtfully designed package, there is only one central cupholder for the rear passengers, and no ventilation outlets for the Climatronic system.

Boot space is a Golf wagon-rivalling 480 litres, with cleverly designed side pockets. With the rear seats folded forwards, that capacity expands to 1460 litres, making Fabia RS highly versatile.

First impressions behind the wheel are of the added stiffness compared to the cooking model 77TSI Fabia . Indeed, the RS is properly firm in both low and high speed situations, but the payback for that is in the control the suspension has over the chassis when the going gets twisty.

Just like it looks, the wagon feels narrow and tall, but turn-in is positive with good levels of grip and a decent resistance to understeer. It’s when you re-apply power that the histrionics start. With stability control engaged, you have the benefit of the VAG ‘Extended Electronic Differential Lock’ which brakes the inside front wheel to reduce understeer. In this example, the system is too quick to cut in, quelling forward motion far sooner than expected.

Switching out the stability control reveals why -- natural traction isn’t the Fabia’s strong suit, the rabid engine quickly dissolving the inner front tyre into wheelspin. It is perhaps too stiff in the front-end; softening it up would assist traction, particularly on bumpy roads. Fabia RS would also benefit from the 10mm wider rubber found on the Polo GTI.

Nevertheless, it’s an entertaining handler, as long as you are smooth with your inputs. Rely on the engine’s torque spread by using one gear higher than you normally would and progress is more fluid.

The 1.4 pulls solidly from 1500rpm with a keen note that makes the 2.0-litre turbo found in the Golf GTI sound flat, yet at a cruise it goes about its business with little noise intrusion to the cabin. Delivery intensifies at 5000rpm before running happily to redline.

Even its fuel economy is impressive; we were able to hit the combined fuel claim (albeit on lightly trafficked highway roads). Pressing on, that increased to only 11.7L/100km; astounding for the level of performance on offer.

A perfect foil, the DSG twin-clutch transmission remains responsive and energetic in a way of which a traditional auto can only dream. There is still some initial creep evident, but it proves a willing accomplice to the ever-eager engine.

Four-wheel vented discs, with single piston sliding-calipers up front, provide consistent feel and do a solid job of hauling down 1248kg (the hatch is the heavier of the two at 1253kg.

As an overall ownership proposition, Fabia RS Wagon makes a lot of sense if you are after an individual, small family-orientated alternative to a hot hatch. It’s reasonably well equipped, has understated looks, and has undeniable packaging advantages.

That it can also deliver a fun drive makes it a compelling option in this sector.

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