2015 Skoda Fabia unveiled at the 2014 Paris Motor Show
Rubbing shoulders with all the exotic, shiny metal at the 2014 Paris Motor Show was the new Skoda Fabia, set to hit showrooms in Europe early next year.
So what's new in the 2015 Skoda Fabia? Well, while its length remains the same, it's got a sharper waistline stretching from the headlamps to the tail lamps, lending it a longer appearance. A 90mm wider wheelbase  means more room for passengers, even though the height has been stunted by 30mm. Other highlights on the outside include a contoured bonnet and a chrome-framed grille. The new design, Skoda says, "has a much better balance" and that it adds "a pinch of sharpness" to the older version of the car.
On the inside, the boot space has been increased from 315 to 330 litres, while Skoda claims that 1,195 litres open up with the rear seats folded. A revised dashboard with touchscreen comes as standard in all the variants, while the top trim boasts a 6.5-inch display with smartphone MirrorLink function, along with a reversing camera.
There are three variants that'll be offered in Europe - starting with the S trim at £10,600 (roughly Rs 10 lakh) which gets you Bluetooth, DAB, electric front windows and six airbags as standard.
The SE trim comes at prices starting at £12,760. The extra £2,000 (close to Rs 2 lakh) gets you an air-con, alloy wheels, front parking sensors, a MirrorLink infotainment system and a leather steering wheel. The most premium trim on offer, though, is the Elegance, costing a further £850 and it comes with larger 16-inch alloys, automatic air-con, a multi-function steering wheel, cruise control. keyless entry and the reversing camera we mentioned earlier.
Under the hood, there is quite a range of options available. The big deal is that for the first time, Skoda Fabia features the Volkswagen Polo's 59PS and 74PS 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol mills. Customers can also opt for the 1.2-litre TSI (also seen in the Polo) in two states of tune - at 89 and 109PS respectively. For those who prefer diesel, there is an 89PS 1.4 TDI available for all three variants while the 104PS version of this engine comes exclusively with the top end Elegance trim. These diesel mills are also touted to be greener options, with a claimed CO2 emission of 90g/km.
With a host of engine options and claims of great fuel economy, this new Fabia might just be the hottest seller in India. We can expect it to hit our shores soon after its international launch. Fingers crossed.