Skoda Fabia Estate (08 on) - Review

The new Fabia is taller and fractionally longer than before, allowing extra head and legroom for all passengers. There’s loads of room in the front while legroom in the back is impressive for a car of this size, however adults may feel a little squashed in the back and the downward sloping roof and narrow rear seats are better suited to children. Wind and road noise are kept low - however the diesel models are particularly noisy – especially at speed. The ride is exemplary though and copes superbly with potholes and lumps in the road.

It may be a small estate but the Fabia Estate's boot is impressively large with 480 litres of luggage room behind the rear seats - that's more than a BMW 3-Series Touring. The rear seats split and fold down to boost the overall carrying capacity to 1,480 litres - again, more than many larger estate cars. This makes it ideal for families and there are plenty of useful features throughout the well-designed cabin. The air-conditioned glovebox (available on higher spec models), driver’s armrest and roomy door bins are helpful, while rear passengers share a central cupholder to avoid any spillages. Family buyers would be sensible to opt for darker interior fabrics as the cream upholstery doesn’t look durable and chocolate smudges or blackcurrant stains may prove tricky to clean. The roomy boot also has handy hooks and a luggage net to keep things neat and tidy.

The cabin is functional and robust but not particularly stylish. Skoda has attempted to boost the ambience by adding some metal look plastics while lighter trims are also available but while the materials used are good quality the cabin feels a little utilitarian. The switches and controls are well placed though and intuitive to use while the dials are particularly clear and easy to read. Thanks to plenty of adjustment in the driver's seat and steering wheel it's easy to find a comfortable driving position.