Lucky dip for Skoda with its sparkling Fabia Monte Carlo

Published on 10 December, 2022

Overview

I know it sounds strange to report this week’s new car took me back a while. Not because it is old-fashioned – it most definitely is not. Neither is it because it has a link with rally racing for decades.

No, my special edition Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo (there’s the historical link with rallying I mentioned) just reminded me of the time, before the great surge of, and to, electric cars, when driving a one-litre petrol hatchback was more the rule than the exception. But all is not changed – yet. 

The Fabia, not merely this special edition, remains a relevant choice of car for many, as do several rivals in what is loosely called the supermini market sector. 

It still accounts for a sizeable percentage of new cars sold and will do so until small, cheaper electric vehicles make an impact. That is still some way off. 

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However, as an indication of where things are ultimately headed, production of one rival, the Ford Fiesta, is to cease next June. Sad.

I kept such thoughts to a minimum, however, as I drove the “Monte” on an unusually large number of drives and, on more than one occasion, carrying four people and a portion of luggage in what is, for a car of its class, a good-sized boot.

The Monte name is by way of linking the brand to a lengthy association with successes in the Monte Carlo rally (since 1936, according to Skoda when the brand’s Rapid Coupé finished second in its class).

The Fabia has always been one of the more spacious small cars – hence the ability to take four adults – and this new one benefits in that respect from being based on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB-A0 platform.

That creates the space, and enables more comfort and an array of safety and assistance systems.

But I was disappointed with the gear change and its tendency to chug a little when slowing down sometimes.

Other than that the 5spd transmission worked well with the one-litre engine, which is a well-proven powerplant used by many Volkswagen group models.

Despite its glamorous special-edition name, the model on test never strayed far from being primarily a practical entity. It was a matter of steady-as-she-goes more than anything else. The zero to 100kmh time of 10.6 seconds says everything that needs to be said on performance.

Maybe I was expecting more, given the striking paintwork and proliferation of emblems and special effects. How easily such adornments build anticipation.

But let nothing get in the way of how sturdy a performance this put in over the 10 days I had it on the road on long and short runs.

I can’t emphasise that enough. It really worked hard in the course of the lengthy tests.

And I reckoned on 5.3litres/100km, which is lower consumption than I expected given the amount of heavily-laden driving that I undertook on occasion.

If they worked hard on producing an effective basic formula, they worked every bit as diligently on sprucing up the car.

As mentioned, numerous bits and pieces bedeck the inside and exterior. So, for example, it gets high-gloss black elements (radiator grille trim, front spoiler, wing mirror covers and rear diffuser). And mine came in a wonderful, blazing orange hue.

There are also front-wing Monte Carlo badges, black wheels and 16in Proxima alloys. Inside there is a black ceiling, front sports seats and, on the test car, the option of a virtual cockpit – which makes infotainment and interaction straightforward.

Would I buy the Monte Carlo? Is it a solid buy or merely a throw of the dice to be different? 

Well, first off you really do pay for it. My test car costs north of €27,000.

It’s a lot of money. A lot. But then looking at what it’s got to offer, it is easy to see how the price can creep up.

But I do think it needs a spark other than the standout exterior colour and the smartly decorated cabin.

I think people would expect it to have been more dynamic. Granted, a perfectly sound suspension underpinned its solidity and sure-footedness on the road, but I’d have liked a bit more sprightliness about it for that sort of money.

And yet, there was something about it. Maybe it was the near novelty of driving a car with an internal combustion engine as opposed to vehicles with battery packs and electric motors. But is that a reason to buy? Not to my way of thinking.

If I was buying it would be primarily for the practical elements and I’d see the special edition bits as a temptation to splash out thereafter.

Fact file: Skoda Fabia special edition

Monte Carlo 5dr hatch; one-litre TSI 95hp, 5spd, 118g/km, €190 tax, 5.2l/100km; 0-100kmh in 10.6 secs.

Test-car price €25,690; with options €27,482.

Spec includes 16in black alloys, Bolero entertainment system, 8in touchscreen display, “Monte Carlo” fabric, leather upholstery, sport’s steering wheel. 

Optional extras include: virtual cockpit, rear-view camera.

Monte Carlo pack: dual zone air con, wireless charging.

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