Skoda Fabia vRS road test
The one thing a hot hatch has to be is involving and the Fabia vRS manages to pass this test – although not perhaps as easily as some of its competitors. The steering is certainly accurate enough, but there’s not a huge amount of feedback to let the driver know exactly what the wheels are doing at any particular time. However, there’s lots of grip available to instill confidence, thanks in part to the XDS electronic differential and the ESP traction control that’s fitted as standard. It also feels stable and well balanced, and resists body roll very well when cornering at speed. With a car that has the kind of sporty character you’ll find in the Fabia vRS, you’d expect a firm suspension set-up, which it has. However, it’s not crashy or overly intrusive and while it is firm, it’s what a hot hatch driver will expect.
Skoda has established itself as a carmaker with a strong reputation for reliability, banishing the jokes of 20 years ago to the dustbin of comedic history. Today, Skoda is the sixth-best manufacturer in the JD Power customer satisfaction survey (the Fabia is a creditable 37th in the league table of cars) and Warranty Direct’s Reliability Index gives the previous generation Fabia an above-average score. With these accolades in mind, buyers should have no reliability concerns about investing in the vRS version: it should be mechanically sound thanks to tried and tested components used across the Volkswagen Group. The build quality is also sound enough, feeling well screwed together and pretty robust. However the interior is a little disappointing, filled as it is with rather cheap, hard plastics. The Fabia is built to a budget compared to some of its competitors, but Skoda should have tried harder to make the cabin a bit more pleasant.
Read the full Skoda Fabia vRS road test on RoadTestReports.co.uk
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