Following a long teaser campaign, Volkswagen’s Czech Republic-based Škoda division has introduced the next generation of its Fabia city car. Riding on an evolution of the Volkswagen Polo’s platform, the new Fabia will greet the public for the first time at the Paris Motor Show that will open its doors to the public next October.
The next Fabia loses current model’s cute look in favor of a more chiseled design inspired by recent Škodas such as the Passat-sized Octavia sedan and the VisionC concept. The hatchback’s front end features an angular radiator grille with vertical slats and sharp headlights, while the rear end gains C-shaped headlights and a more sculpted hatch.
Škoda is keeping pictures of the interior under wraps until the Fabia’s formal debut in the French capital.
The Fabia will be offered with a wide array of three- and four-cylinder engines borrowed from the Volkswagen parts bin. Base gasoline-burning models will come with a 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine rated at 60 horsepower, while buyers after more grunt will be able to opt for a 1.2-liter that makes 110 ponies.
At launch, the Fabia will be available with a lone 1.4-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder tuned to generate either 75 or 105 horsepower. A 75-horsepower 1.4-liter TDI mill with a standard start/stop system will join the lineup later in the production run.
All engines will send power to the front wheels only. Most models will come standard with a manual transmission, but select trim levels will offer a dual-clutch unit at an extra cost.
Although the performance-focused RS model will not be renewed due to disappointing sales, the Czech firm will reportedly gun for premium city cars like the Fiat 500 with a trendy, highly-customizable model tentatively dubbed Fabia Monte Carlo.
After greeting the show-going public in Paris, the 2015 Škoda Fabia will go on sale across Europe in select global markets early next year.