Fabia 130 First Look: The Tiny Škoda With Big Speed

Škoda is celebrating one hundred thirty years of making clever, quick cars with a Fabia that finally wears its heritage on its sleeve. Called Fabia 130, it takes the well loved Monte Carlo recipe and turns the volume up. Under the bonnet sits a reworked one point five liter TSI EVO two engine tuned to deliver one hundred seventy seven metric horsepower and one hundred thirty kilowatts. Peak power arrives between five thousand seven hundred fifty and six thousand revolutions per minute, while two hundred fifty newton meters of torque chimes in from just one thousand five hundred revolutions per minute. Real-world translation: the smallest Škoda with a big grin.

The dual clutch seven speed gearbox has been taught new tricks. In Sport mode it now uses double clutch downshifts, pushes shift points higher for stronger acceleration, and tweaks the brake-and-go logic so the car lunges back into the throttle the instant you ask. The stopwatch backs it up: zero to sixty two miles per hour in seven point four seconds and a top speed of one hundred forty two miles per hour. Midrange pace is where it really lives, with thirty seven to sixty two miles per hour taking three point eight seconds and fifty to seventy miles per hour in four point eight seconds. That is quick for a car you can parallel park with one hand.

Power is only fun if the chassis wants to play, so the Fabia 130 gets sports suspension lowered by fifteen millimeters, recalibrated steering, and eighteen inch Libra alloys that fill the arches just right. Normal and Sport driving modes change steering weight and throttle response, while the two stage Anti Slip Regulation can be relaxed or switched off when conditions allow. Pair Anti Slip Regulation Sport with Electronic Stability Control Sport and you get more slip, later intervention, and the sort of balance that flatters a keen driver without forgetting about safety.

The look is all confidence without shouting. Choose Moon White, Velvet Red, Race Blue, or Black Magic, each paired with a gloss black roof, pillars, and mirrors. There are motorsport-inspired black front and rear spoilers, a rear diffuser, smoked headlamp housings, and a bold black horizontal rear stripe that nods to the Fabia Rally two livery. Special one three zero badges and twin exhaust finishers complete the stance. It is subtle from far away and serious up close.

Inside, it feels like a proper little driver’s car that still does the day to day. Electric sports seats with firm side bolsters hold you in place, a three spoke multifunction steering wheel with paddles sits perfectly in hand, and stainless steel pedals set the tone. Grey and black aluminum trim runs across the dash and doors, and bespoke Fabia 130 sill plates make every entry a reminder that this one is special. Tech is covered with a ten inch Virtual Cockpit and a nine point two inch infotainment display for seamless connectivity.

For the United Kingdom, Fabia 130 sits at the top of the range from thirty nine thousand nine hundred ninety five pounds on the road, with order books opening on October thirty. Standard kit fits the flagship brief: metallic paint, bi light emitting diode headlamps, keyless start and entry, a rear camera, voice control, privacy glass, and those eighteen inch Libra alloys.

This car is more than a trim package. It is a clear handshake between showrooms and special stages. The Fabia name has carried Škoda to rally glory for decades, and the 130 brings that spirit to a car you can commute in, run errands with, and then take the long road home just because the corners look good.