Check out the brand-new Skoda Fabia

Larger, safer and more efficient – that’s how Skoda is pitching this all-new fourth generation Fabia, and here ends our news story about said car.

Just kidding, but this is actually all nice and simple. Volkswagen has just facelifted the Polo, but its Skoda sibling is half a generation behind, so this is the Fabia catching up and joining the Polo on the Group’s modular MQB-A0 platform.

That means it’s a much bigger car than before. It’s 111mm longer, taking a Fabia hatch above 4m long for the first time, and 48mm wider. That allows Skoda to smugly claim that even though the old 330-litre boot was the biggest in its class, it’s now grown by an extra 50-litres. Mmmm, boot space.

With a drag coefficient of 0.28 it’s the most aerodynamic supermini about too. Like the looks? It’s a little more friendly than the refreshed Polo, isn’t it? You can have wheels that range from anywhere between 14 and 18-inches.

It’s safer because the new platform allows for extra active and passive systems. There are nine airbags and things like Travel Assist, Park Assist and Manoeuvre Assist on top spec models, whilst the body itself is stiffer than the previous gen’s.

There’ll be five engine options worldwide (although which will come to the UK hasn’t been announced yet), with each being a member of the VW Group’s current EVO generation. That means two 1.0-litre, three-cylinder multi-point injection petrol engines with 64bhp and 79bhp respectively as well as two direct-injection 1.0 TSI engines with 94bhp and 109bhp. Top spec is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder with 148bhp, a 7spd DSG gearbox and ‘active cylinder technology’ that shuts down two cylinders when engine load is low.

Skoda has confirmed a more sporting Monte Carlo variant will arrive soon, but our fingers are crossed for a proper vRS.

Inside the new Fabia there’s the option of a 9.2-inch touchscreen, plus the potential for a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster – a first for Skoda’s supermini. There’ll be three trim levels simply named S, SE and SE L. Lovely.

What do we think, folks?