From some angles the new Fabia references the original; from others it is reminiscent of the Suzuki Swift, particularly the black window pillars that give the appearance of a separate roofline.
Despite its inherited underpinnings and identical wheelbase, the new Fabia’s basic dimensions differ considerably from the outgoing model’s. Narrower, taller and longer, the overall effect is of a smaller, nimbler car. This is a clever visual trick, because the new Fabia is more spacious in every respect. The greatest gain comes in the 47mm increase in height, bringing objective benefits in extra headroom and subjective benefits in perceived spaciousness. Rear-seat passengers are the greatest beneficiaries of this; there’s now enough headroom and legroom to accommodate 6ft adults.
With the capacity to seat four, or five at a pinch, it’s a boon to also find that the Fabia’s usefully shaped boot swallows 300 litres, 40 litres more than before and ahead of anything else in the class. The boot has useful shopping bag hooks, a basket for loose items and two positions for the parcel shelf.
The driver’s seat adjusts for height and the steering column for both reach and rake. All our test drivers found a naturally comfortable, relaxed seating position. Our only criticism is the seats’ poor lateral support.
The cabin architecture has familiar VW-sourced switchgear, arranged efficiently but with a shade more idiosyncracy than you’d find in a Polo. Everything is clear, easy to use and inoffensively designed.
On close inspection, it’s clear that money has been spent on the tactile surfaces, while in other less conspicuous areas (the roof lining, for instance) the finish is less convincing. That said, in ambience and finish the new Fabia betters the current VW Polo by some margin, squeezes ahead of the Clio and comes close to unseating the Corsa as our favourite supermini interior.