2018 Skoda Fabia prices and specifications

Skoda has revealed prices and specifications for the new Fabia, its popular rival to the Ford Fiesta. The car will start at £12,840 and is on sale now, with first deliveries scheduled for September.

The updated Fabia looks sleeker than its predecessor thanks to new LED daytime running lights incorporated into a narrower headlight design, a revised bonnet and front grille, plus a tweaked rear bumper.

Trim levels remain the same, so buyers have five to choose from, starting with entry-level S, followed by SE and SE L, plus the sporty Monte Carlo and style-focused Colour Edition. All trims benefit from a sprinkling of extra equipment; additions include LED daytime running lights and a trip computer for the S model, 15-inch alloy wheels and foglights for the SE, which starts at £14,115, new 16-inch alloy wheels in white, silver or black for the Colour Edition, which starts at £14,665, and sat-nav and 16-inch alloy wheels for the SE L, which starts at £15,205.

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The Fabia Monte Carlo starts at £16,785 and now comes with climate control, LED rear lights, electric rear windows and a new seat fabric, while the Colour Edition gets 16-inch alloy wheels in white, silver or black. LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are offered as options on certain models for the first time.

The options list includes adaptive cruise control, a rear view camera, driver fatigue assistant, full LED headlights, blind spot detection and rear traffic alert.

The engine range consists of three petrol options from launch. A 74bhp 1.0-litre MPI is fitted in the entry-level model, while buyers are also able to choose from a more modern and powerful turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine, producing either 94 or 109bhp. A 59bhp version of the MPI engine will be added to the petrol-only line-up at the start of 2019.

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The 2018 Skoda Fabia comes with the manufacturer’s ‘Simply Clever’ features. This is how Skoda describes small but useful features fitted to its cars. They include an ice scraper stowed behind the fuel filler cap, which now has a gauge for measuring tyre tread depth built into it.

With more than four million sales to date, and 500,000 sales of the current Fabia, Skoda’s Ford Fiesta rival is one of the firm’s most popular models. The new car starts at £12,840, rising to £18,750 for a top-spec estate version. Orders are being taken now, with first deliveries to be made in September 2018.