Fabia comes with an exceptional build quality and this is one striking feature that you will notice right from the moment you test drive a Fabia. It comes with Volkswagon and Audi trademark engine and the first few hundred kilometers that I put in gave me 21 kmpl at 80:20 highway to city driving. The interiors are a pleasure, with rear AC vents (first in the class in India) and et cetera. The features, for sure, are many to bowl you over. The best part is the thud sound with which the door closes, and that no empty metal noise can be heard at all. The door is so hefty and heavy (again an epitome of the highest build quality) that you will instantly be in awe about the vehicle. The safety features are first of the kind in this segment and the parktronic display, computerised displays add to that x-factor. The vehicle can safely reach 35 kmph in 2nd gear and speeds of up to 70 kmph can be achieved in the third gear without feeling abrupt about the vibrations. Even when you are only at 1000 rpm and say in the 4th gear, the car gives no experience of zerks whatsoever and does not stop. It has heating coils in the external mirrors, which means that the driver need not bother about wiping them in the rainy season. When you look at the car, you can understand that how every minute detail has been taken care of. Behind the bumper comes a solid metal support and in the case of any accident it is an added protection plus that if the accident causes any damage then - instead of replacing the bumper, we can just get it dented.
The cons
- The electric sun roof is a fashion statement. How much will the conventional Indian customer embrace the Fabia, more so because the luxury hatchback is priced at 8 lacs, (when Tata, Maruti, GM and even Hyundai will give you sedans in this price) is a million dollar question?
- The diesel engine is noisy, but we do not feel it from inside. From the outside, when you ignite the engine, it for sure makes noise
- I experienced no big turbo lag whatsoever as people often complain with diesel engines
But, for someone who enjoys driving-self and wants to live the pleasure of European driving, the Fabia is a car wonder. It has just about 300 L of bootspace and the legroom is adequate. For me, it is more of a highly personal car than a traditional Indian family car. 'You drive it for the sake of it' Fabia delivers to this set of customers.
Perhaps, only the highly rated minicooper can take a Fabia Elegance on for a competition in the premium hatchback class. Buy it if you are not very cost conscious.....otherwise, there are other conventional options in the price range of 5 to 8 lacs...