Skoda Fabia 2015 News

Czech brand Skoda and British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) have revealed which models will be recalled as part of the wide-spread mandatory Takata airbag call back.

Skoda’s all-new Fabia may trail new generations of the Mazda2 and Honda Jazz by nearly 12 months, along with the latest refresh of its VW Polo mechanical twin, but the Czech brand has equipped even the cheapest version its light-hatch challenger with two of modern motoring’s biggest must-haves.Matching the $15,990 starting price of the previous model, the 2015 Skoda Fabia comes standard with Skoda’s City Emergency Brake AEB system, and is one of the first vehicles on the Australian market to score the Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink smartphone integration systems.To boost the new model’s appeal even further, Skoda is offering all versions of the new Fabia with free on-road costs for the rest of 2015. Unlike its predecessor, the new Fabia rolls on the very latest version of the VW Polo’s architecture, while also matching the current Polo’s 1.2-litre turbo petrol engines.The Fabia brings the same 66kW/160Nm 66TSI and 81kW/175Nm 81TSI configurations as the Polo, but consolidates its offerings by limiting the 66TSI to a five-speed manual transmission and the 81TSI as the only version available with a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch auto.These drivetrain upgrades have also brought efficiency gains, with all versions matching the Polo’s best combined figure of 4.8L/100km. Helping the Fabia achieve this figure is Skoda’s Green Tech stop/start system and regenerative braking alternator.Both the hatch and wagon bodystyles are available with either engine spec, with the more powerful automatic 81TSI commanding a $4300 premium over the 66TSI and the wagon bodystyle costing an extra $1150 in either grade.Along with the standard AEB system, all new Fabias come with rear parking sensors and carry a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, improving on the four-star previous model.In the cabin, the multimedia system now features a 6.5-inch touchscreen with VW’s SmartLink multimedia system which offers smartphone connectivity using Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink to cover iPhone 5 onwards and all current Android phones. These systems generally utilise the satnav on your phone, however built-in VW satnav is also available as a $950 option.The base 66TSI comes with a leather multifunction steering wheel, heated door mirrors, tyre pressure monitoring system, ISOFIX anchorage points and rides on 15-inch steel wheels.The 81TSI adds cruise control and 15-inch alloys.Seats-up storage space in the boot is improved on both models with hatch's 305-litre capacity and the wagon's 505 litres representing 5L and 25L gains respectively.With the rear seats folded however, both models offer slightly less storage than before. Capacity in the hatch is now 1125 litres (down 40L) and the wagon 1370L (down 90L).The Fabia hatch's storage capacity is still greater than the 20mm shorter Polo hatch's 280L/952L (seats up/down).An optional $1300 Travel Pack is available for the 66TSI which adds cruise control, fatigue detection, LED daytime running lights and 16-inch alloys.Available for the 81TSI, the $1200 Sports Pack adds 15mm lower sports suspension, front fog lights, LED daytime running lights, fatigue detection and 17-inch alloys.Also available for the 81TSI is a $2600 Premium Sports Pack which adds the features of the Sports Pack plus auto wipers, climate control, flat-bottom sports steering wheel, keyless start and digital radio.All three option packs are also available with Skoda's Colour Concept pack (extra $300 66TSI, no cost 81TSI), which offers an alternating selection of body, roof and wheel colours.

ANCAP's latest round of crash testing has brought with it the maximum five-star safety rating for Skoda's new Fabia, the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Holden's rebadged Astra range.The Fabia was lauded by ANCAP CEO Nicholas Clarke for its inclusion of autonomous emergency braking (AEB) technology as a standard feature across the entire range. AEB is currently rarity in the Skoda's class, even as an option.A recent international study found that an AEB-equipped car was 38 per cent less likely to be involved in a rear-end collision, with Clarke adding the increased adoption of the safety tech would "contribute to a further reduction in the number and severity of road crashes".AEB works by monitoring the road ahead of a vehicle, and automatically applying the brakes if it detects an obstruction.The five-star safety rating applies to all hatch and wagon variants of the Fabia.Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 models also picked up the maximum safety rating from ANCAP, marking an improvement from the previous four-star rating attained in 2011.The four-star rating came about as a result of a poor performance in the frontal-offset crash test, where the Grand Cherokee only scored 9.95 out of 16. A minimum score of 12.5 in that test was a requirement for five-star eligibility.However, V6 models built after March 2013 feature structural and seat design upgrades to help address criticisms of the previous model's dashboard components and seat slide mechanism.ANCAP has also officially recognised the new Holden Astra, continuing the five-star rating the model previously carried when sold here wearing Opel badges.

The single slot in the dashboard is gradually being replaced by a new wave of touchscreens that mirror the display of the latest smartphones, as more people use Bluetooth or USB connections to listen to music stored on their phones.The new apps mean everything from text messages, music and navigation can be used via the car's built-in screen or steering wheel controls -- so drivers don't need to fiddle with their phones, the fines for which exceed $400 and are up to four demerit points in some states.The first car in Australia with built-in Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirrorlink apps is due on sale this week.But it's not a mega-dollar luxury car, customarily first with the latest technology.Rather it comes from an unlikely source: a $15,990 hatchback from the Volkswagen-owned Czech brand Skoda.The new Skoda Fabia will lead a massive rollout of the technology on the rest of the Volkswagen line-up: from August, almost every model in the VW passenger car range will have an app-based audio system and relegate the CD player to the glovebox.Suzuki will be next, with Apple CarPlay likely to be standard on the new generation Vitara SUV, before Mercedes-Benz introduces it on an updated version of it's A-Class hatch late in the year.Surprisingly, Holden was among the first to drop CD players from its cars.Certain Barina models have been without a CD player since December 2012, while the Colorado ute and SUV haven't been able to take a compact disc since November 2013.Peugeot's 208 hatchback hasn't had a CD player since September 2012, and the Citroen Grand Picasso people mover ditched it in February 2014.Much like the tape decks of old, the days of CD players are numberedThe most affordable version of the Hyundai i30 hatchback -- Australia's best selling car last month -- lost its CD player in April this year, and the Kia Sorento family SUV dropped it with the release of the latest model in June.The industry is divided on the issue, with a CD player on all cars sold by market leader Toyota, number two brand Mazda, and other Top 10 players Nissan, Mitsubishi, Honda, Subaru and Ford.European brands seem to be the most determined to leave the CD player behind."Much like the tape decks of old, the days of CD players are numbered," says Glenn Reid, the product manager at Citroen Australia."As we introduce all new models, we will progressively phase out CD players as customers move to Bluetooth streaming and USB as the primary means of taking their music with them."Peugeot 208 hatch, September 2012Peugeot 2008 SUV, October 2013Holden Barina CDX, December 2012Holden Trax SUV, September 2013Holden Colorado ute, November 2013Holden Colorado SUV, November 2013Citroen Grand Picasso, February 2014Citroen Picasso, February 2015Hyundai i30 Active, April 2015Hyundai i30 Active X, April 2015Kia Sorento SUV, June 2015

Music, traffic information, navigation and cloud-based vehicle management will all be happening via the internet, most likely through a SIM card mounted in the car but also through connected mobile phones.Connexion Media chief executive George Parthimos is planning to be an integral part of moving cars online and already the little Aussie company has outfoxed some much bigger rivals by getting accreditation from large car companies such as General Motors to supply applications and hardware.That is not a guarantee of success but given that car model runs can continue for up to seven years, it is a very handy foot in the door.Connexion's miRoamer system is now available as an option in the new Skoda Fabia and in many Volkswagen models, using a MirrorLink that allows a plugged in mobile phone to provide data for built-in systems.However, the big new development for the company is the imminent launch of a plug-in diagnostic device that will be able to keep real-time tabs on a wide variety of vehicle data.That could be particularly useful for hire car fleets, with drivers able to be warned if they are breaching rules such as speed, engine revs or straying on to a dirt road."You can set a range of alarms and notifications and it is a great opportunity to change driver behaviour in real time," explained Mr Parthimos.It could also be a great way to raise some extra revenue if certain boxes have been ticked in a rental agreement.For other fleets, the opportunity to know where trucks or cars are at any time and get relevant information such as vehicle mileage and an approaching service should be well worth the estimated two minutes of productivity improvement a day that is required to pay for the system.Longer term, Mr Parthimos has plenty of apps and hardware to keep Connexion at the forefront of cars with built-in SIM cards but the current products should start some useful cash flow this year. A speculative buy.Many biotechnology companies are great at coming up with alternative uses of their research.Cancer treatment company Circadian is a good example, with a highly promising eye treatment now one of the keys to the company's future.While it has three solid tumour cancer compounds in clinical testing with large pharmaceutical partners, the treatment for age-related wet macular degeneration of the eyes (AMD) could well be a company maker on its own.With an estimated US market alone of greater than $5 billion a year and the incidence of AMD increasing as the population ages, it is a major commercial opportunity and a chance to slow down the major cause of blindness in people aged 55 or older.The two existing drugs for the condition block the action of what is known as VEGF-A while the Circadian treatment blocks VEGF-C and D.Either on its own or in conjunction with the existing drugs, Circadian's OPT-302 drug holds the promise of preventing the blood vessel growth and leakage that lead to wet macular degeneration.Chief executive Dr Megan Baldwin said testing in mice had shown a significant improvement compared to treatment with existing drugs alone.Circadian has assembled an impressive range of US and Australian AMD experts for its clinical board, including some who helped develop the existing AMD treatments.A speculative buy, given the size of the world market for a better eye treatment.

The charge will be led by the Skoda Fabia small car range and the Yeti compact SUV, with both aiming to provide an entry-point for the Czech range as well as its VW parent when launched at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne mid-year. The Fabia small-car range will kick off with a hatchback model in manual petrol form - using the 77kW TSI engine - as well as a Monte Carlo model, with DSG and wagon models to follow later in the year. A hot RS variant - with 132kW and only a DSG transmission - is also set for touchdown before the end of 2011. The Yeti compact SUV will be the second star for Melbourne, with both two and four-wheel drive versions on the list of vehicles Skoda hopes will bring in younger buyers, with an emphasis on tapping the female side of the market. Local brand boss Matthew Wiesner says the two small vehicles will be price-competitive in the two fast-growing segments and have buyer appeal. "The Yeti will have very broad appeal, the whole segment is evolving with 2WD and 4WD, there's a strong younger buyer part to that 2WD segment," he says. "The Fabia - hatch, wagon, Monte Carlo and RS - offers a mix of vehicles for younger buyers, the wagon will get some older buyers in as well," Mr Wiesner says. The Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne will see these two debut, as well as the Skoda brand's new-look logo and refreshed brand personality first seen at the recent Geneva motor show. Wiesner is aiming to double the Skoda sales figure of 1632 (a 31 per cent improvement on 2009) for 2010 this year, with 2012 expected to double that already-lofty 2011 target. "We will go close to doubling our 2010 volumes this year, and again doubling that effort for 2012" he says. Wiesner says the brand's representatives in the larger segments are hamstrung by supply that's well short of demand - the Superg flagship will be expanded the front and all-wheel drive offerings for the large car range. "We'll be adding the 103 TDI drivetrain that's in the new Scout to the Superb range." The Octavia Scout could also have another engine on offer - "We'll see how it goes, a petrol TSI engine would be nice if and when it becomes available, there's still a significant petrol market there," he says.

The facelifted Fabia hatch unveiled at the Geneva motor show is now firmly in contention thanks to more favourable exchange rates that should bring a sub-$20,000 starting price. Until now, and despite coming from the Czech republic, the Fabia would have been a $25,000-plus car and that would have priced it well above the baby Polo and close to the Golf which come from the same Volkswagen Group product pen. And that means it would have been well beyond the reach for budget-conscious Australian buyers. But Skoda is finally getting a Fabia plan that could work, building it around the hot RS model which starred for the brand in Geneva and pushing hard for a value starter car. “There’s still some way to go but clearly the RS would make a great halo car. It’s high on our wish list," says the head of Skoda in Australia, Matthew Wiesner. He says the success of the company’s existing performance flagships, the Octavia RS sedan and wagon, means there is a ready fit for the Fabia RS, which is also available as a hatch and wagon. “It would be in good company,” he says. The go-faster Fabia RS gets a Volkswagen-developed turbocharged 1.4-litre TSI engine that develops 132kW/250Nm. So the Fabia will hit 100km/h in 7.3 seconds and has a top speed of 224km/h. Like Volkswagen's Polo GTi, the RS also gets a seven-speed DSG gearbox with paddle shifters. Wiesner says Skoda Australia has been trying to make the numbers work for the Fabia for 18 months but Czech costs and unfavourable exchanges rates have been a problem. The Fabia is the car always needed for Skoda in Australia, as the quirky Roomster has struggled for sales and the Octavia and full-sized Superb (both very good cars), have not been able to draw the youthful converts needed to give the brand any real traction. “If you look at the areas we’ve launched in, we’ve had to battle into very traditional conservative segments. We’ve effectively been the Octavia car company but that’s changing and we’re seeing that with the Superb," Wiesner says. If the Fabia does get the green light, it is likely to sit at the top of the light-car segment and go head-to-head with its Volkswagen Group cousin, the Polo. It too, has recently been updated, but with a complete overhaul that should give it a much better bottom line for Australia. Apart from the Fabia, Wiesner says the Yeti soft-roader remains Skoda's main new-model priority. The high-rider wagon was unveiled last year at the Paris Motor Show. “The whole focus has been on Yeti, and from a brand volume and dealer perspective it has probably been more important than the Fabia,” Wiesner says. “The compact SUV segment is continuing to get stronger, which makes the Yeti very important for us. I think that once we’ve got a full complement of Yeti derivatives it will have a far greater impact than the Octavia." The Yeti is a Volkswagen Tiguan sized off-roader and set to arrive by the end of the year, when it will be available in both front and all-wheel drive with diesel and petrol engines.

At the car’s unveiling in Geneva yesterday, Skoda Australia boss, Matthew Wiesner, says favourable currency rates are now putting the Fabia into the picture for Australia. “There’s still some way to go but clearly the RS would make a great halo car,” he says. “It’s high on the agenda.” Wiesner says the Fabia RS would be a good fit with the company’s Octavia RS range. For the time being the company is focused on the Yeti, which is set to arrive by the end of the year. The VW Tiguan size off-roader will be available in both front and all-wheel drive. The RS uses a VW sourced 1.4-litre TSI engine with 132kW and 250Nm from 2000 revs, and can hit 100km/h in 7.3 seconds and has a top speed of 224km/h.

The Toyota Yaris-size Fabia is considered to be a good sales prospect in the current market. However, currency exchange rates are making it difficult to build a case for the light car locally, Skoda spokesman Karl Gehling says. Earlier this year the head of Skoda Australia, Matthew Weisner, gave a glimmer of hope by saying that the Fabia RS Concept shown at Geneva could be the best way to launch the car here. The RS could help launch Fabia with a top-down strategy. Like Suzuki and its Alto, Skoda also has an option of sourcing the future Fabias from a low-cost country like India, where the car will be built alongside the new-generation Polo. The RS uses a 1.4-litre TSI four cylinder engine, from the Golf, which has a turbocharger and supercharger for performance and economy.

The Fabia RS Concept was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show last month and is being targeted as the best way to bring the Skoda starter car to Australia. The RS uses the 1.4-litre TSI sports engine from the Volkswagen Group, with a combination of a supercharger and turbocharger, as well as a body kit which pumps the car out to a similar look to Czech company's latest S2000 rally challenger. "We've said this is where we need to be with the Fabia to make it work in Australia. It's exciting stuff," says the head of Skoda, Mathew Wiesner. "If we can get a hero car like that then it could be a better option, to feed the car in from the top down. Particularly given that many of our colleagues in the industry have been looking at going the other way." The Fabia RS, which will be built under the company's V-sport division, is headed for the road in Europe next year and Wiesner would like to get it as soon as possible. The brand has just re-worked its Octavia range and is also planning for the arrival of the prestige Superb before the end of this year. "The timing is 2010 in Europe so it would be the second half of 2010, at the earliest, for us," Wiesner says. But work on the regular Fabia models is still stalling on prices, as Skoda would need to get the car well under the $20,000 price point and away from the Volkswagen Golf. "Every time we've sat down and done the numbers it's been difficult. And currency has made it more difficult. "Once we've got more information on the RS we might re-think the Fabia strategy. We know how cars like this can go in Australia, with the cult following for cars like the Subaru WRX. It would be good to built that sort of cult status with a Fabia. "We're not sure what engine will be in the car, expect that it will be a petrol motor and not a diesel." Wiesner knows he also has the updated Octavia RS coming later in the year, with more punch with a 147 kiloWatt engine and DSG gearbox as well as some body changes, and believes the brand could take a different path in Australia. "We need to do some better and smarter things with the larger cars we've got coming. The way we evolve here could be very different to the way Skoda is seen in Europe. "RS is in the third quarter and Scout should be around then, hopefully. We're still waiting for confirmation, but the trick is to get the production lined up so we can do both at the same time."