Skoda Fabia Estate interior
Everything in the Skoda Fabia Estate’s cabin is easy to use and you get plenty of equipment as standard, but some of its hard-wearing plastics aren’t as posh as in alternatives
Style
You won’t be bowled over by the Skoda Fabia’s interior design, but at least everything’s a doddle to use. The controls for the cabin heating and ventilation are organised neatly on the dashboard so you won’t have trouble reaching them – even if you’re tall and tend to sit quite far back.
You won’t find quite as many soft plastics in the Skoda Fabia Estate’s interior as in the likes of the VW Polo and Ford Fiesta hatchbacks, but it feels significantly more upmarket than the Dacia Logan MCV. You can even pay extra to get some red plastic or metal-effect dashboard trims fitted to help brighten things up a bit.
The Skoda Fabia Estate also feels more solid inside than the bargain-basement Dacia. The various cubby holes and all the surfaces you’ll regularly touch feel solid enough to withstand the rigours of family life.
Go for a sporty Monte Carlo model and you’ll get a few eye-catching trims that add a little charisma to the Skoda Fabia Estate’s otherwise rather drab interior including sports seats and a leather-trimmed steering wheel with red contrasting stitching.
You won’t find any gaudy colour combinations in the Skoda Fabia Estate’s rather sensible cabin – instead, it comes with plenty of features that’ll make day-to-day family life as easy as possible
- Used
- £11,000
Infotainment
Every Skoda Fabia Estate comes with a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The most affordable models get what Skoda calls the Swing System which features DAB digital radio and Bluetooth connectivity, but that’s about it. You’ll be much better going for a version fitted with the upgraded Swing Plus setup though, because this gets smartphone mirroring as standard.
These Apple CarPlay and Android Auto feature let you use a variety of your phone’s apps – including music-streaming and navigation – through the built-in screen. They’re dead easy to use and mean you needn’t worry about paying extra for Skoda’s own optional built-in sat nav.
Top-spec cars get an upgraded Amundsen system which, besides a portable wifi hotspot, is pretty much identical to the Swing Plus unit you get in more affordable versions.
The menus for each touchscreen are easy to read and logically laid out, so you won’t have too much trouble using them on the move. There’s a set of physical shortcut buttons located either side of the screen too, which makes it a doddle to switch from one key feature to another without taking your eyes off the road for too long.
Unlike some small cars, you can’t upgrade the Skoda Fabia Estate’s six-speaker stereo to a big-name-brand unit. Thankfully, the standard stereo’s still fairly loud and clear – if not particularly punchy.
All Skoda Fabia Estates come with a pair of USB ports located between the front seats so your passengers in the back can keep their phones fully charged.
- Used
- £11,000