(2015-2017) Skoda Fabia Review and Prices

There’s plenty of seat and steering wheel adjustment to help you get comfortable in the Skoda Fabia. You’ll be treated to more head and legroom in the front than you’ll find in a Ford Fiesta or the Mazda 2, and all models come with a height adjustable driver’s seat as standard. SE models and above get height adjustment for the front passenger’s seat, too, but it’s a £75 option on S versions.

The standard seats are pretty supportive, but you can upgrade to more heavily bolstered sports seats in SE L models for £175. Or, just pick a Monte Carlo model which gets them as standard. Unfortunately, lumbar adjustment – that helps prevent backache on long journeys – isn’t available on any models.

Jumping in the back is as easy as pie – all Fabias come with five-doors and the flat roofline mean you won’t have to stoop massively to get in, even if you’re very tall.

There’s an impressive amount of space in the back seats considering the Fabia’s a small car, but if your passengers are very tall they’ll feel slightly more hemmed-in than they will in the airier Honda Jazz and SEAT Ibiza. There’s enough legroom for your six-foot friends to get fairly comfy, but the thicker sports seats on Monte Carlo models slightly cut into your back passenger’s knee and foot room.

Three adults will be less cramped in the Fabia than in a Vauxhall Corsa or Ford Fiesta but a SEAT Ibiza delivers a little more shoulder room. The Skoda’s wide-opening rear doors and clearly marked Isofix anchor points make fitting a child seat a breeze, however.

The Fabia has up a great selection of handy cubbyholes throughout its roomy cabin. The door bins are generous and can easily hold a large bottle of water and there’s a pair of large cupholders in the centre console. The square storage tray under the dashboard is perfect for holding a smartphone, too.

The glovebox is big enough for a large bottle, but only top-spec SE L models come with a front armrest and storage bin as standard. You can get this feature fitted to other versions, but it’ll set you back a rather cheeky £95. For a more reasonable £65 you can get the optional Simply Clever package – it comes with a luggage net for the boot, a dedicated phone holder and a removable waste bin that slots into the driver’s door. SE models and above also get a small umbrella under the front passenger seat.

The Fabia’s 330-litre boot is just shy of the 354-litre Honda Jazz, but above average for this size of car. You’ll still be able to carry a baby stroller and a few soft bags even with the Fabia’s rear seats and parcel shelf in place.

Loading bulky items is relatively easy thanks to the Fabia’s wide boot opening and low boot lip, and you can expand its capacity to 1,150 litres by folding the rear seats. These flip down in a handy two-way (60:40) split so you can carry long items and a rear-seat passenger at the same time.

There’s a slight step in the rear floor to contend with once you’ve folded the seats, but it won’t prove too much of a pain unless you regularly carry very large or very heavy items. Filling the Fabia’s square boot is easy and a bike will fit once you’ve removed a wheel.

All models come with handy luggage hooks to stop shopping bags rolling around in the boot and the £110 adjustable boot floor is a sensible buy that’ll make it even easier to load heavy luggage. There’s space underneath to hide away a few valuables when it’s in its raised position, too.

The £65 Simply Clever pack comes with a handy divider that clips into the boot to stop small bags sliding around and a luggage net to securely tie down bulky bags or fragile items.