• No diesel any more
• Nor any mild-hybrids
• Just small petrols

What are the running costs?

Gone are the days of the mega-mpg Skoda Fabia diesel. It was always a bit of a niche choice but managed to sip fuel at an extraordinarily slow rate no matter how you drove, so we’re a bit sad it’s gone.

Since the latest generation Fabia arrived in 2021, it’s been powered by 1.0- and 1.5-litre engines (although the majority of the range is made up of the former) that promise, in very broad terms, mpg figures in the 50s and CO2 outputs between 114 and 138g/km.

On paper, the turbocharged 110hp 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit is the most frugal, with claimed figures of between 54.1 and 55.5mpg. Beware, though – if you pair that engine with Skoda automatic gearbox, it becomes the least efficient. Official economy figures tumble to between 46.7 and 50.7mpg depending on specification.

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The 1.5-litre unit in the Monte Carlo is more powerful and will achieve between 48.4 and 51.1mpg with CO2 emissions as low as 125g/km of CO2. It also has the biggest wheels, so expect a further bump in running costs from tyre replacement. If you make the most of its extra performance, you should expect brake pad and disc replacements to come around quicker, too.

Servicing and warranty

The Fabia comes with a two-year unlimited mileage warranty followed by a third year with a mileage cap of 60,000 miles. There are separate three-year paint and 12-year body warranties, too.

Skoda’s deal isn’t industry-leading. Firm such as Kia and MG offer seven years, while Toyota sells the Yaris with a stellar 10-year warranty. Still, the Fabia’s package should cover the length of a PCP finance contract, by which time you’d likely be looking to swap out anyway. Fixed price servicing is available at main dealers.

Reliability

• Long history of reliability
• Parts used across VW Group
• Simple engine line up

So far the Fabia is proving to be reliable, although it has been subject to two recalls. One concerning the passenger airbag, and another to do with the rear seats.

Helping to bolster its reliable reputation is the relatively simple engineering in this car. There’s a range of small petrol engines with no hybrid tech to go wrong, and only one automatic gearbox option that has been tried and tested elsewhere.

The cabin may have a lot of tech and design features, but it still feels built to last. What’s more, the gadgets making their debut here have been used in other VW Group cars previously, so shouldn’t present an issue.