It wont make me rush out and buy one, the difference is too insignificant to be bothered about. The article says it gets the same engines, I was hoping to get some TSI and newer CR TDI units in the Fabia. My lease is up next year and if there is still no new engines or DSG they can forget about me having another one,

This generation of Fabia is a bit of a balls up IMHO, it's just a tarted up version of the old one. Alot of the magazines are noticing that its underpinnings are a decade old now.

If the Fabia had a lower list price because of less development costs then I could understand, but my Fabia cost me over £13k, I could have had a really nice ibiza with DSG for that money on a newer platform that rides and handles better.

It's loosing ground to all it's rivals, and all the magazines manage to say about it is that it's well engineered and good quality, which to be honest I dont feel is true, the number of posts on here of people (including myself) that suffer a plague of interior squeaks and rattles, though to be fair those are rather minor issues.

I'm not ranting, I have one and I like it, I bought one because I am loyal to the brand, but I still feel a certain dissapointment when I see the newer rivals. Old Fabia was top of the league considering the rivals at the time, but not now

On the plus side it's retained that classy grown up feel of the first one that I have yet to experience in another small hatch, I think im one of a few that think its actually very attractive too, understated, cute looking with a mean edge on certain angles

Can't really tell if I like it from those pics, I'm still hoping they might change the headlights but it's looking unlikely.

I think the stuff about the engines in the article is just lazy filler journalism, I would be surprised if it didn't get the 1.2TSI and 1.6TDI at some point during the facelift periord, even if not straight away.

I guess as the Fabia2 came out quite a while before the new Ibiza and Polo the new platform wasn't ready, but we'll be due a change before them so hopefully the Fabia3 will get the next generation platform before VW and SEAT.

Not keen on the new fancy grill, but also I dont really rate the latest Octavia facelifted nose:thumbdwn:.

I dont care that the car has old underpinnings and isnt quite as good as some of its rivals, I wouldnt want an Ibiza, hate the new Fiesta and no way would I buy any of the French superminis. The Fabia is comfy and I think well made... with the VAT offer and zero percent finance it really makes sense right now, for me it was a no brainer. Yes, I would like the new Polo, I think thats a lovely looking car and if they did an estate version would be uber cool, but how much?

Not keen on the new fancy grill, but also I dont really rate the latest Octavia facelifted nose:thumbdwn:.

I dont care that the car has old underpinnings and isnt quite as good as some of its rivals, I wouldnt want an Ibiza, hate the new Fiesta and no way would I buy any of the French superminis. The Fabia is comfy and I think well made... with the VAT offer and zero percent finance it really makes sense right now, for me it was a no brainer. Yes, I would like the new Polo, I think thats a lovely looking car and if they did an estate version would be uber cool, but how much?

I agree with you am not a big fan of the new octy. Infact the only skoda I think looks very nice is the superb. Skoda are really trying to get all there models to share the same designs like ford with there kinetic design. And even vauxhall, I quiet like all the new vauxhall cars, there as common as lamp posts. But I cant say there ugly.

I love the Superb and also the new Yeti, I obviously like the Fabia too:rofl:

As for the Vauxhalls, I do like the Insignia Estate but thats it.... most cars are just ugly now, loads of overstyling and naff proportions. Ford are one of the worst offenders, the KA and Fiesta are just nastly looking. I think VW have got the new Polo just right, its very crisp and clean... classy looking car.

Looking at this photo:

Does anyone reckon they are changing something with the lighting arrangement? Maybe the indicators will be in the non-illuminated side bits and they will get rid of the top "eyebrow" altogether, or change it in some way, maybe with LEDs for daylight running?

I reckon that might make it look much meaner and less cutesey!

Utter pants. Thought the Mk2 might have grown on me in time.

It hasn't, in fact it's going backwards.

The whole Skoda range is looking grim now imo, bar the Yeti. :rotz:

Well, so far the people I know whove seen my Fabia have commented how much of an improvement they think it is over the Mk1:thumbup:Different strokes for different folks!

I think that the facelift is a nice design progression, can defintely see the FL octavia in there. I just hope it gets the 1.6 CR Diesel, getting tired of the clattery PD. Hopefully the new look and new engine will be in place by October next year for my lease end.

Well, so far the people I know whove seen my Fabia have commented how much of an improvement they think it is over the Mk1:thumbup:Different strokes for different folks!

Am the same, so many people comment on how much nicer inside and out it looks. My dads old vrs wasnt much of a looker, and his very much adament the new one (more the sport) has great character to it that the old one didnt.

Is it just me that think the Mk1's interior was nicer than the Mk2's then?

Is it just me that think the Mk1's interior was nicer than the Mk2's then?

Maybe not I know some people really liked the mk1. But I love mine, all the silver accents and the soft toach plastics feel great. Well chuffed inside. They feel nice when you spend alot of time in one

Is it just me that think the Mk1's interior was nicer than the Mk2's then?

No, it's not just you. Mk1 vastly superior inside and out...IMO.

Mk 2 just doesn't seem to sit comfortably on the road somehow. Looks too tall and too narrow, and that grille is truly dreadful, same as on the Octy and Superb now too.

Wouldn't be doing for us all to agree though, as lemon vrs has already suggested.

Skoda have missed the opportunity to get it all sorted, and where the hell is this vRS that we're all sick of anticipating?

It'll be time for a Mk3 at this rate.

i think to some extent Skoda have been the victims of their early success with the Fabia. After the revolution of mk1, mk2 was going to be evolutionary. They got first use of the mk1 platform, which meant that this was the platform still available when the mk2's time came. In contrast the Ibiza and Polo's 1-2 years lag meant thay got the new platform. However the lifecycle of a facelifted mk 2 does mean the Fabia will have had the same fundamental platform for about 12 or more years before a mk3 c 2012ish.

I wouldn't attach too much significance to the platform alone though (journalists might, but novelty is their bread and butter); it's what is done with it that matters. My worry is that the facelift does look just that and I wonder if there will be tweaks to the underpinnings eg suspension settings to improve the driving dynamics.

I'm not totally convinced by the potential impact of new engines: the 1.6 CR TDIs are not getting great reviews (even the 105 version in the Golf was described as having flat low revs performance and its performance times were disappointing). The new Polo retains the existing petrol engines except the 1.6 and i've read it may not get the 1.2tsi with dsg in the UK, though hopefully the Fabia will as it's in the Yeti.

Many reviews are slating the engines as the new Polos weak point... when will VW learn? Mind you, most buyers just want damped grab handles and cupholders:D

They also say the 1.2 3 cylinder is clattery, how rude... but true:rofl: