I have found that the headlights on my Greenline are a bit naff. My previous Fabia 1 had reasonable headlights but these newer director type with the solenoid dimming shield are pretty poor in comparison. The headlights are those with the single H7 bulb and have the sort of fish eye lens on the front. Might even be standard on the Fabia 2's ?

I didnt want to go to the expense of a HID upgrade which is questionable as far as legality goes anyway. I also dont want to bolt on a 27000 volt module plus wiring that isnt Skoda approved. There are loads of upgrade Xenon bulbs on the market to choose from so I opted for reasonable price and a respectable improvement.from a decent brand. I ended up with Osram (German) nightbreakers. These boast a whiter,brighter and further reaching light. At £10 the pair anything is worth a try so I duly swapped them with my standard H7 bulbs and off I went.

There is a marked improvement. The lights are a bit brighter and are definitely more effective. I am not talking about a miracle blast of nuclear radiance but I feel its worth doing. The downside is these bulbs apparently only last half as long as standard halogens but even if they only last a year its worth it for the better lighting.

Osram also do a nightbreaker 'plus' now which are identical in performance but last much longer.

I also have some MTEC H7 bulbs but although these offer a much whiter light they dont illuminate as far in distance (not tested myself but its what people report). I will try them if/when these nightbreakers pop.

A while ago , on little Furby ,I had one H7 go(dip beam) , couldn't find a replacement ,and opted for a pair of whitelight bulbs. A few weeks later ,I found that both had failed . Went back to standard H7's and although light was a bit poor - they've been there ever since .

It must be a Skoda thing. I had a 307 Hdi before my 05 Octavia and thought the Peugeot's headlights were far superior to the Skoda's. I too have upgraded the bulbs in my headlights, but they are still far from being as good as the 307's. I don't know if it has something to do with the clear polycarbonate lenses or what, but the Octavia headlights really are poor. Even after the upgraded bulbs, I still get cars behind me that make my car cast a shadow where the headlights should be illuminating. :S

It must be a Skoda thing. I had a 307 Hdi before my 05 Octavia and thought the Peugeot's headlights were far superior to the Skoda's. I too have upgraded the bulbs in my headlights, but they are still far from being as good as the 307's. I don't know if it has something to do with the clear polycarbonate lenses or what, but the Octavia headlights really are poor. Even after the upgraded bulbs, I still get cars behind me that make my car cast a shadow where the headlights should be illuminating. :S

I agree, although the Fabia 1 headlights were reflector type and better than these director type. My new bulbs are an improvement but as you say, still not as good as you would expect from a more up to date vehicle.