heavier components= cheaper building bill=cheaper car, if skoda would have used aluminium for the bodywork the car would have cost at least twice as much

Sorry to resurrect this one, but I've just got rid of a Mk4 Golf TDI estate and replaced it with a Fabia VRS, and according to Parkers the Golf is 10kg LIGHTER despite being bigger and arguably a more solidly constructed car?

Ok, it didn't have aircon etc, but even so... seems a bit excessive on the part of the Fabia?

i'm sure i read somewhere that my Fabia mk1 classic 1.4mpi 68bhp has a kerb weight of 1070kg meaning the vRS(the sporty model) is 230kg's heavier than a base model!!!

i really can't believe how heavy the diesel Fabia's are

My dad's E300 Sportline M106 220bhp 3.0ltr 4 door mercedes Saloon has a kerb weight of 1395kg.. so a sporty family hatchback weighs 80kg odd lighter(or one person) lighter than a well built and refined E class mercedes. that's insane!

mind you i was very surpirsed how light the mercedes is.

it also seems like a big increase over the outgoing Felcica's which weighed 968kg in 1.3 non-pas spec to 1031kg in 1.9ltr D with Air con and leccy windows.

Given how well built that car was I've be surprised if that weight included any fluids at all let alone fuel and a driver. Also similarly aged and powered 5 series BMW's are notably quicker to 60 with a kerb weight around the 1600kg mark.

That aside VAG cars in particular went through a "getting fat" stage. I seem to recall a mk4 golf gti struggling to get to 60 in less than 9s because it was so heavy.

I seem to recall a mk4 golf gti struggling to get to 60 in less than 9s because it was so heavy.

the early mk4 gti with the na 1.8 couldn't even get there in under 10

Sorry to resurrect this one, but I've just got rid of a Mk4 Golf TDI estate and replaced it with a Fabia VRS, and according to Parkers the Golf is 10kg LIGHTER despite being bigger and arguably a more solidly constructed car?

Ok, it didn't have aircon etc, but even so... seems a bit excessive on the part of the Fabia?

Manufacturers quite weight with different base assumptions (I've no idea if weights quoted across VAG are consistent either). Some might quote bare metal (no fluids), others, like Skoda are more realistic. Still, the weight of a VRS with minimal fuel and no driver would be close to 1200KG. Considering the size of the car that's quite a lot. Engine and gearbox account for a good 75-100kg of the "excess" IMO.

My previous car was a Citroen AX GT, only 700kg!

J.

Interesting, I thought all modern cars had to be quoted at European Kerb Weight (or whatever it's called) which is base car plus 75kg driver and full of fuel?

Hmmm... I wonder how much a full set of leather seats in an SE weighs then?

Would an SE be heavier?

I've had the seats out of mine for cleaning, they are heavy but I can't see them being ALOT heavier than the cloth seats

Manufacturers quite weight with different base assumptions (I've no idea if weights quoted across VAG are consistent either). Some might quote bare metal (no fluids), others, like Skoda are more realistic. Still, the weight of a VRS with minimal fuel and no driver would be close to 1200KG. Considering the size of the car that's quite a lot. Engine and gearbox account for a good 75-100kg of the "excess" IMO.

My previous car was a Citroen AX GT, only 700kg!

J.

Heh, I had an AX GT earlier this year as a second car.

I suspect mine weighs a lot more than standard after the leather, FMIC, sound system, ARB's, strut braces, brakes, wheels, LSD, Methanol, etc...

I suspect mine weighs a lot more than standard after the leather, FMIC, sound system, ARB's, strut braces, brakes, wheels, LSD, Methanol, etc...

Probably a reason why it's so slow....