I officially own a Roomster Sedan.

[Vroomster]

In Australia, the Roomster is classified as a Sedan (!!!).

I found this out the hard way when I was booked in a Loading Zone- OK for wagons(=estate),vans,utes etc. On principle, I will be contesting this fine in Court, and then in accordance with what the Magistrate decides, will take it up with the silly Govt authority that thinks it is a sedan.

It was an honest mistake; I had read all the reviews that called it a wagon, small van etc. - I had been parking in a Loading Zone for ages before I was booked & I thought that it was a mistake on the part of the ticket-issuer.

Whilst it is probably rightly classified as a "hatchback" and cannot be a wagon as it does not "have a sedan equivalent", if its a sedan, then I'll eat my hat.

Perhaps people may know of comparable small vans that have -less- volume (with seats removed). I think that this would be helpful in my defense.

I will research Caddy etc- it must be close in volume ?

Importantly,I could compare it to existing comparable "hatchbacks", and I reckon that the volume would be closer to that of a van.

Just for good measure, I can throw in some wagon volumes.

Notes from relevant Govt. website: What is a station wagon?

A station wagon is a vehicle having all of the following features.

Has a sedan equivalent. That is, the body forward of the front seat or seats and the greater part of the mechanical equipment, is the same or substantially the same as in a car of the same make and

Has a flat roof extending at the same height to the rear of the vehicle. That is, the body is carried without significant reduction in height from the front seat or seats to the rearof the vehicle and

Has an entrance at the rear suitable for the loading and unloading goods and

Is manufactured with a rear seat or seats which can be folded or removed readily to provide additional floor space for the carriage of goods and

That when the seat or seats immediately to the rear of the front seat or seats are in position for passengers, has a substantial space for the carriage of goods in proportion to the overall size of the interior of the vehicle.

Note:

The majority of 4WD vehicles, hatchbacks and other coupé and sports type vehicles are not defined as station wagons under NSW Regulations.

These vehicles are not principally designed and constructed for carrying goods and therefore, they are excluded from parking in loading zones.

[@Lee]

so, er,,,,,,,,,,,where's the boot Maybe you need a Frankenstein sticker for it :think:

[Etos]

A Roomster van http://www.commercialmotor.com/big-lorry-blog/meet-the-praktik-the-new-van-f

[Lorenzo]

Laws can be significantly stupid even in pragmatically savvy Anglosaxon cultures and countries (we Mediterraneans know something about absurd and contradictory laws...) 

[Keitht]

The Roomster van article in post 3 has a rather nice typo - the Skoda Director is named as ROBERY Hazelwood, who I understand has now moved on to VW. I usually do feel, at least slightly, robbed when visiting a VAG dealer.

[slump]

...is the same or substantially the same as in a car of the same make...

 

As it says Make and not Model, I reckon you're in the clear here. The front half of the Roomster is clearly derived from the Mark II Fabia. The fact that there's a separate Fabia Estate might confuse things ... but it ought to be in your favour that the Roomster has more cargo space than the Fabia Estate. Good Luck. Jobsworth eejits !

[RichardatWakefield]

Hello there, crazy situation for you, my condolences!

However, as well as the article linked above, I found stuff about the Praktik (van) version on Wikipedia (sadly it doesn't show an interior shot), and coincidentally I've just received an email from ABREX the model car people in the Czech Republic, announcing the launch of a 1:43 scale model of the Praktik van, available in about six colours.

 

As I'm rubbish with computers, so don't know how to post a link, I'll try to forward the email to you as a PM, and hope you can use it in your defence. Abrex also do the Roomster in both 1:43 and the smaller 1:72, and in a big range of colours, also "wrapped" versions in eg. Police, taxi, telephone company, cycle race, utility company, fire service.

 

I have one of each size of my Ocean Blue Roomster downstairs in the kitchen, the detail is astounding, but to buy the tiny model involved a trip to the bank to do an international funds transfer, final cost delivered to UK about 4 times the retail price!  The bigger 1:43 I got from a fellow UK Briskodan.

 

We're aware of Roomster's Mk2 Fabia front plus Mk 1 Octavia rear-end parentage, what I don't know is whether Skoda have done a Mk2 Fabia Sedan/Saloon??? There was a Mk1 saloon, I still spot one occasionally here in West Yorkshire, very like the hatch but with a bulged boot, reminiscent of the early Minis which spawned the booted Riley Elf and Wolseley Hornet......a long time ago!

 

We're on your side! Good luck, keep us posted, and tell the magistrate you've got mates all over the world!

Richard

[slump]

I thought they made a MkII Sedan in India that everyone was getting muddle up with the rapid ( for obvious reasons ), but I can't find any details.

 

There's a MkI sedan parked outside my office most days; it's an ugly contraption, which has always puzzled me when the Cordoba ( the Ibiza sedan of the same era ) looks completely natural with its boot. They made the Cordoba with anything up to the 130bhp lump; as far as I can tell the Mk1 fabia sedan was only available with an SDI. bah.

[RichardatWakefield]

Here in UK we have historically been deprived of van/combi versions of small cars, but that started to change with combi versions of Citroen Berlingo/Peugeot whatever, and a bigger Peugeot/Fiat Scudo car/van, also there was the Renault Kangoo and the Ford Fiesta-based thing that Royal Mail used to carry 5 posties plus bags, and a Vauxhall Corsa Combi that they had both as pure vans, and as 5-seater cargo/passenger use. There's also now a Ford Transit Connect (purpose-designed small van) people version called Tourneo, I almost went to try one whilst looking for second-hand Roomsters.  Incidentally while searching online I found Vauxhall Corsa Combivans that had double side-loading sliding doors plus factory-fit rear seat, described as crewvans, with just the front screen and front door windows, no other glazing, or perhaps glazed double back doors.

[RichardatWakefield]

If it goes to court, get two hefty mates to join you, park in the court loading bay, take one folded rear seat each in and unfold and use them in court!  And take some prints of the car with and without the rear seats in, 3 rear doors open, maybe a shot of the back filled to the roof with cardboard boxes!!! Shame them!

[Lorenzo]

Here in UK we have historically been deprived of van/combi versions of small cars, but that started to change with combi versions of Citroen Berlingo/Peugeot whatever, and a bigger Peugeot/Fiat Scudo car/van, also there was the Renault Kangoo and the Ford Fiesta-based thing that Royal Mail used to carry 5 posties plus bags, and a Vauxhall Corsa Combi that they had both as pure vans, and as 5-seater cargo/passenger use. There's also now a Ford Transit Connect (purpose-designed small van) people version called Tourneo, I almost went to try one whilst looking for second-hand Roomsters.  Incidentally while searching online I found Vauxhall Corsa Combivans that had double side-loading sliding doors plus factory-fit rear seat, described as crewvans, with just the front screen and front door windows, no other glazing, or perhaps glazed double back doors.

Also consider the funny, practical and sturdy Qubo:

http://www.fiat.co.uk/uk/fiat-qubo?status=0

It's van-based, I considered buying one at the time, but chose Roomster mainly because petrol engines' choice was very weak for the Fiat and curtain airbags were not available.

The availability of curtain airbags is another sign of different project priorities: Roomster has been primarily designed as a people carrier and a proper car, Qubo as a light commercial vehicle and secondarily as a family car.

 

Edited 20 January, 2014 by Lorenzo

[Vroomster]

Well Roomies I am sorry for this very tardy reply! I didn't recieve notification of any replies, and I did not check.

According to the replies, if you were here in Oz, we could collectively storm the Council with scary Roomster Wagon (Estate) supporters and form a Wagon encirclement, just like in the Wild West Movies.

Result was : I spent hours writing a submission to the Magistrate stating within the State law compliance, my "sedan" was a wagon.

This tome was duly delivered, and I am sure that it had the desired effect of either boring Your Worship to tears, or Worshipful went out and bought a Roomster.

Anyway I got off the whole charge with no costs. Yay!!!

 

I subsequently complained to the Motor Registry department, and long-story-short, they said that there was a mistake in classification- it was indeed a wagon !

 

Well, what can I say.

 

Thanks for all your great replies!

 

PS. I definitely use my 1.9 tdi  Vroomster as a wagon- you would not believe what I have loaded both inside and on roof racks!

Its Never missed a beat ...Great car !

( Actually  for fun I think I may make another post with this !)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[edbostan]

Of course in the Czech Republic it is also a Prakita Van.