Hello,

I am thinking about modifying my Fabia in terms of performance but I've looked and there isn't much I could find the engine I have and was wondering if there is anything I could do to increase the performance.

Thanks.

Answers you might not like -

• full and proper servicing of the whole car (not just the VWŠkoda skimpy servicing, including more timely changes of engine air filter, spark plugs, engine oil and filter) and maintenance

• use the fuels with extra cleaning packages of additives

• good quality and condition tyres (tyres are vital parts of the braking, steering and suspension systems)

• further driver training - fully transferable at no cost to other cars.

And/or if you've not already looked, the 'Fabia Projects' and 'Performance & Tuning Upgrades' forums.

HTH.

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/205-fabia-projects/

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/212-performance-tuning-upgrades/

Thank you

2 hours ago, Bappo said:

modifying my Fabia

Which engine power do you have, 60 or 75?

Thanks. AG Falco

The 60bhp, Apologies for the late reply.

@AGFalco

25 minutes ago, Bappo said:

The 60bhp, Apologies for the late reply.

@AGFalco

You can probably take it up to 75bhp with a map. The best bang for buck will be a remap and some nice tyres. Otherwise, not much - get a car with a turbo above 1.0!

Do bear in mind too, that it's only a little town car - it's not designed, or suitable, for fast driving. It's a great little car, but go easy!

As above, but you don't necessarily need a turbo, depends on what car and engine and fuel type. Fast is relative and I've driven many thousands of motorway miles with cars of low power and speed, easily and safely. And many hundreds around mid and north Wales.

A smaller, lighter car (of around the same power or 75hp as standard) may suit you better, like Citigo/Up if you must have a VWŠkoda.

2 hours ago, Bappo said:

The 60bhp, Apologies for the late reply.

I have a Citigo that has been remapped from 60 to 84BHP.

It was worth doing but it has no where near the go in my 1.2 Fabia TSI 90.

Thanks. AG Falco

Edited 16 October, 202516 Oct by AGFalco
added 'from 60'

2 minutes ago, nta16 said:

As above, but you don't necessarily need a turbo, depends on what car and engine and fuel type. Fast is relative and I've driven many thousands of motorway miles with cars of low power and speed, easily and safely. And many hundreds around mid and north Wales.

A smaller, lighter car (of around the same power or 75hp as standard) may suit you better, like Citigo/Up if you must have a VWŠkoda.

What I meant was the words 'performance' and 'N/A 1.0 hatchback' generally don't sit together.

If you want a low powered, fun car, go and buy an '09 Clio with the 1.2, take the interior out and put some sticky tyres on it - sorted. Lower powered cars are only 'fun' when they're small, light, and have an aftermarket Pioneer radio in them. Anything new with an N/A 1.0 is just too heavy and driving dynamics were not considered during construction. Mind you, I had great fun in my 2007 Fox - even if it was a bit ropey.

Just now, AGFalco said:

I have a Citigo that has been remapped to 84BHP.

It was worth doing but it has no where near the go in my 1.2 Fabia TSI 90.

Thanks. AG Falco

My mum has a 2022 Ibiza FR with the 1.0 3cyl EA211 in it - 110ps and it shifts! Not quite as much as my vRS, but for 1/3 of the power it does really well.

1 minute ago, OccyVRS said:

1.0 3cyl EA211 in it

Yes lots of torque, but low down the rev range.

So you use this all the time without trying to hard.

Mine has max torque from 1500rpm right up to 3500 rpm.

My Fabia is also better on fuel than my Citigo. ☺️

Thanks. AG Falco

51 minutes ago, OccyVRS said:

and have an aftermarket Pioneer radio in them

Totally unnecessary. 😄

We're on the same page and wavelength, er, not radio wavelength tho', about this matter just a generation, or two, apart with what's light and low powered. The obsessions now are about numbers being bigger (suppose they always were but not to modern extremes) hp, revs, high (number) speeds, loudness, height and wideness of wheels and tyres. Have less and be able to use more of it and enjoy more of it. Unless you're on a racetrack legal speed limits are 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 you could be bored to tears in a bigger more powerful car or having fun maintaining legal and safe speeds and driving in a smaller low powered car behind it. Someone in a reasonably standard electric car will out accelerate both of you so why worry. 😀

On 09/10/2025 at 16:57, Bappo said:

Hello,

I am thinking about modifying my Fabia in terms of performance but I've looked and there isn't much I could find the engine I have and was wondering if there is anything I could do to increase the performance.

Thanks.

Some excellent tyres are always a good investment for improving your car's performance.

As @nta16 suggested, absolutely tip-top servicing and good-quality fuel will also help you get the best out of your car.

For performance, reduce weight if at all possible, and keep your car super clean.

Then I suggest you lean-into the low power.

With a low-power car you can used all the available engine power more of the time.

Conservation of momentum and maintaining speed is important, so you'll learn to drive better, finding the best line, when to brake, how much to brake.

You won't inflate your insurance cost (Morning Dan!), and you won't knacker your car by over-stressing components.

And when it comes to sell the car, all you've done to it is service it perfectly, kept it clean and used great tyres & good fuel, so you'll get the most money back on the car when it comes to replace it.

Seriously, embrace the low power as a feature, not a problem.

Don't tune the car, use the car to tune yourself. 👍

(Of course I expect you to completely ignore this advice and fit an induction kit and a noisy exhaust, but that's cool. 😄)

tuning is not just fun, tuning is sometimes a necessity, why? maybe there isn't a model with a stronger engine or it's hard to find, maybe 5 people weighing 100kg each need to ride each day. has various needs.

Why Ford C-max ecoboost 1.0 have variants with 85, 100 and 125 ks? because of needs, no because of fun.

Edited 17 October, 202517 Oct by imart143

27 minutes ago, imart143 said:

tuning is not just fun, tuning is sometimes a necessity, why? maybe there isn't a model with a stronger engine or it's hard to find, maybe 5 people weighing 100kg each need to ride each day. has various needs.

Why Ford C-max ecoboost 1.0 have variants with 85, 100 and 125 ks? because of needs, no because of fun.

Just buy a car appropriate for your needs.

In an ideal world, yes.

This world is not ideal.

In fact, it gets worse day by day and year by year.

Tune the car and/or tune the driver there is a case for either or both, all posters (and yes I do include myself) have given good ideas for all that view to decide from.

Personally I'm not against either as I've had some of my cars modestly turned for performance which will include more power, torque and mpg (if you don't take advantage of the extra power and torque too much for good mpg but most will, I did often). I've had a bit of further driving training and I'm still not a good driver but like many my age have decades of driving experience and in road cars you had more driving, and servicing and driver maintenance, input than the more remote modern cars so more fun and "fun" (not).

On 16/10/2025 at 20:46, nta16 said:

Totally unnecessary. 😄

We're on the same page and wavelength, er, not radio wavelength tho', about this matter just a generation, or two, apart with what's light and low powered. The obsessions now are about numbers being bigger (suppose they always were but not to modern extremes) hp, revs, high (number) speeds, loudness, height and wideness of wheels and tyres. Have less and be able to use more of it and enjoy more of it. Unless you're on a racetrack legal speed limits are 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 you could be bored to tears in a bigger more powerful car or having fun maintaining legal and safe speeds and driving in a smaller low powered car behind it. Someone in a reasonably standard electric car will out accelerate both of you so why worry. 😀

There are two ways to make a road car faster - add power, or add lightness. There is only one way to make a race car faster.

That being said, there are exceptions - https://www.bmwblog.com/2025/05/21/bmw-m5-g90-nurburgring-lap-time-vs-m5-cs/

Tyres now need to be wider because cars are almost twice as heavy as they were 40 years ago - just look at the average EV SUV with 285 section tyres or something silly. More weight means more wear on brakes, suspension, tyres and drivetrain components, meaning they need to be beefed up, which adds more weight. This weight means more wear on brakes, suspension, tyres and drivetrain components, meaning they need to be beefed up, which.......................... you get the idea.

It's a vicious cycle that ultimately costs more money, as to get the equivalent performance, you need parts that are wider/bigger/stronger that cost more and wear faster.

One trend I really hate are the new SUV/crossover models having such low profile tyres - what is the point in buying a 'comfortable' SUV, only to fit it with 21" wheels wrapped in 35 profile tyres? I'm not saying they need 15" steelies, but there must be a point where practicality trumps aesthetics?

I do agree though - anything more than 300bhp and AWD isn't useable on UK roads.

For something like a little Fabia, I would spend some time playing around with weight savings, sound proofing and put on the best tyres available in that size. My assumption is that you're young (well, wanting to make a 1.0 fast) so I think, as others have said, that time would be best spent modifying yourself and learning to drive quickly.

I love my vRS and all the insanely fast cars I've driven, but the most fun has always been my first car - a rusty, leaky, 2007 60bhp VW Fox.

21 hours ago, OccyVRS said:

There are two ways to make a road car faster - add power, or add lightness. There is only one way to make a race car faster.

You've forgotten the driver, further driver training for road (and perhaps some talent) for track talent (and perhaps further driver training / experience).

I've no idea what a SUV is now, I can understand sitting higher and being surrounded with more metal (and plastic) can give confidence to the school run vehicle, same as the 4X4 Chelsea tractors, off- road vehicles that really means pavement mounting (with big easily damaged cosmetic wheels and tyres). You may think 15" wheels are small and yes to some extent the weight and potential (illegal) high speeds need bigger brakes, but glorified shopping trolley cars having 17"wheels. 40 years ago a Ford Transit van which could be very loaded and heavy at times were on 185 (80!) 14 tyres (just for weight comparison). We're all Americanised now everything has to be bigger, cos that's better. 😄

300bhp isn't much to some, and more, and much more, can be useable easily, whether really needed or practical is another matter (and no need for all the electronics and/or other than 2WD, and at the rear at that). No matter how much power you have available in the right circumstances even on UK roads you could sometimes want more, not need more - but most of the time you'll use a fraction of what is available. Even a low powered car (whatever your definition of that is) can be using a smaller amount of its available power. A gauge to show how much is being used a lot of the time would surprise many owners. I think it's still the case that many car journeys are with only one or two people in the car and it's not load with much else so it has to carry it's own weight plus the one or two but has much unused potential to carry 5 and luggage at illegal speeds.

And as you put 300bhp, this might be fine in a light car but what about in a heavy car, eating further into the power to weight figure.

Numbers are the obsession now but if you forget them and just go by how things feel, the driving experience, then less can be more, but that's not fashionable now (or comparable with or for others). Things might change and go back to much lower power cars, for those that bother having cars.

Edited 21 October, 202521 Oct by nta16
typos