2021 Skoda Fabia 81TSI Run-Out Edition review

UPDATE, July 2022: Australian pricing announced for new Skoda Fabia

Local pricing and features for the new-generation 2023 Skoda Fabia have now been revealed. Get all the details at the link below.

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Cars like the Skoda Fabia do not make up a large part of the ‘new car traffic’ we see on the road day-to-day. Specifically, Skoda has sold just 625 of these so far in 2021, which means the Fabia holds a 0.085 per cent market share of the 732,828 cars Australians have bought.

But, for Skoda buyers, that seems to be part of the appeal.

So, at the end of the current-generation Skoda Fabia’s lifespan, is there any scope for new buyers? With a version like this, somewhat bluntly called the Run-Out Edition, there might be. I’ll save you the cricket puns, too. This version of the Fabia adds things like 16-inch alloys, a black roof, a couple more visual trim upgrades, a sportier steering wheel, and slightly stiffer suspension.

What the Fabia aims to do is, as with most models in the Skoda family, offer something a little left-of-centre to draw some (really, just some) buyers away from cars like the Kia Rio, Suzuki Swift and Toyota Yaris, or even its Volkswagen sibling, the Polo.

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The Fabia isn’t, however, based on the current-generation VW Polo. It actually dates back to the last-generation Polo, about seven years old, but that’s not such a terrible thing when you consider this car costs a touch under $24,000 before on-roads while a Polo in similar spec adds a few thousand. Plus options.

Effectively, what a $30K Polo might get you, you can get here for around $25k drive-away.

Even the Yaris, once the king of affordable small cars, now costs roughly the same as the Fabia in its basest model, the Ascent Sport, for $23,630 + ORCs. And that doesn’t even have alloys.

Where the Skoda does fall down a little when comparing features on paper is its tech, and its safety list. Having been around for the better part of a decade means its five-star rating (from Euro NCAP) is six years old, and developments in safety and testing have since moved on.

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There are also some interior aspects of the Fabia that have dated slightly, though in terms of function the critical elements are still there.

What the Fabia does have is ABS, stability control, six airbags, AEB, all the usual suspects in a modern car. It also gets tyre-pressure monitoring, post-collision braking to stop a second impact, and ISOFIX child seat anchor points on outboard rear seats with tethers.

What it doesn’t get as standard is blind-spot detection, which is part of a $3200 pack that also includes rear cross-traffic alert, plus keyless entry, LED headlights, and auto rain-sensing wipers.

There are also some interior aspects of the Fabia that have dated slightly, though in terms of function the critical elements are still there. Perhaps most notable is the centre stack, which features a small infotainment screen that looks several years old but does feature smartphone mirroring that operates smoothly and without drama. Better even than in some brand new systems. It doesn’t have its own native sat-nav, though.

Below that, the ventilation controls look decades old, but are simple and functional with three dials for temperature, fans, and function, and a button each for recirculated air and air-conditioning. That’s all it really needs to be, right?

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Around chest-height on the dash is some faux brushed aluminium, which is a little glary when the sun hits it, but cabin materials are otherwise unremarkable and fairly budget-focused. Plenty of black, scratchy plastic, though touch points like the centre bin lid and door armrest are softer fabric suitable for elbow-resting, and the Run-Out gets a nice, up-to-date but simple steering wheel from higher up in the Skoda Range. Seen even in the current Octavia, the sporty, flat-bottomed wheel is perfect for holding at nine-and-three and has a few simple controls that don’t distract.

Through that, the small driver display with actual analogue dials and a small digital display is visible. The display is able to bring up some key driving data and options, but not much else.

There’s a USB port, low in the centre of the dash right next to the 12-volt socket, both set back behind where a water bottle might sit if it's in one of these cup holders. It’s a little annoying to get to them if they’re blocked.

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But don’t worry, you probably won't be able to fit a biggish bottle in those cup holders anyway. They are about the right size for takeaway coffee cups (both regular and large), or maybe a 600ml plastic. For anything else there's the space in the doors, which probably could fit one of those chunky gym bottles.

Just behind the water bottle holders in the doors is one of the reasons Skoda’s ‘Simply Clever’ tagline is sometimes not too far off the truth, even though in this case it looks a little bit tacky. It's a little plastic bag holder that acts as a bin, and it's in the door just out of sight, ready to accept your garbage.

With some bass-heavy music playing, it rattled a little bit while I was driving so I took it out of the door, but the thought that people may need somewhere to put rubbish is nice.

Another one of these little Skoda features is the hidden umbrella, which most models have stowed somewhere. In this case, it’s under the front passenger seat, and it’s particularly useful in a city like Melbourne where it can rain at the drop of a hat.

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The seats, too, are comfortable and supportive, with a decent amount of bolstering that holds one firm without squishing. The adjustment is all manual and backrest adjustment is via twist-wheel that provides plenty of precision but a pain if you need to, say, completely recline the seat for photography. Hypothetically.

In a similar way to the front seats, the rear seats are nicely sculpted. It is pretty slim back there in terms of features and the centre armrest doesn't even have cup holders. You do get a funny little storage slot though, down below a couple of USB ports. A document holder behind the front seat instead of netting is a welcome addition. Much like the front seats, there’s room in the door bins for big water bottles and such.

Knee room, headroom and elbow room are all fine but not incredible, but the comfort of the seat really does make this feel like a place you could sit for longer than you would expect by looking at it.

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A little further back, the boot is pretty spacious for a compact hatch, with 330 litres of space to the newer VW Polo’s 351L, but far ahead of cars like the Toyota Yaris (281L), Mazda 2 (250L), or Suzuki Swift (240L).

It’s also full of netting, hooks for hanging bags, and even a plastic guard to stand something up in or stop it rolling around. It’s also all removable, in case you need to fit something bulky in the back.

If 330 litres isn’t spacious enough, the rear seats fold down (you can remove the bottom part of the seat to fold the backrests flatter too) for 1150L, or maybe even spend an extra $1100 to buy the wagon version of the Fabia, which offers 530L and 1395L respectively.

For a car that looks so inconspicuous from the outside (I wouldn’t call it boring, but it’s a safe design), it’s surprising how much is unique about its interior. What’s more is that it's full of things that had me saying ‘why don’t other cars have this?’

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Onto the mechanical matters, and there’s something else this car has that’s not so common these days; a manual option. If you really wanted the bargain-basement price, a manual Run-Out can be had for $20,790, or around $22K drive-away, Skoda says.

It does come with a less powerful engine than this seven-speed dual-clutch auto which makes 81kW and 200Nm to the manual’s 70kW and 160Nm, though neither makes for a hugely quick car. Instead, the 1.0-litre turbocharged three-pot in the 81TSI takes a moment to gather up its boost and then its vigour seemingly arrives all in one relatively quick burst. It’s quite fun when you’re used to it and ready, but it could prove hard to gel with for some, and might even be a reason to take up the five-speed manual.

Hesitant takeoffs aside, this little Skoda is a fun and feisty jigger, with its 200Nm doing a great deal to pull the front-driven Fabia along smoothly at higher speeds, feeling like a more powerful and larger car given how stable it comes across in situations like highway driving.

In more dynamic driving, the Fabia is talented, but it’s no hot hatch. It can tackle fast corners until reaching its surprisingly high limits, before gradually shifting into manageable understeer. It could even do with some paddleshifters for more control over its revs, just for that extra spice.

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Weighing in at 1092kg (around the same as a new Mazda MX-5!) helps its lively nature, too, as does the stiffer suspension it gains as the Run-Out Edition. Some might find it errs too far into the ‘uncomfortable’ range for longer drives or over lumpy roads, but for myself as a single twenty-something who enjoys driving, it feels well-tuned as a daily that can double as a drive just for fun. If you cross lots of tram tracks or cobbled laneways in your day-to-day, perhaps the Fabia Run-Out isn’t for you.

But like the interior, the Fabia is a simple car to drive. Its adaptive cruise control, for example, didn’t encounter any ‘confused’ moments about follow distances or approaching objects. Its other (admittedly limited) active safety features didn’t annoy or intervene either, while visibility around the car is great and its relatively squared-off shape means judging parking spaces is a breeze.

The steering is light and accurate, feeling weighted with enough feedback that both commuting and barrelling along backroads is done with confidence.

As far as fun drives in this segment go, the Fabia has a couple of rivals in the likes of the cheaper but smaller ($20K) Kia Picanto GT or the pricier ($30K) Suzuki Swift Sport, but the dynamic joy of the Skoda comes unannounced, and is a welcome surprise.

It could even do with some paddleshifters for more control over its revs, just for that extra spice.

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Speaking of confidence, there is a reason why right now might be a good time to get into a Skoda if you’re on the fence. For cars bought up to December 31 this year Skoda is offering a seven-year warranty, two years more than usual. As well as this, Skoda has created a seven-year service pack that includes the first three services for free.

For the Fabia, seven years of servicing costs $2100, or $600 more than the old five-year offer. Without a pack, Skoda’s servicing prices are based on monthly subscriptions, but with four levels based on how far you drive, across three ‘tiers’ of plan: Complete, Essential, or Value. Pricing ranges broadly between $35 per month and $184 per month, so it’s best to see which one suits.

Another little running cost, that of petrol, shouldn’t be a huge worry in the Fabia. Skoda claims 4.7L/100km for the little hatch, and even though on test our loan Fabia was often idling for photography or video, our trips barely topped 6.0L/100km each.

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At its price point, the Fabia Run-Out certainly makes an enticing offer, but in some ways, it's a little bit of a niche car. For a start, you really have to look past some of the outdated interior components. Hopefully, if you got that far you also like its exterior design. Then there's the fact it's quite difficult to gel with the drivetrain at first, and that its suspension does nudge towards the stiffer side of things.

But it does have plenty of those fun and quirky Skoda conveniences and, if you're someone who likes driving, this is the kind of car that I could personally steer all day.

The timing suits too, because of that seven-year warranty, which puts the mind at ease in terms of those weird little worries some people have about European cars and reliability.

So maybe it's not the car for most, but if you're trying to be smart with your cash and you don't want something ‘standard’ then here it is.