Skoda’s RS performance badging has built up a dedicated following over the decades, with the two-letter moniker widely used in the current model portfolio.
But one line it has been conspicuously absent from for many a year (in fact, more than a decade now) is the Fabia hatch. Not since the Mk2-based RS 132TSI bit the dust in 2013 have we had a ‘hot’ Fabia. Until now.
Yet this is not the return of the RS. Instead, it’s a new halo model called the Fabia 130. That name fulfils a three-pronged brief, by the way: because it’s 130 years since Skoda started making cars; 2025 marks the 50 anniversary of the legendary 130 RS rally car from the Czech firm; and 130 is also the power output of this new Fabia in kilowatts. Neat.
Yet why couldn’t it have merited the RS badging once more? Despite being the “fastest production Fabia yet seen”, could Skoda have gone further with this latest model? And is it good enough to drive to make you ignore one of the last, true B-segment hot hatchbacks, the distantly related and more muscular Volkswagen Polo GTI?
To find out the answers to all these questions, we headed over to the Skoda Fabia 130’s international launch in Valencia, Spain, to get a taste of this spiced-up supermini.
How much does the Skoda Fabia 130 cost?
The presence of the Fabia 130 in Skoda Australia’s price lists is not yet confirmed, and production of the car is limited. It won’t be an open-ended run of vehicles, which only makes the case to bring a small number here even harder.
Then there’s the pricing. All-out hot hatchbacks in the compact mould are incredibly thin on the ground these days.
Indeed, the only real contenders left are the three-door Mini John Cooper Works, with its 170kW 2.0-litre engine and starting price tag of $57,990 before on-roads.
And, proving a rather more complicated comparison test, the Skoda’s distant cousin remains available: Volkswagen will still, just about, sell you a new Polo GTI, complete with a 147kW 2.0-litre engine, for a competitive $41,790.
This means the 130kW, 1.5 Fabia 130 is probably going to look overpriced, given that the current Fabia range-topper – a Monte Carlo with the lesser 110kW 1.5-litre TSI engine – is already $39,990 drive-away.
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What is the Skoda Fabia 130 like on the inside?
By pairing the usual high-quality Skoda Fabia interior – complete with a reasonably spacious second row of passenger seating and a good-sized 380-litre boot – with a few tasteful model-specific flourishes, the 130’s interior is a winner.
The chief item(s) in its armoury are the deeply sculpted bucket seats up front, complete with integrated head restraints and a five-stripe pattern made up of one central red line flanked by two white and two grey bands.
These chairs are supportive for high-speed cornering, yet suitably comfortable and plush for day-to-day driving.
Aside from those, there’s a sports steering wheel with perforated leather grips, silver highlights and contrast-white stitching for the dashboard, and even some carbon-effect leather trim panels on the fascia.
Skoda further adds stainless-steel pedals and some black aluminium sill plates to the Fabia 130, to lift its interior ambience beyond that of a Monte Carlo.
| Dimensions | Skoda Fabia 130 |
|---|---|
| Length | 4137mm |
| Width | 1780mm |
| Height | 1458mm |
| Wheelbase | 2551mm |
| Cargo capacity | 380L (behind rear seats) 1190L (behind front seats) |
To see how the Skoda Fabia lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
What’s under the bonnet?
Powering the Fabia 130 is the turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine known as the TSI Evo 2, which is already found in the Monte Carlo and other Fabias in the range.
| Specifications | Skoda Fabia 130 |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5L 4cyl turbo-petrol |
| Power | 130kW |
| Torque | 250Nm |
| Transmission | 7-speed dual-clutch automatic |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
| Weight | 1271-1310kg |
| 0-100km/h (claimed) | 7.4 seconds |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 5.6L/100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 7.9L/100km |
| Fuel tank capacity | 50L |
| CO2 emissions | 126-127g/km |
| Emissions standard | Euro 6e |
However, Skoda is keen to say that the unit in the 130 – which makes an additional 20kW to land at its 130kW peak – is not simply an ECU reflash.
The company says it has changed the intake plenum, the vibration damper and the rocker arms to suit, which not only elevates the output to the model-inspiring 130kW at 5750-6000rpm, but also sees the Fabia 130’s TSI making more power from 3500rpm onwards than the equivalent 110kW unit.
Maximum torque, however, remains pegged at 250Nm, presumably because the seven-speed DSG transmission which sends drive to the Skoda’s front wheels is not capable of taking any more grunt than that.
Nevertheless, the 130 is four-tenths of a second quicker when running 0-100km/h than a 110kW Monte Carlo, recording the sprint in just 7.4 seconds; that means the 130 is almost as quick as the old Mk2 RS for acceleration (that car: 7.3 seconds), but because the newbie can run to 228km/h flat out and the RS V-maxed at 224km/h, it’s why Skoda can legitimately claim this is the ‘fastest’ production Fabia so far.
Some of the in-gear times are more telling than the bare 0-100km/h run, incidentally. Skoda says the 130 can do 60-100km/h in 3.8 seconds and 80-120km/h in 4.8 seconds, flexes which compare favourably to a 110kW 1.5-litre’s equivalent data of 4.1 and 5.3 seconds, respectively.
What makes the Fabia 130 so punchy despite its seemingly modest uplift in power is that it’s a light car. No matter how you specify it, the Skoda is in the vicinity of 1.3 tonnes, and 130kW powering that little amount of car is always going to be effective.
To see how the Skoda Fabia lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
How does the Skoda Fabia 130 drive?
It’s not just the power upgrade which has been created for the Fabia 130, as the company has tweaked the steering, DSG gearbox and suspension to bolster the small Skoda’s dynamic appeal in all departments.
It has also been able to concentrate the set-up on grip levels afforded by the standard-fit 18-inch alloys wearing Continental ContiSport Contact 5 tyres – all other Fabias are on 15- to 18-inch wheels, so their suspension tunes must have a broader spread of operating parameters than the 130’s, and are therefore something of a compromise.
The key to understanding, and then subsequently appreciating, the Fabia 130 is to go into it with your expectations set at a fair level. This car, despite being as quick as the second-gen RS, is what was once called a ‘warm’ hatch, rather than a hot one. It’s not going to compete with the likes of the Polo GTI and Mini JCW in terms of the rawness of its performance and handling manners.
So as long as you don’t hold it to challenging that class of vehicle, you ought to love the way the Fabia 130 goes about its business. It’s a really zingy, rev-happy and fun little runaround, with a decent slug more grunt than the Fabia 110kW Monte Carlo it is based on.
The best news is that the 15mm-lower sports suspension it sits on, something it shares with the Monte Carlo, doesn’t spoil the Fabia 130 as a day-to-day conveyance. This is a car which still rides comfortably, managing to absorb rough city streets, speed bumps and lumpier surfaces with a significant degree of grace.
Sure, there’s quite a bit of tyre noise in the 130, especially at freeway speeds, but it is a generally quiet and compliant car at all usable road pace, which means it is just as good as any Fabia in the family for the humdrum duties of daily driving.
It’s definitely sharper and more invigorating in the corners, though. There’s a playfulness from the chassis that’s safely exploitable on road, due to the overall trim nature of the car, which means you can adjust the cornering line of the Fabia 130 almost as much with well-timed lifts of the throttle as you can by twirling the wheel.
If we were being hyper-critical, we could do with even more feel and bite from the beefed-up steering, and while a full-on limited-slip differential on the front axle might be overkill on such a modest powertrain, some form of advanced torque-vectoring by brake might improve the Skoda’s turn-in behaviour somewhat.
There is a ‘halfway house’ ESC setting called Sport which allows a degree of leniency from the electronics before they intervene in cornering matters, but ultimately – right at the ragged edge – the Fabia 130 will demonstrate its limitations with some safety-oriented understeer.
Not that you need to thrash it that hard to delight in it, though. This is a really, really good car, with a strong level of dynamic character and a beautifully approachable drivetrain. It could maybe sound a little bit better as it nears the redline, sure, and this is despite the engineers playing with the Fabia’s exhaust system to give it more depth, signified by the twin-exit pipes at the back of the car.
But aside from that, and our desire for bigger, less plasticky shift paddles for the DSG system, we love the unpretentious way the Fabia 130 goes about its business.
It’s a nicely sorted, pleasantly engaging and all-round talented warm hatchback. Probably right that Skoda didn’t confer the ‘RS’ lettering on it, then, to unfairly raise pre-drive expectation to unmatchable levels. As it is, the 130 stands confidently tall as its own machine and a worthy new addition to the performance-Fabia canon.
To see how the Skoda Fabia lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
What do you get?
You should easily spot a Fabia 130 on the outside, thanks to the black detailing – it’s used for the roof and boot-mounted spoiler, the door-mirror caps, the radiator grille, the darkened surrounds of the LED headlights, the front splitter, the 18-inch alloys, the rear diffuser area and for the motorsport-inspired decal that sits either side of the rear licence plate.
All of these will be lessened if you plump for the black option which is one of only four colours available for a Fabia 130, but the other choices are white, blue and red, and should show off the exterior styling in an appealing fashion.
There are three ‘130’ stickers on this Fabia as well, two sitting on the front wings and the other on the boot lid. A final aesthetic flourish is a set of red brake calipers peeping out from behind the 18s.
We’re still not clear on the car’s eventual presence in Australia, so going by European cars we’d expect the standard specification of a Fabia 130 ought to include:
2026 Skoda Fabia 130 equipment highlights:
- 18-inch ‘Libra’ black alloys
- 10.25-inch digital cluster and 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment
- Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity
- Dual-zone climate control
- Three-spoke leather multifunction steering wheel
- Adaptive cruise control
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Reversing camera
- ‘Kessy’ full keyless entry and go
- Heated front bucket seats
- Heated steering wheel
- 130-specific upholstery pattern
- 15mm-lower Sport suspension
- Two-stage drive mode select (ASR + ESC Sport/ASR off)
- Exterior 130-specific styling
To see how the Skoda Fabia lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
Is the Skoda Fabia 130 safe?
The Skoda Fabia comes with a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP in 2021.
| Category | Skoda Fabia |
|---|---|
| Adult occupant protection | 85 per cent |
| Child occupant protection | 81 per cent |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 70 per cent |
| Safety assist | 71 per cent |
Standard safety features include:
- 6 airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist detection
- Driver fatigue monitoring
- Parking-speed AEB in drive and reverse
- Lane-keep assist
- Lane departure warning
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Side assist
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear-view camera
- Front, rear parking sensors
To see how the Skoda Fabia lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
How much does the Skoda Fabia 130 cost to run?
On a steady freeway cruise, we saw an impressive 6.7L/100km from the Fabia 130, although some later spirited driving on the test route increased that consumption rate to 7.9L/100km overall.
| Servicing and Warranty | Skoda Fabia 130 |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 7 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Roadside assistance | Up to 7 years (service-activated) |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | Up to 7 years |
| Total capped-price service cost | $3000 – 5 years $3940 – 7 years |
Nevertheless, it’s clear that however you want to enjoy the 130’s abilities, it shouldn’t crucify your wallet as a result – one of the benefits of the smaller, 1.5-litre petrol engine.
Skoda Australia’s aftercare package is impressive. There’s a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty on new cars, while 12 months’ worth of free roadside assistance is provided from first registration.
This can be extended for 12 months at a time on a service-activated basis, while two servicing bundles – one for five years and 75,000km, the other for seven years and 105,000km – come in at either $3,000 or $3,940, respectively.
To see how the Skoda Fabia lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
CarExpert’s Take on the Skoda Fabia 130
To fully appreciate the Skoda Fabia 130, you have to forget all about the whole ‘should it have been an RS?’ issue and temper your expectations accordingly. If you can do that, then there’s much to love about the 130.
It has a lively chassis, a willing drivetrain, impressively assured everyday-driving manners and a reasonably frugal engine that will sip at fuel if you’re not in the mood to drive the Skoda with some vigour.
In short, it’s a refreshing and joyous little thing to have appeared in an EV-centric 2025.
The biggest obstacles to the Fabia 130’s success here are whether any examples of the car will actually make it to our shores, and then – if they do – how much each one will cost, relative to a Volkswagen Polo GTI.
Beyond that, this is a very welcome return for the high-performance Fabia, even if it’s not an overtly hot hatch in the final reckoning.
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