After Volkswagen bought the Czech brand Skoda in the early '90s, it made a plan for the East-European brand, and that included a small-sized lineup, which was the Fabia.
Built from the ground up, the new model was a complete departure from the previous Felicia, which was more of an evolution based on an older Skoda platform. But Volkswagen created the Fabia following the Czech brand heritage, and that helped a lot. Thus, the first generation of this nameplate was an outstanding success. Moreover, it produced the vehicle in three body shapes: hatchback with five doors, sedan, and station wagon.
The cubist design was a Czech trend, and Volkswagen instructed the design department to pen the car following those ideas. Thus, Fabia featured angular shapes, including on the headlights and the grille. With its arched roofline, the rest of the car was modern and dictated by the new design trends in the automotive industry. From its profile, the small-sized hatchback featured a raked-forward rear window, followed by a vertical drop for the rest of the tailgate.
Inside, the car featured the same curved dashboard as the Fabia hatchback. The only rectangular elements on board were the air vents. A simple-to-read and understand instrument cluster featured distinct dials for the speedometer and tachometer and top-mounted gauges for the fuel level and coolant temperature. At the front, the bucket seats were simple, with six manual adjustments. The carmaker installed a split-folding bench in the back that expanded the otherwise small trunk.
Under the hood, Skoda installed a choice of six gasoline and five diesel engines. All of them were paired to a 5-speed gearbox.
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