Skoda Fabia (2015-2017) interior
The Fabia’s fairly minimalist cabin doesn’t look particularly exciting but all its various knobs and buttons are easy to use. Sadly, they also feel rather cheap
Style
The Skoda Fabia’s cabin isn’t particularly exciting to look at, but at least everything’s easy to use. The heating and ventilation controls are sensibly laid out, are within easy reach of even the shortest-armed drivers and feel pretty solid, too.
There are slightly fewer expensive-feeling soft-touch plastics dotted around the Fabia’s interior than you’ll find in a VW Polo or even a Ford Fiesta. That isn’t to say it’s cheap and flimsy, however – the dashboard and door trims feel like they’ll stand up to years of abuse and its various cubbyholes and door bins are equally sturdy.
If you want to make the Fabia’s interior look as modern as possible, though, avoid entry-level S cars that sport a small five-inch touchscreen. SE models and above are treated to a larger 6.5-inch system with an upgraded stereo as standard.
Sporty Monte Carlo models inject a little more character into the Fabia’s slightly forgettable cabin. Eye-catching red contrast stitching is scattered about and you get a leather-trimmed steering wheel, sports front seats and stainless steel pedal trims.
The Fabia’s cabin is pretty boring to look at, but it comes with a few neat touches – such as the umbrella tucked under the passenger seat
- Cash
- £11,195
- Used
- £5,999
Infotainment
All Fabias come with a touchscreen infotainment system built into the dashboard. Basic S models feature a five-inch unit while all other versions come with a more aesthetically pleasing 6.5-inch screen.
Switching between key features is dead easy. There are eight handy shortcut buttons instead of the rabbit hole of menus you’ll lose yourself in the Honda Jazz and a physical volume knob means you can crank up the stereo without taking your eyes off the road.
The touchscreen menus are logically laid out and have a nice big font so they’re easy to read on the move. Connecting your phone using Bluetooth is easy, too, and all models come with DAB digital radio.
You also get Mirrorlink, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring as standard on SE models and above. As a result, you can use your phone’s navigation or music streaming apps on the Fabia’s built-in infotainment screen.
All but S versions come with the option of a £500 satellite navigation system. It’s fairly easy to use and its large clear icons make entering a postcode and following directions a breeze, but it’s a needless expense if your phone’s compatible with the aforementioned mirroring systems.
Entry-level S models have to make do with a rather basic stereo system but SE models and above feature a much improved six-speaker item that’s not only louder – it’s clearer and bassier, too.
- Cash
- £11,195
- Used
- £5,999