The current Skoda Fabia RS (vRS in the UK) will be the last hot Fabia, as the VW-owned carmaker plans to drop the performance model starting with the next iteration of the series. Skoda’s CEO Winfried Vahland said the new generation Fabia, expected to launch next year, will not feature an RS model because of the current model’s poor sales.
“With the Octavia RS, we made around an eight percent penetration into the market. With the Fabia RS, it was less than one percent,” Vahland told TopGear. “Although people didn’t buy the Fabia RS, they still wanted the feel of the hot-hatch,” he added.
“People want to have the look of an RS, but don’t need an engine that they can’t afford”, he said. Above that, “the Fabia RS was too expensive in Europe,” Vahland acknowledged. “Customers wanted the sports seats, the alloys, the bodykit, but they also wanted the functionality of a normal Fabia. And anyway, if you really want a vRS, get an Octavia,” Skoda boss added.
He gave the example of the Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo special edition, which sports a similar styling and equipment package as the RS, minus the engine. “When we introduced the Monte Carlo trim line, we estimated we would sell around 3,000 cars. We ended up producing 20,000,” Vahland pointed out.
Available in 5-door hatchback and estate variants, the current Skoda Fabia RS is powered by a 1.4-liter TSI gasoline engine developing 176 hp (180PS) and 249 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque. The unit is linked to a seven-speed DSG gearbox and enables the Fabia RS to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.3 seconds.
By Dan Mihalascu
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