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Just saw an ad in 'Sakal' Pune edition that Skoda is launching 1.2 MPI version of their Elegance variant. Any ideas how it will be priced?

I’m in the market looking for a luxury (petrol) hatch. After a lot of deliberation and consulting Team-BHP, I narrowed the choices to the i20 and the Fabia. In this section, I intend to elaborate on the comparisons drawn

The i20 - 1.2 Asta is positioned against the Fabia - 1.2 Ambiente

I had the opportunity to test drive an i20 (which had already done 2500 kms) and the Fabia (which had done about 13000 kms).

Price (OTR in Bangalore): The i20 Asta is priced at INR 664,647 and the Fabia 1.2 Ambiente at INR 692,300 and no possibility of any discounts on the i20. So..., but still...
Verdict: i20

Engine: The i20 is a 4 cylinder 1.2 whereas the Fabia is a 3 cylinder HTP engine. Both are equally good. The i20 seems rev happy and has a quick take in the initial pickup, however the Fabia has a good midrange acceleration.
Verdict: i20 and Fabia

Handling: The i20 seems to indicate every attenuation of the tarmac and makes you feel insecure at high speeds with its motor assisted steering. The Fabia on the other hand is well planted and treats you as a luxury car should. The drive is well planted and gives you great confidence. And yes, the Fabia doors close with the traditional "thud".
Verdict: Fabia

Looks: With its curves, the i20 is "sugar and spice and everything nice", the supermobile for the power puff girls. I prefer the "butch" looks of the Fabia.
Verdict: Fabia

Inside: With the armrest, fabric inserts on door, better legroom and larger boot, the Fabia seems to score. However, the i20 has a more appealing dash and audio system.
Verdict: i20

Comfort: The i20 has steering mounted controls and foldable OVRMs. The fabia has front armrest and more space and legroom in the rear. The doors in the i20 are all plastic with the fabia having fabric inserts.
Verdict: Fabia

Safety: The i20 and Fabia have comparable features with the Fabia also having height adjustable seat belts and anti-pinch on all the four power windows (the i20 has only on the driver side).
Verdict: Fabia

Service: Hyundai has a wider network with lower cost of spares, hence cheaper to maintain. Skoda has to still evolve in this arena, but then the service intervals are once a year as I understand.
Verdict: i20

Other options: The i20 has an 1.2 Asta(o) with 6 airbags, and the Fabia has launched the 1.2 Elegance model (with the 1.4 discontinued) with projector headlamps, parkatronics and sunroof.
Verdict: Fabia

Other things like dealer satisfaction, fuel consumption are subjective and depend on owner/drivers care and experience.

I have almost made my choice.

I also took a test drive of the Fabia 1.2 Ambiente yesterday. The car is definitely good but the engine is not! It takes forever to accelerate (just like my Alto). The gear shift is super slick and the seats are very nice. But Fabia is too pricey to buy and maintain. The accesories/spares are exorbitantly priced. It is going to pinch hard in case there is an accident or something to be replaced!!!

It is like the hare and the tortoise story, with the i20 showing a good start but resting in the middle to let the fabia make good gains. But then the fabia is no tortoise either. We all know the ending to this story. I suggest you try driving the i20 above 120 kms (just like the fabia) and then decide.

Agreed joslicx. We are yet to know the price of spares for the i20 or what happens after it has done 15-20K kms. We should give the i20 atleast another 6-8 months to prove itself on Indian roads. For a Korean/Indian car, I would have expected the i20 to be priced atleast 50~70K lesser than a CKD European car. If the cost of maintenance is the deciding factor, then Swift would be the winner, not that it qualifies as a luxury hatch.

And the Fabia 1.2 Elegance is also launched in a new dark blue color.

Tumbler, a word of advice, look before you leap... or in the case of Skoda, before you take a step.

The discontinuation of the 1.4 was a no brainer. No sales and no significant reason for existence.

The 1.2 Elegance would seem like a great petrol buy - in theory. Truth is, the 1.2L 3-cylinder is more of a fuel guzzler than the Kappa engine that has a 10 bhp advantage. And it's not a small difference (15-18%) either. You would think that, with one less cylinder, the skoda would come out on top.

Nope. Skoda botched that one up too. Atleast there's the 1.4 L diesel for people who want economy...and for people to think you drive a truck, with its ear drum shattering clatter.

I won't deny the Skoda feels great once inside. Their build quality and beige interiors seduced me too. But I knew I'd feel like an idiot if I splurged the extra 1.5 lacs just for the colors of the interior.

The i20 has loads more technology in every department. My advice, don't step, RUN to the the i20 dealer.

@ Tumbler: The cars are comparable to each other. In fact, I think i20 is a better choice in the two. However, there have been many horror stories about Skoda's service and spares. I would advice you to keep away.

If you keep A/S/S in mind, the i20 is a muuuuuuuuucccchhhhhhhh better choice IMO.

+1

If you are looking for a "luxury & premium" hatch, with mostly city driving, then go for the i20.
I guess every friday evening the top brass at Skoda calls in a "How to cross 2-digit Fabia sales in a month". And spend 10-15 mins on some new plan, which hits the newspapers that weekend with some offers :D

Tumbler, check this video shown in Fifth Gear UK,The Show - Fifth Gear
Which shows a comparison (not detailed) between Fabia and i20 from a value for money prespectve

skoda never got the fabia pricing right, Indian's cannot get the premium hatch concept, no one will buy a hatch at the price of a much better equipped sedan (Read - Fiesta, verna, sx4 etc)

My take on Fabia 1.4 MPi - if it indeed has been discontinued, just a sign of admittance that they just couldn't get the engine right for Indian conditions.

My take in general after having driven both the 1.2 and 1.4 petrol - if it is a Skoda, just stick to a diesel. Noisy or not, you can't go wrong with the engine.

Man there are even much better equipped hatches in i20, Swift available for the same (or lesser) price.

hey are they discontinuing the 1.4 to bring in 1.6 for fabia sportsline?

has anyone thought about that. may be they can launch fabia at the same price of elegance 1.4 put in 1.6 and make it sporty. lolz 30-40k here or there. it was damn expensive anyway it would be one hellva hot hatch.

when is the 1.9 fabia due? expect a price tag of 10 lakhs, of course..

Thanks for all the advice and pointers folks. I did see the Fifth gear video which compares the European versions which is very different than the ones sold in India. Skoda has done a lot of cost cutting and so have the Hyundai.

Hmmm.... time for me to think a little more though the decision may seem a no brainer :uncontrol, atleast not for me.

Choice is bad. Life was not so complicated when we had just the Ambi and PAL for choices and no one complained.:)

To add to this point : We can safely presume, based on the manufacturers prior history, that the i20 will be far more reliable than the Fabia. In the long run, much lesser problems can be expected.