[pajero4me]

Originally Posted by 2cents

This feature is not there in the earlier version. Perhaps it can be set using VAG-CAM, shall check with the dealer when I take it for service. But what powers the windows, after the key is removed? I know it can be opened/closed for upto 10secs after turning off using switches on the door, but after that! Can some1 clarify?

Hey 2cents,finally i tracked you down.Your posts were were of tremendous help last year when i was in the dilema of Old Fabia vs New Fabia (Finally i settled for new,have posted the review as well in the ownership section).
Coming back to you question ,In new/old Fabia windows are always powered irrespective of key is removed or not.You can always Roll up/Down all the windows simultaneously by Long press of Lock/Unlock button.
You old Fabia also has this feature,Just insert the Key in keyhole(of door lock) and turn it towards unlock position and hold it for few second and all windows would roll down,do the opposite to roll up.(This shows that windows are always powered)

[2cents]

Originally Posted by pajero4me

Hey 2cents,finally i tracked you down.Your posts were were of tremendous help last year when i was in the dilema of Old Fabia vs New Fabia (Finally i settled for new,have posted the review as well in the ownership section).

Glad that it helped (or till you start cursing me for the same)
Saw your black pearl!! I think it deserves some more photo sessions.

Originally Posted by pajero4me

Coming back to you question ,In new/old Fabia windows are always powered irrespective of key is removed or not.You can always Roll up/Down all the windows simultaneously by Long press of Lock/Unlock button.
You old Fabia also has this feature,Just insert the Key in keyhole(of door lock) and turn it towards unlock position and hold it for few second and all windows would roll down,do the opposite to roll up.(This shows that windows are always powered)

Yep! This trick I've known. But it doesn't work remotely in mine. I have a strong feeling it must be possible to set it through VAG-CAM. Shall report after I visit the dealer.

[rajcs]

Hi guha_2001, I have also bought a silver Fab 1.6 on 13 Feb and am absolutely delighted by the performance. So much so that I think I am driving more than I require to! However, I find the owner's manual rather confusing with features of European models described in between. eg I am not sure if an anti theft device is installed in my car or not. If not, is there a skoda accessory available? Similarly, description of trip meter says that it will get reset after 1999 km or 9999 km. Is this correct? If so where do we get the total distance run?

[guha_2001]

Originally Posted by rajcs

Hi guha_2001, I have also bought a silver Fab 1.6 on 13 Feb and am absolutely delighted by the performance. So much so that I think I am driving more than I require to! However, I find the owner's manual rather confusing with features of European models described in between. eg I am not sure if an anti theft device is installed in my car or not. If not, is there a skoda accessory available? Similarly, description of trip meter says that it will get reset after 1999 km or 9999 km. Is this correct? If so where do we get the total distance run?

Raj, congrats on your purchase! I have been too lazy to read the owner's manual to be honest

The total distance run cannot and will not be reset in any car model. I think the tripmeter (which can be reset to zero) is the one that has a max range of what you mentioned

[S_U_N]

Originally Posted by gearbox

Dislikes
- Poor low end torque. Frequent downshifts are necessary in the city to keep her moving making it really irritating at times. The engine and gearbox package seem to be tailored for fuel efficiency rather than outright performance. Also the engine develops a coarse note at high rpms
- Overall this is not a sporty car, the package in India is clearly customized for comfort and mileage. It will disappoint one looking for Fiesta level sportiness

When I took the TD of Fabia 1.2 Petrol, I found the power to be sufficient. However, I have not driven it on highways, so cannot comment much.
Overall, I found the pickup was very good, it takes very little effort and time to reach 60 kmph speed. Also, it picks up cleanly in 3rd from speeds as low as 20 kmph.
Fabia 1.6 petrol is not available for TD, so cannot draw a comparison, but I am sure it will be more peppy and less noisy.

Again for the noise part, at idle, the car is noisy on the outside, but sitting inside it appears to be quiet. At speeds upto 60, it is not at all noisy; I cannot comment at speeds higher than that.

[adimicra]

Congrats on the new car. The Fabia looks as elegant as ever!

It's raining Fabia 1.6's on the forum and why not! It is indeed a great package.

There has been a discussion on Polo or Fabia given they share the same engine/drivetrain and have very similar features and character.

I would have whole heartedly recommended the Fabia over the Polo due to better space and better ride and handling package BUT, and this a big BUT, for the following missing features -

• Electric OVRMS, extremely useful particularly for parking.
• Rear wash/wipe. Does Fabia have the defogger?
• Split seats - very useful for flexibility.

Besides, there are other differences like Polo has 15" alloys vs. 14" of the Fabia whereas Fabia has an extra interior light etc. but those to me don't make a difference to me.

But, the above missing (or stripped down) features of the new Fabia is a deal breaker for me and hence can't recommend it over the Polo. So, ended up recommending the Polo to a friend. So, guys who are in confusion, see whether you can live with the missing features. And one piece of advice - don't ever buy a car just because it is marginally cheaper - 20-25K won't count much in the long run given the cost of the purchase but what matters is the smile on your face as you drive the car and the sense of satisfaction.

[rajcs]

FE of Fabia 1.6 is better than my expectations. After first 400km, almost entirely driven in urban Delhi, got an FE of 13 kmpl (full tank to full tank). May come down once air con is switched on later in the year.
@adimicra : No defogger in New Fabia. Rear wiper is also sorely missed.

[guha_2001]

Couple of updates:
- Took the car up to 150 on the NICE road in Bangalore. The car felt very planted, however the tyre noise was deafening! I didn't want to stress the engine too much so didn't go higher, the engine and chassis would have been comfortable with another 20 kmph more
- Unfortunately some lowlife has vandalized my car with a key all over. And this happened at Forum Mall's parking lot! The saving grace is the scratches seem superficial and a fair amount have gone away after using a rubbing compound

[rajcs]

fellow BHPian BHAGAWAN has upgraded his polo 1.6 to 17" rims. wonder if we can upgrade fabia 1.6 to 16" rim which is standard on polo. however, skodashield may prevent any unauthorised upgrade. any opinion?

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by rajcs

fellow BHPian BHAGAWAN has upgraded his polo 1.6 to 17" rims. wonder if we can upgrade fabia 1.6 to 16" rim which is standard on polo. however, skodashield may prevent any unauthorised upgrade. any opinion?

The Polo has 15" rims my friend. And I would suggest you stick to 15" since in India finding 16" tyres will be a pain and cost a bomb.

[guha_2001]

Originally Posted by rajcs

fellow BHPian BHAGAWAN has upgraded his polo 1.6 to 17" rims. wonder if we can upgrade fabia 1.6 to 16" rim which is standard on polo. however, skodashield may prevent any unauthorised upgrade. any opinion?

- Changing the tyre size voids the Skodashield warranty, 100% sure
- You could however try changing the alloys alone and keep the original tyres, not too sure about the warranty part however, need to check with dealer
- 15 inches is the maximum size recommended for the Fabia

[MK3]

Shivir, pajero4me, 2cents, guha_2001, all of you are my inspiration to check out fabia. My travel includes 1000 km/month, hence going for a petrol vehicle seems to be a right choice. The cars i have finalized are Maruti Suzuki Ritz Zxi and Skoda Fabia 1.2 MPFI Ambiente, according to my budget. I could not find reviews for 1.2 Petrol Ambiente. If you could throw some light on it, it would be help me in making the decision whether to go for it or not.

[rajcs]

Ambiente is a good variant with almost all features of elegance important omissions being ABS and multi function display on dash. Wiring for ICE is provided and you can fir aftermarket Hu and speakers of your choice. But do take a test drive to see if you are happy with the 75 PS engine.

[guha_2001]

Updates after a long drive to Chennai
- the car is silky smooth cruising at 90-100 kmph. Above that the wind noise becomes prominent
- good pickup in the mid and top ranges. Is good fun messing with innovas and sumos, must have been shocking to them to see a hatchback speed away so quickly
- when driving to chennai in the day with A/C on, I got a fuel efficiency of 18 kmpl. On the way back got about 19 kmpl with the A/C intermittently on
- got Global brand sunfilm fitted to the car sometime back. Has made a HUGE difference to the A/C performance. Even with outside temp being 35 deg, there was no need to set the fan speed higher than 1
- the scratches have become slightly less obvious after using a rubbing compound, have decided to live with them for now
- factory music system is good when audio CDs are played. very average when fed through aux-in

[mempheS.D]

@guha_2001: Is the factory fitted music system a Bosch? That's what I was told by the dealer. When you say audio CD, I hope you mean an MP3 CD and not just an Audio CD. Otherwise, this would mean, the stereo system would need to be changed too. Yikes!

As for the sunfilms, I was told by the dealer that the glasses are already 30% tinted. Couldn't believe or see that. I was doing my own research during this waiting period and shortlisted V-KOOL sunfilms as they seemingly protect the insides from UV rays. Can you help me with any research scatch pads that you might have used while selecting your sunfilms for the whiteknight?

Thanks