Skoda Fabia Gets Warm Hatch Treatment With 174bhp 130 Edition

There hasn’t been a hot vRS version of the Skoda Fabia in over a decade, but while this new 130 limited edition doesn’t wear the brand’s performance badge, it’s actually the fastest version of the supermini there’s ever been.

It’s a new special edition celebrating 130 years since Skoda was founded (as a bicycle manufacturer, mind you), and uses the top-spec Fabia Monte Carlo as its foundation. That’s so far been the warmest version of the fourth-gen Fabia available, with a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder making 148bhp.

For the 130, though, it’s been bumped up to 174bhp, leaving it only a couple of bhp down on the last Fabia vRS. Torque remains the same at 184lb ft, and it continues to send its power to the front wheels via a seven-speed DSG auto, but the extra power drops the 0-62mph time from 7.8 to 7.4 seconds, and ups the top speed from 137 to 142mph. That officially makes the 130 the fastest Fabia ever.

Skoda’s been more thorough than simply upping the power and calling it a day, too. Engine components like the intake plenum, vibration damper and rocker arms have been beefed up to deal with the extra power, and the gearbox has been recalibrated to shift later when in auto mode.

The chassis has also had some attention. The suspension now sits 15mm lower, and the steering’s been recalibrated for greater feedback and responsiveness. There’s even a new two-stage traction control which, in its looser setting, deactivates the anti-slip regulation for what Skoda calls “a controlled slip”. In a Fabia!

Outside, the 130 differentiates itself from the regular Monte Carlo with its new 18-inch wheels, red brake callipers, a black stripe running across the tailgate and the prerequisite smattering of 130 badges. Inside, it’s all fairly familiar from the Monte, with stripey sports seats, a 9-inch infotainment screen and some stainless steel pedal covers. Sporty.

All sounds like quite an appealing little package, even more so when you consider that pricing sneaks in at under £30k – just. The 130 will cost from £29,995 when it goes on sale in Britain on 30 October. We're not sure how many Skoda plans to bring here, but it says it'll be available in limited numbers, so better act quick if you fancy one.