Skoda has just revealed the new Fabia hatchback that has increased in size plus has expanded safety and comfort equipment.

The fourth generation of the Fabia is now based on Volkswagen Group’s modular MQB-A0 platform, allowing the car to be 1110 mm longer than its predecessor at 4108 mm, creating extra room for passengers. 

The increased size gives the Fabia "more space than our competitors," said Skoda CEO Thomas Schaefer.  

Skoda has chosen not to electrify the Fabia range and will instead offer gasoline engines only. The reason given for not offering even a mild-hybrid version was to keep the price down.

"As a brand known for value for money, when you electrify you start to erode that because of increasing costs," a Skoda spokesman said.

The Fabia has Infotainment systems with displays of up to 9.2 inches, plus gesture control and a digital voice assistant, found in VW vehicles such as the all-new Golf.

Optional driving assistance technology includes Skoda’s Travel Assist for the first time, which links lane-keeping technology with adaptive cruise control and other functions such as sign recognition to control speed automatically.

The Fabia is also available with blind spot recognition and parking assistance which can take over the driver's steering work when parking.

Other features include heated steering wheel and heated windscreen options.

The Fabia's design is an update of the current model. The car has been given a more emotionally appealing design with details such as slimmer LED front lights and rear lights that extend onto the trunk lid.

The longer wheelbase also helped improve the car's appearance, Oliver Stefani, Skoda's head of design, said in the statement.

"Thanks to its new proportions, our entry-level model looks much more dynamic and grown-up," he said.

 The Fabia will launch in Europe in September and Skoda New Zealand says it will arrive here in early 2022.