Still three months away from its Australian launch, Czech marque Skoda is already planning to target mainstream brands in 2008.
A strong performer in countries like the United Kingdom and Germany in the value-for-money segments, the VW Group company will use its new Fabia II hatch to take on the likes of Toyota, Nissan and the Korean brands if current plans fall into place.
Official factory projections do not have the Fabia on the local radar before 2010. However, new Skoda boss, Matthew Wiesner, is confident the company's smallest model will arrive Down Under sooner rather than later.
Indeed, though still playing his cards close to his chest, Wiesner told The Carsales Network, the spunky five-door hatch would arrive in 2008.
"We have the brand to launch still (more here) and there are many details to finalise, but Fabia features in our plans and we would like to see it in Australia early next year," Wiesner said.
"There are still powertrain and equipment details to discuss. We need to make sure the car is priced correctly, but more importantly that the value offering is correct," he said.
Fabia II is built on the platform that will underpin the new-generation VW Polo. Offered as a five-door hatch only, it is powered by a range of three and four-cylinder petrol and turbodiesel engines.
It shares its front-end styling with the Roomster, but gets a 'conventional' but attractive rear end. In terms of external dimensions, Wiesner says it sits midway between the current generation Polo and Golf.
Wiesner opined that Skoda products should typically be priced five to ten per cent below their VW equivalents. The brand's value for money ethos also means it tends to equip at higher levels than the German marque model for model.
With this in mind Fabia II could arrive Down Under as a stylish well-equipped, current generation package that straddles the Light and Small car segments at under $20,000 -- in effect, taking on the likes of Nissan's Tiida and Toyota's "Euro inspired" 150 Series Corolla with a real Euro offering.
Wiesner says he'd like to see a three-grade Fabia range come Down Under with a higher specification hatch and a top-of-the-range vRS or equivalent 'hottie' completing the line-up. The latter could feature VW Group's muscular twin-charged 1.4-litre TSI powerplant (more here). With around 125kW it would be a potent pocket halo model for the brand.
Other engines for the Australian market could include a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and VW's new 1.4-litre turbodiesel four.
Fabia II has tested at a four-star level in its first round of Euro NCAP testing -- a sore point with some of Skoda's engineering hierarchy. Director of Technical Development Eckhard Scholz told the CarPoint Network that the Fabia II's structure was "perfect" and hinted the downgrade was more about politics than safety.
"The Fabia II's structure is perfect, but [NCAP] gave us modifiers that I cannot accept. From a safety point of view, it is one of the best [in the class] but Skoda is a small brand and that is one of the problems," he said pointedly.
It's likely the 'missing' star will be 'found' before the car arrives Down Under
"We're not basing our decision to launch [or not launch] the Fabia on a Euro NCAP score. We are, however, committed to ensure that all Skoda models are appropriately equipped in terms passive and active safety," Wiesner said.
Fabia II was released in Europe earlier in 2007 and has been a sell-out success -- like its Roomster stablemate with which it shares componentry.
Ironically it is this success that may be the only stumbling block for Skoda Australia.
According to Wiesner demand for the car is very high -- in its home market and throughout Europe. However, given the strategic importance of the brand's launch in Australia, and in turn the role the Fabia must play jumping the production queue is not out of the question.
Read our launch review of the Roomster here
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