Tag Archives: Škoda

NEW CARS

2025 Škoda Fabia 130: A Hot-Hatch Homage with 174 Horses and Attitude

Škoda has just turned up the heat on its smallest hatchback. Meet the new Fabia 130 — the most powerful and quickest version of the supermini the Czech brand has ever built. Packing 174 horsepower, a 142 mph top speed, and plenty of old-school vRS flavor, this little car wants you to remember when hot hatches were light, nimble, and unapologetically fun.

Turbocharged Heart with Extra Punch

At the core of the Fabia 130 is a familiar 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, but Škoda’s engineers didn’t just dial up the boost and call it a day. The engine gets a new intake plenum, vibration dampers, and revised rocker arms to cope with the extra muscle — 26 hp more than the regular Fabia’s 1.5 TSI.

Power now peaks between 5,750 and 6,000 rpm, and while torque remains unchanged at 184 lb-ft (from 1,500 to 4,000 rpm), Škoda says the unit delivers stronger performance throughout the rev range.

The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission has also been reprogrammed with a bespoke software map, holding gears longer and executing snappier downshifts in Sport mode. The result is a sharper, more responsive drive that feels less economy hatch, more pocket rocket.

Performance That Nearly Matches a Legend

On paper, the numbers tell a compelling story. The Fabia 130 sprints from 0 to 62 mph in 7.4 seconds, shaving 0.6 seconds off the standard 1.5 TSI’s time. That’s almost dead even with the old Mk2 Fabia vRS, which clocked in at 7.3 seconds — an impressive achievement for a modern, safety-laden supermini.

Top speed climbs to 142 mph, nudging past the vRS by 3 mph. It’s not just quicker; it’s a symbolic nod to Škoda’s performance heritage as the brand celebrates its 130th anniversary.

Sharper Chassis, Better Feel

To match its newfound vigor, the Fabia 130 borrows the sportier suspension setup from the Monte Carlo trim, sitting 15mm lower for a more aggressive stance and improved cornering poise. Škoda also reworked the electric power steering for better feedback — a move enthusiasts will surely appreciate in an era when steering feel is often filtered out.

Inside and Out: Everyday Usability Meets Sporty Flair

Visually, the Fabia 130 walks the fine line between subtle and spirited. A special front splitter, 18-inch alloy wheels, twin exhaust tips, and commemorative “130” graphics add just enough visual drama without veering into boy-racer territory.

Inside, it gets electrically adjustable bucket seats and stainless-steel pedals, touches that elevate the driving experience while keeping daily comfort intact.

Price and Position

Order books open on October 30, with prices starting at £29,995 — about £3,000 more than the Fabia Monte Carlo fitted with the standard 1.5 TSI. That premium buys a tangible step up in performance, sharper handling, and a unique slice of Škoda’s history.

The Fabia 130 isn’t a full-blown vRS revival, but it’s the closest we’ve come in years. With more power, smarter gearing, and chassis tuning that prioritizes feel over flash, it’s a reminder that fun doesn’t need to be loud to be fast.

For a brand celebrating 130 years of engineering, the Fabia 130 feels like the perfect tribute — compact, clever, and just a little bit mischievous.

Source: Škoda

CONCEPT CARS

Škoda Reimagines the 110 R Coupe as a Futuristic EV Concept

Sometimes the smartest way forward is to look back. Škoda has done just that with a new digital concept that channels the spirit of its classic 110 R coupe, the cult-favorite two-door that once brought a whiff of sports car glamour to Eastern Bloc roads. Now reinterpreted for the electric era, the project is the latest in a series of design studies that use heritage as a springboard for future ideas.

The original 110 R debuted in 1970 as the sporty sibling to the Škoda 100 sedan. It wasn’t powerful—just 62 hp from a rear-mounted 1.1-liter four-cylinder paired with a four-speed manual—but its rear-wheel-drive layout and sleek fastback shape made it a beloved, attainable coupe for enthusiasts behind the Iron Curtain.

Fast forward more than 50 years, and designer Richard Svec, who joined Škoda in 2023 after a stint at Italdesign in Turin, has reimagined the 110 R for the EV age. Rather than leaning into retro pastiche, Svec focused on proportion, stance, and form to capture the coupe’s essence while pushing its style into the future.

The result is a compact two-door, two-seat electric coupe with a low roofline and fastback tail. Its face nods to the past with headlamps that echo the “melancholic” look of the original, now rendered as sharp rectangles with retractable, body-colored covers. A recessed front end incorporates Škoda’s new “Tech Loop” design language, previewed on the Vision O concept.

Performance cues abound. Inflated fenders wrap around large center-lock wheels with aero covers, while hood ribs, a visible protective cage, and deep side intakes reference the original’s racing pedigree. Out back, hidden taillights and a thin LED strip mirror the car’s front-end graphics, giving the coupe a unified look from every angle.

Škoda has yet to disclose powertrain details, but speculation suggests a rear-mounted electric motor—true to the original’s layout—would be the logical choice. If it borrows from the brand’s current EVs like the Elroq or Enyaq, output could hit around 286 metric horsepower, a number that would make this lightweight coupe plenty quick.

As with most digital concepts, Škoda has no plans to put the 110 R Coupe into production. Still, the design exercise hints at what could be possible if the company’s bread-and-butter EVs continue to succeed. With mainstream profits secured, Škoda could have the flexibility to indulge in halo products like this—cars that connect emotional heritage with a forward-looking identity.

For now, the 110 R digital coupe remains a tantalizing glimpse of what might be: a reminder that heritage can still guide the future, even in the age of electrification.

Source: Škoda

News

Škoda Museum at 30: Celebrating a Century-Plus of Heritage in Motion

Thirty years ago, Škoda Auto decided that its 100th birthday wasn’t something to mark with a cake and candles alone. Instead, it opened the Škoda Museum in Mladá Boleslav, a living, breathing temple to Czech automotive history housed inside the very walls where the company once built bicycles, motorcycles, and some of its earliest cars. Since that day in 1995, more than four million visitors have walked through its doors—and the celebration isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

An Industrial Landmark With a Story

The museum lives inside a restored early-20th-century industrial building on Václav Klement Avenue, a stone’s throw from Škoda’s main plant. It’s the kind of place where heritage isn’t a marketing buzzword—it’s brick, steel, and history baked into the walls. Originally home to Laurin & Klement’s mechanical dreams—two-wheelers, engines, and eventually four-wheeled machines—the space was transformed into a full-scale museum, then thoroughly modernized in 2012 to become what it is today: a 1,800-square-meter gallery of Czech engineering spirit.

Three Halls, Countless Stories

The layout is deceptively simple—three sections called Tradition, Evolution, and Precision—but within those walls are 50 cars, five motorcycles, and a pair of bicycles that tell the full arc of Škoda’s journey. A separate repository houses another 23 prototypes, concept studies, and race cars, many of which rotate into themed exhibitions that keep the collection fresh.

One of the more surprising displays arrived in 2018: a Laurin & Klement–Lorraine-Dietrich 450 aircraft engine from 1926. It’s a rare nod to the company’s aviation chapter, showcased in collaboration with Prague’s National Technical Museum. It’s proof that Škoda’s legacy stretches far beyond the asphalt.

More Than a Car Museum

The Škoda Museum isn’t just about static displays. It’s a cultural anchor for Mladá Boleslav and beyond, hosting concerts, lectures, workshops, and the nationwide Museum Night events. For locals, it’s as much a community hub as it is an automotive shrine. For international visitors, it’s a perfect launchpad for a factory tour in Mladá Boleslav, Vrchlabí, or Kvasiny—or even a side trip to Ferdinand Porsche’s birthplace in nearby Vratislavice.

Rolling Exhibitions

If you think the museum is just about mothballed classics, think again. Recent themed shows have spotlighted the new-generation Superb alongside all of its predecessors, marked 50 years of Škoda’s RS performance badge, and dug into the history of icons like the Popular, Rapid, and the 1000 MB. Exhibits also don’t shy away from today’s topics: sustainability and ecology have taken center stage in recent years, proof that heritage and the future can share the same stage.

Two Anniversaries, One Legacy

This year marks a dual celebration: 30 years of the museum and 130 years of Škoda Auto itself—making the Czech brand one of the world’s oldest carmakers still in operation. To honor that, a special exhibition runs through the end of the year, connecting the dots between the company’s pioneering beginnings and its modern identity.

Why It Matters

Plenty of automakers have museums, but Škoda’s feels different. It’s rooted not in corporate gloss but in authentic industrial heritage and a region’s pride. It’s where Czech craftsmanship, ingenuity, and resilience are put on display for the world to see. And as the museum steps into its fourth decade, it stands as proof that Škoda’s story isn’t just about cars—it’s about culture.

Source: Škoda