New Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo costs just under £21,000

The new model gets sporty looks and the option of a 148 bhp petrol engine.

By: James Fossdyke

Mar 10, 2022 at 5:00am ET

Comment

The sportily styled new Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo has gone on sale in the UK with prices starting at just under £21,000. The new supermini slots in at the top of the Fabia range with its more aggressive design and high level of equipment, and it’s offered with a more powerful petrol engine.

In exchange for the £20,925 starting price, however, the Monte Carlo will come fitted with the 1-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine found elsewhere in the Fabia line-up. That engine also sees service in the Seat Ibiza, and normally comes with a choice of two power outputs: 94 bhp or 109 bhp. However, the Monte Carlo is only available with the more powerful 109 bhp engine, although that can be matched with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed automatic.

Unsurprisingly, the automatic gearbox commands a £1,040 premium over the manual, but both engines drive the front wheels. The manual is the more economical choice, returning up to 51.6 mpg on the official economy test, but the automatic is only marginally less efficient, hitting 47.9 mpg on the same test.

That 1-litre engine is joined by the £23,765 1.5-litre petrol variant that’s new to the Fabia range. The four-cylinder, 148 bhp motor is solely available with a seven-speed automatic gearbox, and the extra power comes with no economy penalty. On the official test, the 1.5-litre engine achieved the same 47.9 mpg economy as the 1-litre engine with the same automatic gearbox.

No matter which engine you choose, the Monte Carlo’s standard equipment remains the same, with new sports bumpers, black door mirrors and a glossy black radiator. That look is completed with black-painted 17-inch alloy wheels – the largest fitted to any Fabia model – and unique Monte Carlo badging, as well as some black Skoda lettering on the car’s tailgate.

What do you think?

View

Comments

Inside, the Monte Carlo gets height-adjustable sports front seats trimmed with black fabric and artificial leather, plus a three-spoke leather multifunction steering wheel and red metallic decorative trim. The new model also provides black roof lining, carbon-effect trim on the lower dash and side trim panels, as well as white stitching. Ambient lighting and aluminium pedals round out the interior design upgrades.

In addition to all that, the Fabia Monte Carlo comes with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster display, as well as an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Bluetooth comes as standard, as do the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration systems. Keyless engine start and two-zone climate control are also fitted to all Monte Carlo models.