It’s a piece of cake to drive...

3:00pm Tuesday 29th January 2008

ONCE I'd recovered from the disappointment that the second-generation Skoda Fabia wasn't, in fact, made of cake, I realised that this was actually a great budget supermini with excellent ride quality and plenty of grip.

Comfortable and a piece of cake to drive, the Fabia comes with a choice of seven engines: 1.2 HTP (54 & 64bhp), 1.4 16V, 1.4 TDI PD (70bhp & 80bhp) and 1.9 TDI PD (100bhp & 130bhp).

I drove the rather basic 1.2, 3-cylinder, 6-valve petrol unit, which produced almost 61PS or 60bhp at 5,200rpm and 108Nm at 3,000rpm.

The new model is bigger and taller and with a 260-litre boot, there's plenty of space in the boot and there's also room for at least two occupants in the rear.

There is also good seat and steering column adjustment to ensure comfort at the wheel, even if the chairs lack some side support.

At the back, the rear window has been enlarged and so have the rear light clusters.

There are six airbags and features (some optional) to help prevent you from crashing include ESP, traction control, an electronic differential lock, moving headlights able to point around a bend and cornering lights built into the front fog lights, which also point into a bend when travelling at speeds up to 25mph.

Electronic brake enhancements, including ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution and a dual-stage brake assist for emergency stops, all come as standard.

And, as old-fashioned as it may be, my only single criticism is having to unlock doors by actually sticking the key in the door - what's the point in that? Saying that, over 1.5 million Fabia's have been sold around the world and over 130,000 of those were in the UK.

Factfile

Car: Skoda Fabia 1.2

On the road: £7,990

Max speed: 96mph

0-62mph: 16.5 seconds

Fuel: 47.9mpg (combined)

CO2 emissions: 140g/km

Insurance group: 1E

Warranty: 3-year/60,000 miles

Verdict: Great value for money