Skoda, it may surprise you to know, is 130 years old, making it one of the oldest car makers still in business. Only Benz (later, of course, Mercedes-Benz), Peugeot and MAN were in the vehicle-making game prior to Skoda setting up shop, as Laurin & Klement, in 1895. Opel was a going concern before that, but wasn't yet making cars. Ford wasn't incorporated until 1903 and Fiat not until 1899. Rolls-Royce is an utter Johnny-Come-Lately, starting up in 1906.
Which precious stone do you use to celebrate a 130th birthday?
We're not sure. If you ever get to 130, let us know, but Skoda is marking its big 1-3-0 by making the hottest Fabia ever — this is the Skoda Fabia 130.
Does that mean it has 130hp?
It absolutely does not mean that. In fact, this Fabia 130 — said to be inspired by Skoda's rallying Fabias — is based on the current Fabia Monte Carlo and has the same turbocharged 1.5-litre 'TSI EVO2' petrol engine as its basis. Normally, that engine produces 150hp, but here the Skoda Technical Development people have tweaked it up to 177hp, making it the most powerful Fabia of all time (well, road-going Fabia anyway).
How quick is it?
Reasonably brisk; 0-100km/h takes 7.4 seconds, and the top speed is 228km/h. The Fabia 130 is also notably quick through the gears, taking just 3.8 seconds to go from 60-100km/h, and 4.8 seconds to go from 80-120km/h (or 50-70 if you're a fan of the 50to70 podcast...).
Where did the extra power come from?
Some traditional engine development and modification has found that extra 27hp — mostly it's an engine management system tweak, but Skoda has also modified the intake plenum, vibration damper and rocker arms to handle the higher output.
Peak power is delivered between 5,750rpm and 6,000rpm, with 250Nm of torque available from just 1,500rpm. It uses a dual-clutch (DSG) automatic transmission — so there's no manual gearbox (boo!).
Any other changes?
Yup — the suspension gets sportier tuning and a 15mm ride height drop, and there are 18-inch 'Libra' alloy wheels and recalibrated steering.
There are new settings for the Normal and Sport driving modes, which accentuate the sharper steering, and there's new two-stage Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) that can deactivate the traction control and allow a "controlled slip" in appropriate surroundings, while the ESC system intervenes later, giving the driver a little more leeway before the electronic nannies step in.
How will I spot a Fabia 130?
You might struggle a little, actually, as it's a pretty subtle visual upgrade. The big alloys and red brake calipers are a bit of a giveaway, but the black contrast roof is taken from the standard Fabia Monte Carlo.
There is a new "130" badge at the top of the front wheelarch and on the rear hatch, as well as black front and rear spoilers and diffuser, and smoked black headlight lenses. There's also a black stripe that runs across the back, just below the brake lights.
When can I have one?
The good news is that Skoda Ireland has confirmed it has an allocation of the Fabia 130 for Irish buyers to order. The bad news is that there will be just 40 examples coming to these shores, and that will be spread over 2026 and 2027. It's priced at €37,300.