Skoda UK releases Fabia Scout
June 18, 2009 by Matt Brogan
Škoda UK has released a Scout variant of its popular Fabia model.
Available with a choice of one petrol and two diesel engines, the new Fabia Scout estate offers even more choice for Fabia buyers in presenting a rugged-styled car that still manages to be practical, fuel efficient and well priced.
Key styling features include protective body mouldings, 16-inch alloy wheels, silver roof rails and distinctive Scout upholstery.
Australian release timing for the Fabia is yet to be confirmed.
Print it: 
Yes because that is EXACTLY what we need right now.
skoda…: Never seen one on the road yet, have they sold any?
What’s with the eatmyhat nonsense?
Take my advice, pay a bit extra and buy the genuine vw product and be done with it.
skoda make me feel orphan, dump this brand vw and bring back SEAT, MUCH more sexy and normal looking product!
Cheers
F-0
Would be interesting to see how the “ruggedized” Skoda handles Australian roads, including gravel. Would the Diesel be up to long range crusing? How does it compare on performance and price to the Hyundai i30? (or future i20)
Until one shows up over here we can only guess. Good chance it never will.
B-O
Good point, I was wondering if there is a Skoda dealership in Australia. I haven’t seen one, but I have seen about 3 Skodas on the road in the last year so there must be one somewhere.
I hear they are not to bad a car,
FrugaOne;
I happen to own one, have done for some 14 months now. It has served me exceptionally well.
The machine has a superb finish and has been faultless. I do see others on the road almost daily, and they are becoming more prolific.
Re: ‘Eat my hat’, you just don’t get it.
‘Normal looking product’, Skoda is part of the Volkswagen group. Skodas’ appearance is considered very pleasing in Europe, we are only ten years behind and hindered by a partisan press. Skoda continues to offer a ’sexy’ product at a very sexy price.
Orphan? I thought you were referring GMH., silly me.
Well, I’ll eatmyhat if you can next make an informed contribution.
DGS., I have a 2L TDI DSG wagon.
It is an exceptional touring machine. Getting from Coburg to Darlinghurst on one 55 litre tank and still having 150ks indicated to spare, and from Coburg to Adelaide via the Great Ocean Road without having fill is very pleasing indeed. The torque and silk hum of diesel only adds to the experience.
I have just checked out Skodas website, it tells me my nearest dealer is in South Australia. As I live in Western Australia I think I now understand why I have only seen 3 Skodas on the road!
Sorry, but for all the good posts I read from the pleased Skoda owners out there, telling us how great mechanically their cars are, I still can’t get past the look of them. Just so……odd.
No offence intended, it’s just a shame the designers aren’t better at their job.
DGS unless you live in regional WA, there is a skoda dealership in Osborne park.
FrugalOne Says: “Take my advice, pay a bit extra and buy the genuine vw product and be done with it.”
But most quality/satisfaction surveys in Uk put it ahead of VW products!!
DGS Says:
June 18th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
“I have just checked out Skodas website, it tells me my nearest dealer is in South Australia. As I live in Western Australia I think I now understand why I have only seen 3 Skodas on the road!”
DGS, have a read in the Skoda section on http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au it will answer your questions about the Skoda dealer(s) that used to be in WA. Apparently other WA dealers will be taking on the franchise in the near future.
Thanks Tom, when I next go to Perth I will drop by Ozzy Park to check out the Skodas in the Metal. As it happens I do live in regional WA and see the value in a well built diesel car for long haul driving. Considering the Holden Cruze TD at the moment, but not sold on “made by Daewoo” just yet.
DGS,
I have a tiny piece of bad news to report. Skoda has closed the Perth dealership (apparently it was run by the tools at the VW dealer about 50m up the road) and I’ve heard that a new one is being built (I live in Sydney so I would have no idea about Perth suburbs etc). So maybe you may have to travel to Adelaide to have a look, but it will be well worth it. I originally ordered a 2.0TDI Wagon manual, but found that an RS 2.0T petrol LIftback could be had for only $1000 more I jumped for it. On a trip from Sydney to Coffs Harbour (450 km) and I got there on just over half a tank (and its petrol!). So yes I’d thoroughly recommend any Skoda for that matter (try the Roomster diesel – I think its an even better car than the Octavia!).
Frugal One:
SEAT wouldn’t work here – they have no sedan in their whole line-up, and also Skoda is making money whereas SEAT is losing money in Europe, another reason to bring Skoda here. Also, you claim for people to take your advice – what shitty advice. Buy something genuinely VW you suggest – I cannot see why. Jetta vs Octavia and the Octavia wins hands down. I’m not gonna go into it, but its obvious why. The Superb vs Passat is another area where Skoda is a clear winner (much much more space etc).
If you were in a position to offer advice you would have an amount of knowledge on the Skoda range (to recommend it or otherwise) but it appears that you don’t as your points are all wrong. All the tools come on here and ‘dis’ Skoda, but they have no real knowledge of any of them. Wow, they’ve seen a few on the road, but have they actually gone to a dealership and tried them? Nup. Also, the ‘lack’ of dealerships, resale etc are all problems for car companies just starting, but as they stay longer those things improve as they gain more knowledge of the brand.
Skoda osborne park is closed … But veedub across the road is open
J.
I’m a VW fan, but I agree with jake02 what he said is so true… Only one thing i dont like about skoda is the LooK, the interior is very good ( look better than VW jetta a lot ) GOLF is the best though..118TSI..
Although it would be good to have SEAT, I think Skoda is a much better fit for Australia. They do have a sedan Jake, although its technically an Audi :P.
IMO SEAT seems a bit flakey aswell, they were here for four years and then left, in NZ for six years and left IIRC and were sold in South Africa for about 18 months between ‘06-08. It seems there isn’t enough room in the VW empire for SEAT.
Has all the goodies from VW so I bet they drive well, like the octavia. But the styling is a little, well, 1980’s. Yep, have been to a skoda dealership and seen them in the metal………..I am afraid to say the models I have seen still look like they have been dragged into the 2000s. A big part of the appeal of a car is the style, yes it has got to drive well, and durability is important, but style is important…….this thing, like the range of all Skodas in Oz, in my opinion, lack style/appeal
Jake02,
I’d expect to see your name b4 entering this skoda topic. LOL. Skoda really should start to pay you some $ for the hard work marketing you’ve done for them.
Again in my opinion this Fabia Scout thing is so ugly. But it’s a good car I guess.
However a large number of buyers who’s looking at this kind of small cars are young female, the looking of the car will be an important factor for their purchase.
Chinese Driver – I’m trying to figure out why it is exactly that when you first started appearing on this website some time ago, your sentences were very poorly constructed. They made you ’sound’ very foreign (Chinese?), like English wasn’t your native language. But now you’re English seems totally fine, and your comments show no sign of being a non-English speaker/writer. Seems to me you aren’t Chinese at all – I’ve always thought you were trying too hard to sound like you were. I think you are a another poster who made too many enemies and has changed their name. Come on, tell me I’m right, aren’t I??
DGS,
I have come back recently from a long stint up in west africa, so the guys will be right about the osborne park being gone for a while.
As for the style, apart from the strictly black only plastic grill (bit of a vw sabotage i reckon), i genuinely love the look of them!!
Can somebody please tell me what car in the 80’s resembled the fabia?!
Something Smells Fishy,
HAHHA very nice to hear that!
I am Chinese living in Aus (not rare isn’t it), looks like my english has improved while arguing with a range of so called enemies! LOL.
Wheelnut and BM used to accuse me for ‘poor english’ and ‘having trouble understanding’, now you proved they are wrong. =P
Chinese Driver,
Can I ask you what car you drive?
I know majority of the asian guys i know are into Hondas (or “VTEC for life!” as they say), with the occasional Toyota, or BMW thrown in…
Something Smells Fishy,
This is the only name i ever used on this site. Never used others, BM used to call me Dan and someother names, but I am not any of them.
Tomas79,
Hi, I am currently driving a R range VW with DSG. It is great car to drive but there’s always small issues. (Cd player wont play, heated seat doesn’t work, airbag light on for no reason, etc. Lucky its still under the warranty, and VW dealers are quite nice)
But you are right, my last car was 6sp manual Honda Accord Euro(I still think it is great car, great engine and very good interior). Never broken down for once in 4 years ownership.
I used to have one toyota long time ago, didn’t really like it a lot, but I understand it is appealing to people who doesn’t really care about cars, therefore I do respect toyota.
Good that those guys been temporaralily banned, and haven’t come back.
No more of those stupid GM vs Toyota/lexus vs Personal Attack … IT’s much more civilized now.
Skoda, the only brand of car that thought a front grill that looks like a yawning whale would look good. Skoda make good cars, how could they go wrong the VW as the parent company. Skoda, stop designing your cars with crayons. It needs to appeal to more than the local librarians and church groups who enjoy a spot of bird watching on the weekends.
Get rid of that vertical grill!!! I totally agree ‘The Salesman’.
ChineseDriver,
nice!!
The Salesman, I guess your not into elegant looking cars then?! ;-)
I don’t know what have people got againts the looks of the skoda on this site??
I’m yet to see an european review that doesn’t praise any of the current fabia, octavia, superb’s elegant looks!!
Like i said, i reckon only the black plastic grill ruins it!!
I would tell my heavily pregnant wife she looked “elegant”
I would say a nice tea set is “elegant”
A wedding reception room could be described as “elegant”
I don’t want a car someone has described as “elegant” Know body is going to be envious of an “elegant” car are they?
Skoda has a pool of awesome, aggressive, trendy, se3y designs from VW to inspire a team of engineers and designers to come up with something well beyond anything that could be described by a word that people use when talking about a newborn baby animal. I’m looking for Grrrrrrrr, get out of the way, not Owwww how cute, can I have a cuddle.
The Salesman,
I don’t know about you, but ellegance is what apeals to me when i look at a car!!
I’m a 29 year old male, so “cute” and “sexy” is not for me.
And I reckon I’m a bit too old to try to get a really agressive looking car!!
I buy for myself, so making anyone envious is not in my interest… Nor would i find it a positive point…
And given that elegance can be defined as “1. tastefully fine or luxurious in dress, style, design, etc.: elegant furnishings.
2. gracefully refined and dignified, as in tastes, habits, or literary style: an elegant young gentleman; an elegant prosodist.
3. graceful in form or movement: an elegant wave of the hand.
4. appropriate to refined taste: a man devoted to elegant pursuits.
5. excellent; fine; superior: an absolutely elegant wine.
6. (of scientific, technical, or mathematical theories, solutions, etc.) gracefully concise and simple; admirably succinct.”
I don’t see how you could call a newborn baby elegant?? Quite the opposite i believe!!
The Salesman,
I don’t know about you, but elegance is what apeals to me when i look at a car!!
I’m a 29 year old male, so “cute” is not for me.
And I reckon I’m a bit too old to try to get a really agressive looking car!!
I buy for myself, so making anyone envi ous is not in my interest… Nor would i find it a positive point…
I don’t see how you could call a newborn baby elegant?? Quite the opposite i believe!
Anyway looks are subjective…
Myke:
Yep I’ve now realised that they now sell the Exeo sedan (its bloddy new though) – and yes it’s basically an old-A4, which was a good car but I’m not sure I’d have one – defs the wagon though.
ChineseDriver:
Ah, my best friend! Wow, after all these months you’re still having a go at me! Put simply, I’m defending Skoda so much because I’m one of the few out there who know just how wonderful they really are, something you cannot match. It’s the same way as I wouldn’t know about how great Volkswagens are, so therefore you can comment on and defend them. See my point?
I’m a decent kind of person (for instance, I’m not gonna comment on VW quality after you have said that some things have gone in your VW R-Line – which R-Line though? – !), but someone suggesting that I should be paid by Skoda as I’ve given them lots of ‘publicity’ is just not right!
To everyone, if you don’t like this Fabia Scout, then tell me what EXACTLY should be done to it for you to like it? If you think its ugly, suggest how it could be made better. If you don’t like it and you don’t exactly know how it could be improved then you are in no position to comment.
These are really a quality car.Just have to look one over to see the quality of finish which appears to be a level above equivalent VW.
If only they ditched that Toyota Avalonesque grille.
IMO the rest of the styling detail is excellent.
Scout grill isn’t as Avalonesque.Looks ok.
Jake02，
Hi, how you doing? lol.
Honestly I don’t even want to defend the quality of VW. I probably won’t get VW for my next car (maybe I will if the Scirocco is coming to Aus, but I will sell it before warranty runs out lol), and don’t get me wrong, it was your passion about skoda which made me believe they must be really good cars (but ugly looking IN MY OPINION).
When I said ‘Skoda should pay you’ its just a joke, lol. I mean Skoda should really appreciate that they got supportive customers like you. You are probably more passionate about the car than their sales staff.
Cheers! XD