One can tell when a company is good when it works with consistency. The ways to express this quality can go from defining a new product’s characteristics to choosing an appropriate design for the company’s website, and the truth is, since the customer receives the entire information as a package, all of those ways can be just as important. In the car world, almost every action of a luxury automaker is planned to strengthen its image and reinforce the image it has built over the years. When it comes to the other end, cases such as Škoda work in ways like the one you are just about to meet.
When an automaker like Mercedes-Benz, for instance, releases a whole new car, it follows a particular ritual. The very first appearance is made during a fancy press event, but only in some of its versions. The most important ones, such as sporty or upscale trim levels or other body styles, are presented in a way that receives individual moments of media attention: each one receives a separate event of their own. If there isn’t a worldwive auto show around the intended dates, the company creates an event itself. Low-cost automakers, in turn, are much more focused on when and where will the vehicle go on sale. If you want an example, the new Škoda Fabia was released in Paris as both hatchback and station wagon at the same time.
And what does this have to do with the aforementioned consistency? The fact that Škoda is a value-seeking brand. Since the two vehicles come from the same project, everyone knew that any update performed to one of them would eventually reach the other. Therefore, if the hatchback appeared first, people wouldn’t buy the station wagon until it received the same updates. It would produce a bad effect on both Fabia’s sales records and Škoda’s reputation of selling good-value vehicles – according to the press release, “as of 31.08.2014 Škoda has delivered more than 1.1 million Škoda Fabia Combis to customers”. But there is much more to know about Fabia Combi than its potential as a reliable vehicle that won’t lose too much of your investment over the years.
Škoda’s current design language blessed it with more horizontal elements, which make it look much more elegant than its predecessors’ minivan-like silhouettes. Besides, being 10-mm longer and 90-mm wider contributed to a best-in-class 530-liter trunk, which reach 1,395 liters by folding the back seats. In order to make better use of this room, Fabia Combi uses ten of Škoda’s “Simply Clever” solutions: there is a removable boot shelf that creates horizontal divisions and can be locked in angle, in order to make loading and unloading easier; the MirrorLink improves cell phone connectivity; several storage areas can take from tablets to glasses and bottles; storage nets to help holding all these items, and even a parking ticket holder, for easy display.
When it comes to the technical tidbits, Volkswagen’s MQB platform has brought its set of benefits once again. The new Fabia Combi brings higher construction quality, several cutting-edge technologies and more efficient engines. Speaking of which, the petrol range goes from 75 hp to 110 hp, while using diesel gives you from 75 hp to 105 hp. Depending on the option, you can choose between manual or DSG transmissions. The equipment list features from keyless entry and start system to a new digital climate control, along with safety sensors, electronic differential lock and three options of audio systems. Once again according to Škoda, the new Fabia Combi is expected to “hit the first European markets in early 2015”.