Category: Superminis 
Price Range: £8,950 to £13,730
Roomy, cosseting ride, punchy diesel, economy, quality.
Dull steering, not very engaging to drive.
A fine car, just not a sporting one.
There are six airbags, while features (some optional) to help keep you from crashing include ESP, traction control, an electronic differential lock, moving headlights that follow the direction of the car and cornering lights built into the front foglights, 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, are standard. You can have a tyre-pressure monitor too.
Despite the safety-driven re-engineering of the Fabia's platform Euro NCAP has awarded the Fabia four, not the maximum five, stars for adult occupant safety. Blame a below-par performance for side impact protection. Three out of five stars were awarded for child protection while two out of four stars were given for pedestrian safety.
All Fabias have remote central locking with deadlocks and an immobiliser.
