15/09/09

• Price12,790
• We like...Fuel economy; boot space
• We don't...No curtain airbags

Small eco estate beats the competition on price and is a terrifically handy all-rounder. Read on for the full low-down...Could this be, pound for pound, the most practical small car that you can buy? With its combination of great fuel economy, low emissions, handy size but terrific people and load space, it’s got to be up there and in the running.

We’ve driven the estate version of the Fabia before, and praised it for its wonderful ‘small is big’ take. But this one here wears a ‘Greenline’ badge. Now that name is there to tell all that this is the 'eco' model. But to anyone living in London or thereabouts, it is also that of a long-distance bus network. Something your gran might use and love. That association isn't great, but must have passed by the brand-meisters at Skoda HQ. In a way it works, though, because this estate is one awfully sensible motor.

It takes as its base the Fabia hatchback, which has one of the roomiest cabins of any small car. Then it adds a bigger load bay, and while the rear seats are no further back than in the hatchback, headroom there is better.

The engine is a plucky little 1.4-litre turbodiesel that chugs out 80bhp. It’s willing rather than quick and will struggle if you load up with beefy grown-ups and luggage. It has just three cylinders, giving it an uneven exhaust beat that’s likeable but, more to the point, it’s tuned for economy and linked, too, to a gearbox that has taller ratios than other models. So it can return up to 68.9mpg across a mix of journeys, while pumping out 109g/km of CO2. That economy figure is the official one and, often as not, driving as you do for real can’t return figures nearly as good. But over 100 miles or so, the car’s readout was 68mpg spot-on. With its 10-gallon fuel tank, that puts up to 680 miles between refills.

And it’s assured enough on the road to make a long, long trip something you’d tackle in it with a second thought. The car sits lower on its springs than regular Fabias to help it slip through the air more easily. This also makes it respond more neatly without losing too much of its absorbent ride. The main controls are light and easy, the seat and wheel adjust every which-way for comfort and the view out is good.

The cabin’s pleasant, too. The ‘Greenline’ model sits midway along the Fabia line-up, which means that a two-tone dash with twin glove boxes is standard, as are seats covered in squiggly light-and-dark cloth. Air conditioning, remote locking and alloy wheels come as standard. The only item we’d want that’s missing are curtain airbags.

Skoda’s a sister brand to Volkswagen and Seat, who both make eco-cars that use the same engine as seen here, but their cars manage to slip 10g/km of CO2 lower, making them exempt from road tax. This Fabia, meanwhile, costs £35 a year (at time of writing). You could be forgiven for thinking that, because Skoda is the group's 'value' make, it's not been allowed to compete fully with the others. Set against that is its low price – over £1000 cheaper than the nearest equivalent VW or Seat, although neither of which is available as a baby estate.

If you need the space – and want to keep fuel bills and emissions low – this is one of the best choices just now.

To view and buy new and used Skoda Fabias, click on to motors.co.uk

• Engines1.4 turbodiesel
• Power80bhp
• 0-60 mph13.2secs
• Economy68.9mpg
• CO2g/km109
• Insurance groups4
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags4
• Seats5

Motors.co.uk value verdict: