Bobble hats on, there's a brand new Skoda Fabia rally car

There’s a new Skoda Fabia, and it’s really rather good. If a touch sensible. Well those less sold on ‘sense’ might instead delight in the fact there’s now a new Skoda Fabia rally car.

Skodas have been rallying for yonks, so it’s no surprise, but it’s still very welcome news indeed. This won’t be a top-rung World Rally Championship car, mind. They go hybrid from 2022, and in the case of Ford switching from a Fiesta to a Puma, somewhat chunkier too. So the latest rally Fabia keeps things simpler in the secondary Rally2 class – a regular 1.6-litre petrol engine with no electrification provides the propulsion. It drives all four wheels via a five-speed sequential transmission and mechanical differentials.

“The all-new Skoda Fabia for the Rally2 category has entered the development and testing stage,” says the company’s motorsport boss, Michal Hrabánek. “Fortunately, our technicians can build on comprehensive know-how and expertise of the ongoing Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo project, which still is very successful worldwide.”

What constitutes ‘very successful’? Skoda has sold over 400 of the outgoing rally Fab and since 2015, no car has been more successful in the Rally2 (formerly R5) class, Fabias collecting nine titles in WRC support classes and amassing almost 1,400 victories across the globe.

So maybe, after all, the Fabia Rally2 is just as sensible a choice as its roadgoing base car. If you want to actually win, anyway…

The full story on Skoda's bargain rally hero