The Fabia offers a wide range of engines, but none are over-endowed with poke. Choices include 59bhp and 69bhp 1.2s, an 84bhp 1.4 and a 104bhp 1.6-litre petrol engines. All engines come with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, but the 1.6 allows you to specify a semi-automatic gearbox. There are also two versions of Skoda's 1.4-litre turbodiesel, giving either 69bhp or 79bhp, while a 104bhp 1.9-litre engine tops the diesel range.

The Fabia is big by supermini standards, but it's dinky enough to excel in the city, and the controls are light. The Fabia rides comfortably, too, doing a good job of smoothing out patchy surfaces. It does lean a little through corners, though, and it's hampered by a vague gearshift.

A little wind noise builds up around the windscreen pillars as speed increases, but road and suspension noise rarely break the calm in the cabin. It's a shame the same can't be said of the engines; all the three-cylinder engines are noisy, especially at low speeds, but the real villain is the 1.9-litre diesel, which is loud and gruff compared with modern diesel engines.

The Fabia is no longer a budget supermini: it costs about the same as other high-end superminis, including our favourite, the Vauxhall Corsa. Fuel economy is also good, but otherwise running costs are likely to be slightly higher than the Corsa's. At least it should enjoy stronger-than-average resale values.

The Fabia's interior is a bit of a disappointment. Most of the plastics are hard and unappealing, giving the cabin a dour atmosphere. Everything seems sturdily screwed together, so it should stand the test of time. It's too early for an accurate assessment of reliability, but Skoda's record for mechanical dependability and customer satisfaction is beyond question.

All versions come with twin front and side airbags, but curtain airbags are standard only on 3 and Sport models. The Fabia achieved a four-star crash test rating from Euro NCAP, but many competitors have scored five stars. Entry-level cars also don't have an alarm.

Making yourself comfortable at the Fabia's wheel is easy, thanks to two-way adjustment for both the steering wheel and driver's seat. The dash has a simple, logical layout, too, making it very easy and instinctive to use. You get a good view out of the front, thanks to thin windscreen pillars.

The Fabia sits at the bigger end of the supermini class, so it has plenty of space to offer. There's plenty of head- and legroom in any seat, enough for four large adults to travel in comfort, and five can squeeze in for shorter distances. The boot is deep and well shaped, too, and easily capable of swallowing a pushchair or weekly food shopping.

Entry-level cars have electric windows, central locking and a CD/MP3 stereo. Next is 2, which adds air-conditioning, alloy wheels and electric door mirrors. Then comes Sport with styling tweaks and curtain airbags, and top-trim 3 cars come with cruise control, rear parking sensors and climate control.