Don your neckers and woggles, the new Skoda Fabia Scout has been unveiled days before its Geneva motor show debut.
Based on the Skoda Fabia Estate, the Scout is given a butch new look, thanks to redesigned black plastic bumpers and side skirts. To hammer the message home, it is also given silver roof bars – perfect for carrying a tent and a week’s supply of beans.
A rugged new Skoda. Does that mean a new four-wheel drive system?
Er, no, not in the slightest. The Scout is still front-wheel drive, and the engines offered are the same as in the Fabia Estate. That means two petrol units, a 1.4 – capable of 85bhp and 43.5 mpg – and a 105bhp 1.6 offering 40.9 mpg. There are also two oil-burners available, an 80bhp 1.4 supping a frugal 61.4 mpg and a 1.9 mixing 105bhp and 57.7 mpg.
Scouting for toys
Other utilitarian features on the Fabia Scout include a rugged interior with stainless steel and rubberised pedals so you don’t slip when driving back from summer camp. Sixteen-inch wheels and front fog lamps are standard.
The Skoda Fabia Scout can be unearthed at your local Skoda dealer from May 2009, priced from around £12,000.
>> Click here for more previews from the 2009 Geneva motor show