Skoda Fabia Scout (2009): first photos

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