Scheduled to be introduced to the public tomorrow, the new ŠKODA FABIA builds on the three previous generations, each of which is, in a way, an imprint of its time. Launched in 1999, the very first FABIA was a tabula rasa product. “We were given the key dimensions and a list technical requirements arising from the platform then in use, and our task was to draw a modern yet relatively conservative small car,” says Václav Capouch, Exterior Design Coordinator at that time, for ŠKODA Storyboard. Three variants were created in parallel in the end, and the final design of the first FABIA came out of an in-house competition. Check out this article to read more about designing the ŠKODA FABIA I.
The successor product was launched in 2007: “I see the second generation of the FABIA as an imaginary bridge in terms of the brand´s design language of that time. Compared to today’s ŠKODA vehicles, the models preceding this generation are much rounder, softer, less crystalline and less sharp-cut. However, the second generation features sharper lines while keeping that rounded-surface architecture in place, “comments Jiří Hadaščok, currently Exterior Design Coordinator at ŠKODA AUTO. Check out this article to read about the design of the FABIA II.
Featuring clean and clearly defined surfaces combined with cubist shapes, the ŠKODA FABIA III was launched in 2014. One of the design elements that the FABIA received for its third-generation era is what designers called Wing Line, i.e. the sharp-lined side recess below the tornado line characteristic of today´s ŠKODA vehicles. “This element helps to visually reduce the height of the car while making an impression that the car is actually wider,” says Petr Matušinec, Exterior Design Coordinator at ŠKODA AUTO, describing the significance of this detail. Check out this article to read more about designing the FABIA III.
Accessible on www.skoda-storyboard.com without registration, the ŠKODA Storyboard platform offers the latest information about ŠKODA´s new products, interesting stories about the brand´s history and present, as well as unconventional, behind-the-scenes insights into its development and production contexts. Texts, photos and videos are free to download for media use. In addition to the above, ŠKODA Storyboard features a specialised section called Media Room that offers all of the latest media information from ŠKODA.
