Skoda cars were never known to me as a kid. Apart from the poor brand marketing and lack of educating its consumers, it's also probably because of its shoddy build quality and, well, the hideous designs. But when the Czech manufacturer launched three of its long-awaited cars last year in Singapore, it caught many by surprise. And they aren't stopping there.

The Skoda Fabia was one of the three cars that were launched here on our shores and instead of taking forever to bring out the next car, Skoda answered countless eager enquiries from its fan base and the media by bringing in the Fabia RS - a rocket queen based on the Volkswagen Polo platform.

But unlike the predecessor, this little rocket ship is powered by a mere 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine. It sounds a tad underpowered to be qualified as hot hatch, especially when compared to the models of its parent company, Volkswagen. But thanks to the turbocharger, the smaller engine pumps out 179bhp of power and 250Nm of torque - the same figures produced by the recently launched Polo GTI.

Exterior

Visually, the car catches your attention the moment you lay eyes on it. It's the Corrida Red Uni. And although green is Skoda's signature RS colour, we reckon the red body with the black top is as close to a piping hatch as it can get. But red and green aside, if you were to spot a Fabia RS on the road in duller colours such as black or silver, the car possesses a rather discreet look for a hot hatch. It hints rather than screams about its sporting ability.

Styling wise, the Fabia is longer, narrower and shorter alongside its brethren, Polo GTI. The huge air intake, which is often a feature of hot hatches, authorises the car to exude a more assertive look to the front and the black contrasting roof and door mirrors give the Fabia an appropriately racy look. Side on, the metal sheet is deeply sculpted with a straight line running across the side skirts that forces your eyes towards the red-painted brake callipers on either sides.

There's absolutely nothing missing from the car's outlooks to qualify it to be a sizzling hatchback. The 17-inch wheels with black rims that blend flawlessly with the arches, RS badges, rear spoiler and the chromed twin-pipe exhaust nestling under the diffuser illustrate that the Fabia RS is obviously more than just a mere red riding hood on wheels.

Interior

Open the driver's door and the red-checkered racing seats with the RS emblem are the first thing that you'll take notice of. Unlike its peers, the seats are upholstered in fabric. And according to Skoda, leather upholstery does not come even as an option for buyers who have money to spare.

Otherwise, it's largely what you've come to expect from the Czech marque which is no complain given the bulletproof build quality and comfort it gives you and your occupants. It isn't going to win any awards for stylishness and originality but it gives you a sense of long lasting touch that the Fabia RS will still look good even when its peers have become 'has beens'.

Similarly to the models in its parent company's stable, the Fabia's dashboard is well laid out and dials and controls fall easily to hand. It's nothing like its higher-end German competitors where technological advancement confuses more rather than impresses.

However, it's the three-spoke leather steering wheel that bothered us a tad. It's a lovely little thing, don't get me wrong. But it doesn't put the driver in the mind of a boy racer. We reckon Volkswagen still pulls off one of the best-looking steering wheels, with the bottom half shaved off for enthusiasts to really live out their racing fantasies on open roads.

That said, unique to a car of its stature are the superb all-round visibility and fantastic front seats that provide the balance between the support required to enjoy the twisty bits and the practicality for all occupants to be comfortable. It may look compact from the outside, and more so when the figures are compared to the Polo GTI but the car packs a quite a fair bit of space into its dimensions.

The Fabia RS can haul up to five passengers with sufficient head and legroom all round. Better still, the boot is deep and well-shaped, allowing drivers to load and unload their belongings without much difficulty.

The Drive

Despite having almost the same figures as the Polo GTI, the Fabia completes the century sprint in 7.3 seconds, almost half a second slower than its VW comrade. Even so, few will deem the Skoda to be sluggish. The initial bite at the front end may not be the best in its class, but once on sound, this rocket queen accelerates with gusto, keeping even the most demanding drivers entertained.

It's a very fun car to pilot indeed. Drive it pedal to the metal and the Fabia RS fires happily down the open roads as it is being strung out on the redline, blipping away on the gearshifts. Mated to an exciting automatic 7-speed DSG gearbox, the engine is easily kept on boil when provoked. And with the alertness provided by the car in D mode, the paddle shifters are quite unnecessary.

Under normal driving conditions, it rides well too, despite its firm setup. On uneven surfaces and scarred roads, the car soaks up bumps better than some in its class. The car has ample torque to give it a pleasant drive and you are never left wanting around town.

But the best parts are still around the twisty ones. The RS instils confidence in you as it has plenty of grip round the long and winding roads. It neither deviates from the chosen line nor lurches and body roll is always kept under control. It's a car that constantly keeps you involved whether you're driving enthusiastically or you're just taking a gentleman's pace.

However, similarly to the Volkswagen GTD, there's something missing in this hatch to make it sizzling hot on the go. Both cars provide the athleticism to qualify as a blistering hot hatch. But in this case, the Fabia RS feels warm rather than hot. Could it be the fact that the rocket queen lacks a bit of character due to the absence of an inspiring aural note? Or is it just plainly because the Czech has been wrongly perceived by the public to be an unreliable and unappealing brand?

Conclusion

We reckon Skoda has been badly misunderstood. They may have been producing some of the most shabby cars in the past but well, let's just say let bygones be bygones. The Skoda today has proven itself to be one brave soul in a competitive industry and it's not just a brand for people to find when they cannot afford a Volkswagen.

The Fabia RS may not be as incise as the Golf GTI or even the Renault Megane RS. But it certainly has the enthusiasm of a MINI Cooper S. It's infectious, engaging and it strikes a balance between driveability and practicality, making it a good car to pilot on a day-to-day basis.

These are the traits all cars should have.

What do you think? Jot down your opinions at the comment box below.

Skoda cars were never known to me as a kid. Apart from the poor brand marketing and lack of educating its consumers, it's also probably because of its shoddy build quality and, well, the hideous designs. But when the Czech manufacturer launched three of its long-awaited cars last year in Singapore, it caught many by surprise. And they aren't stopping there.

The Skoda Fabia was one of the three cars that were launched here on our shores and instead of taking forever to bring out the next car, Skoda answered countless eager enquiries from its fan base and the media by bringing in the Fabia RS - a rocket queen based on the Volkswagen Polo platform.

But unlike the predecessor, this little rocket ship is powered by a mere 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine. It sounds a tad underpowered to be qualified as hot hatch, especially when compared to the models of its parent company, Volkswagen. But thanks to the turbocharger, the smaller engine pumps out 179bhp of power and 250Nm of torque - the same figures produced by the recently launched Polo GTI.

Exterior

Visually, the car catches your attention the moment you lay eyes on it. It's the Corrida Red Uni. And although green is Skoda's signature RS colour, we reckon the red body with the black top is as close to a piping hatch as it can get. But red and green aside, if you were to spot a Fabia RS on the road in duller colours such as black or silver, the car possesses a rather discreet look for a hot hatch. It hints rather than screams about its sporting ability.

Styling wise, the Fabia is longer, narrower and shorter alongside its brethren, Polo GTI. The huge air intake, which is often a feature of hot hatches, authorises the car to exude a more assertive look to the front and the black contrasting roof and door mirrors give the Fabia an appropriately racy look. Side on, the metal sheet is deeply sculpted with a straight line running across the side skirts that forces your eyes towards the red-painted brake callipers on either sides.

There's absolutely nothing missing from the car's outlooks to qualify it to be a sizzling hatchback. The 17-inch wheels with black rims that blend flawlessly with the arches, RS badges, rear spoiler and the chromed twin-pipe exhaust nestling under the diffuser illustrate that the Fabia RS is obviously more than just a mere red riding hood on wheels.

Interior

Open the driver's door and the red-checkered racing seats with the RS emblem are the first thing that you'll take notice of. Unlike its peers, the seats are upholstered in fabric. And according to Skoda, leather upholstery does not come even as an option for buyers who have money to spare.

Otherwise, it's largely what you've come to expect from the Czech marque which is no complain given the bulletproof build quality and comfort it gives you and your occupants. It isn't going to win any awards for stylishness and originality but it gives you a sense of long lasting touch that the Fabia RS will still look good even when its peers have become 'has beens'.

Similarly to the models in its parent company's stable, the Fabia's dashboard is well laid out and dials and controls fall easily to hand. It's nothing like its higher-end German competitors where technological advancement confuses more rather than impresses.

However, it's the three-spoke leather steering wheel that bothered us a tad. It's a lovely little thing, don't get me wrong. But it doesn't put the driver in the mind of a boy racer. We reckon Volkswagen still pulls off one of the best-looking steering wheels, with the bottom half shaved off for enthusiasts to really live out their racing fantasies on open roads.

That said, unique to a car of its stature are the superb all-round visibility and fantastic front seats that provide the balance between the support required to enjoy the twisty bits and the practicality for all occupants to be comfortable. It may look compact from the outside, and more so when the figures are compared to the Polo GTI but the car packs a quite a fair bit of space into its dimensions.

The Fabia RS can haul up to five passengers with sufficient head and legroom all round. Better still, the boot is deep and well-shaped, allowing drivers to load and unload their belongings without much difficulty.

The Drive

Despite having almost the same figures as the Polo GTI, the Fabia completes the century sprint in 7.3 seconds, almost half a second slower than its VW comrade. Even so, few will deem the Skoda to be sluggish. The initial bite at the front end may not be the best in its class, but once on sound, this rocket queen accelerates with gusto, keeping even the most demanding drivers entertained.

It's a very fun car to pilot indeed. Drive it pedal to the metal and the Fabia RS fires happily down the open roads as it is being strung out on the redline, blipping away on the gearshifts. Mated to an exciting automatic 7-speed DSG gearbox, the engine is easily kept on boil when provoked. And with the alertness provided by the car in D mode, the paddle shifters are quite unnecessary.

Under normal driving conditions, it rides well too, despite its firm setup. On uneven surfaces and scarred roads, the car soaks up bumps better than some in its class. The car has ample torque to give it a pleasant drive and you are never left wanting around town.

But the best parts are still around the twisty ones. The RS instils confidence in you as it has plenty of grip round the long and winding roads. It neither deviates from the chosen line nor lurches and body roll is always kept under control. It's a car that constantly keeps you involved whether you're driving enthusiastically or you're just taking a gentleman's pace.

However, similarly to the Volkswagen GTD, there's something missing in this hatch to make it sizzling hot on the go. Both cars provide the athleticism to qualify as a blistering hot hatch. But in this case, the Fabia RS feels warm rather than hot. Could it be the fact that the rocket queen lacks a bit of character due to the absence of an inspiring aural note? Or is it just plainly because the Czech has been wrongly perceived by the public to be an unreliable and unappealing brand?

Conclusion

We reckon Skoda has been badly misunderstood. They may have been producing some of the most shabby cars in the past but well, let's just say let bygones be bygones. The Skoda today has proven itself to be one brave soul in a competitive industry and it's not just a brand for people to find when they cannot afford a Volkswagen.

The Fabia RS may not be as incise as the Golf GTI or even the Renault Megane RS. But it certainly has the enthusiasm of a MINI Cooper S. It's infectious, engaging and it strikes a balance between driveability and practicality, making it a good car to pilot on a day-to-day basis.

These are the traits all cars should have.

What do you think? Jot down your opinions at the comment box below.