Like the Polo, Seat Ibiza and Audi A1, this fourth-generation Fabia sits on VW’s MQB-AO platform, said The Daily Telegraph. It is more aerodynamic and economic than its predecessor, putting it on a par with Hyundai’s i20 mild hybrid, but without the electric assistance. The Fabia has four options for its 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine; the base level one has a Group 2E insurance rating, making it a brilliant first car.
The weedy entry-level 1.0 MPI 80 engine takes more than 15 seconds to get from 0-62mph, so is best suited to a dedicated town driver, What Car? said. Suspension is good for a small car, but it does pitch about. Steering is light and accurate, which makes it an easy car to drive deftly on city roads; it’s a quieter cruise than the Ford Fiesta or Seat Ibiza, and there’s plenty of grip – but there is also a fair bit of body roll.
It’s been given sharper styling inside and out, said Auto Express. The cabin has relatively high-end materials and a clear dashboard. Standard kit includes a DAB radio, LED headlights, Bluetooth and a 6.5-inch colour display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus air con. With an extra 111mm in length, the cabin is more spacious than before, with good leg- and headroom; and boot space is now a very decent 380 litres. Price: from £14,460.
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Who were the ‘weekend snipers’ of Sarajevo?Under the Radar Italian authorities launch investigation into allegations far-right gun enthusiasts paid to travel to Bosnian capital and shoot civilians ‘for fun’ during the four-year siege
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A free speech debate is raging over sign language at the White HouseTalking Points The administration has been accused of excluding deaf Americans from press briefings
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Glinda vs. Elphaba, Jennifer Lawrence vs. postpartum depression and wilderness vs. progress in November moviesthe week recommends This month’s new releases include ‘Wicked: For Good,’ ‘Die My Love’ and ‘Train Dreams’
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‘Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America’ and ‘Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat to) the Modern Dictionary’feature The culture divide in small-town Ohio and how the internet usurped dictionaries
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6 homes with fall foliagefeature An autumnal orange Craftsman, a renovated Greek Revival church and an estate with an orchard
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Bugonia: ‘deranged, extreme and explosively enjoyable’Talking Point Yorgos Lanthimos’ film stars Emma Stone as a CEO who is kidnapped and accused of being an alien
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The Revolutionists: a ‘superb and monumental’ bookThe Week Recommends Jason Burke ‘epic’ account of the plane hijackings and kidnappings carried out by extremists in the 1970s
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Film reviews: ‘Bugonia,’ ‘The Mastermind’ and ‘Nouvelle Vague’feature A kidnapped CEO might only appear to be human, an amateurish art heist goes sideways, and Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘Breathless’ gets a lively homage
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Book reviews: ‘Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity’ and ‘Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice’feature An examination of humanity in the face of “the Machine” and a posthumous memoir from one of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, who recently died by suicide
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The dazzling coral gardens of Raja AmpatThe Week Recommends Region of Indonesia is home to perhaps the planet’s most photogenic archipelago
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Salted caramel and chocolate tart recipeThe Week Recommends Delicious dessert can be made with any biscuits you fancy
