The Skoda Fabia has been named the 2015 What Car? Car of the Year, 15 years after winning it for the first time.

The Czech model also won the small car category at last night’s ceremony (Wednesday, January 7).

What Car?’s Car of the Year Awards, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Park Lane, were presented in 16 categories with the car that delivered best against the judging panel’s criteria taking the overall title.

Judges praised the Fabia’s turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol engine, which offers an official fuel economy of 60.1mpg and CO2 emissions of 107g/km , putting it in VED band B (£0 first year, £20 thereafter).  

It also beats its main rivals in the small car class – the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo – for both space and practicality.

What Car? editor, Jim Holder, said: “The Fabia is a fully deserved winner of our most sought-after award – not just because of the fact it is a well-equipped and practical small car, but also because of the big name rivals it has disposed of in the process.

“We’ve driven and evaluated all of its rivals and, whichever way you cut it, the Fabia is the most rounded small car on sale in the UK today.”

Full list of What Car? Car of the Year Awards winners

City car:  Hyundai i10 1.2 Premium

Small car: Skoda Fabia 1.2 TSI 90 SE

Family car: Skoda Octavia 1.2 TSI 105 SE

Electric car: Audi A3 e-tron

Coupe: Audi TT 2.0 TFSI Sport

Estate car:  Ford Mondeo Estate 1.6 TDCi 120 Econetic Zetec

MPV: Citroën Grand C4 Picasso 1.6 e-HDi 115 Exclusive

Hot hatch: Ford Fiesta ST-2

Convertible: Audi A3 Cabriolet 1.4 TFSI 150 Sport

Small SUV: Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi 110 N-tec 2WD

Large SUV:  Range Rover Sport SDV6 HSE

Executive car:  BMW 520d SE automatic

Sports car: Porsche Boxster 2.7

Luxury car:  Mercedes-Benz S350 CDI Bluetec L SE Line

Safety: Land Rover Discovery Sport

Reader award: Honda HR-V

Car of the year: Skoda Fabia

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