Skoda Favorite (1987-1995)
Skoda Favorit - small car (B-segment), produced from 1987 to 1995 by the Czech company «Skoda Auto». After the end of production was replaced «Skoda Felicia» (see description below). This name was already used for a medium-sized car produced from 1936 to 1941 (Type 904 and Type 923) and not commercially successful. It was first shown in July 1987 at the Brno Engineering Fair. In 1987 it was the first car «Skoda» with a front transverse engine and front-wheel drive. Came to replace «Skoda 105/120 Estelle» with rear wheel drive and rear engine. The development of the car began in 1982. It was one of the most popular cars in Central Europe. In total, more than 1 million copies were produced.
Favorite was produced as a five-door hatchback («Favorit» Type 781, length 3815 mm, width 1620 mm, height 1415 mm), five-door station wagon («Forman», Type 785, length 4160 mm, width 1620 mm, height 1425 mm) and a two-door pickup («Pick-up», Type 787, length 4065 mm, width 1620 mm, height 1415 mm). The wheelbase was 2450 mm and the curb weight was 840 kg. The volume of the luggage compartment in the hatchback body was 251 liters, with the rear seats folded up to 1038 liters, and for more luggage, the rear seat can be removed completely.
The engine was a 1.3-liter four-cylinder petrol (1289 cm3) 54, 56, 58, 62 and 67 hp. At first they were equipped with carburetors «Pierburg 2E-E» or «Pierburg Ecotronic», which were then replaced by a single point fuel injection system «Bosch Mono-Motronic ECU». The only transmission available was a five-speed manual transmission.
After takeover «Skoda Auto» company «Volkswagen Group» in 1991 in «Favorit» new developments and improvements were quickly introduced, such as new versions of the catalytic converter, fuel injection, and many cosmetic improvements were made, such as new door hinges, seats and interior elements «Volkswagen», dashboards and instrumentation. Quality control, safety features have also been improved (reinforced beams in the doors) and front end design.
During 1993, another upgrade took place, which included mechanical and electrical improvements to the engine, a body reconstruction and an increase in bumpers.
Skoda Felicia (1994-2001)
Skoda Felicia — subcompact class car of the Czech automaker «Skoda Auto», which was produced from 1994 to 2001. It was the last model on its own platform «Skoda». This name had already been used previously for a two-door convertible produced from 1959 to 1964. Is the successor «Skoda Favorit» (see description above). The premiere of the car took place in October 1994 on the Charles Bridge in Prague. This is a front wheel drive car with a front transverse engine. Production of the hatchback began in October 1994, the station wagon in June 1995 and the pickup truck in August 1995. In total, more than 1.4 million cars were produced. Felicia's official successor is «Skoda Fabia».
Body shapes were as follows - five-door hatchback (length 3855 mm, width 1635 mm, height 1415 mm), five-door station wagon («Felicia Combi», length 4205 mm, width 1635 mm, height 1420 mm), two-door pickup truck («Felicia Fun», length 4245 mm, width 1680 mm, height 1465 mm) and a two-door van (Felicia VanPlus). The wheelbase was 2450 mm and the curb weight was 920-1060 kg. The volume of the luggage compartment in the hatchback was 272 liters and increased to 976 liters with the rear seats folded down. For the station wagon, the place was 447 and 1366 liters, respectively. Trim and trim levels were called «LX», «LXi», «GLX» and «GLXi».
Some models are equipped with air conditioning and velor upholstery. All models were equipped with an anti-lock braking system (ABS), driver airbag and seat belt pretensioners.
Gasoline engines installed two models with a volume of 1.3 liters (1289 cm3, I4, OHV, 8V, 54/67 hp) and 1.6 liters (1598 cm3, I4, SOHC, 8V, 74 hp). For the first time, a 1.9-liter diesel engine was installed on Skoda cars (1896 cm3, I4, SOHC, 8V, 63 hp). The gearbox was only a five-speed manual.
In January 1998, the car received a facelift that brought a lot of new Volkswagen technology. External changes were minor. The most obvious visual change was a new grille and larger bumpers. The changes also included minor chassis and body upgrades to improve crash safety.