The Škoda Felicia was a small family car built by Škoda Auto from 1994 to 2001. It was the last Škoda developed on the company’s own platform, but also the first to benefit from the Volkswagen takeover of 1991: a heavily reworked Favorit with new outer panels, a fresh front end and a wider range of engines, including Škoda’s first diesel.
Škoda Felicia at a glance
| Maker | Škoda Auto, Mladá Boleslav, Vrchlabí and Kvasiny |
|---|---|
| Production | 1994–2001 |
| Factory types | 781 and 791; Combi 795, Pick-up 797 |
| Bodies | five-door hatchback, Combi estate, Pick-up, Vanplus, Fun |
| Engines | 1.3 Škoda, 1.6 and 1.9 D from Volkswagen |
| Power | 40 and 50 kW (1.3), 55 kW (1.6), 47 kW (1.9 D) |
| Gearbox | five-speed manual transaxle |
| Luggage, hatchback | 272 litres, 976 with the rear seat folded |
| Luggage, Combi | 447 litres, 1,366 with the seat folded |
| Facelift | February 1998 |
| Built | 1,420,489 |
The free Commons photographs offered for this model show the 1960 Felicia sports car, so the article uses no new photographs and keeps the original thumbnail.
History of the Škoda Felicia
Old bones, new clothes
The Felicia kept the core structure and floor of the Favorit but wore entirely new outer panels, a redesigned front end and a wider range of engines, some of them from Volkswagen. It was presented in October 1994 on the Charles Bridge in Prague, and series production of the hatchback began on 17 October 1994 after fifty prototypes had been built from 5 September. The Combi estate arrived in June 1995 and the Pick-up in August 1995. The name was not new: Škoda had used it between 1959 and 1964 for a two-seat sports car. The hatchback measured 3,855 mm long, 1,635 mm wide and 1,415 mm high on a 2,450 mm wheelbase, among the largest and roomiest cars in its class, and it weighed as little as 935 kg.
Engines and equipment
Most cars used the Škoda 1.3-litre overhead-valve four, first with Bosch Mono Motronic single-point injection and from 1996 with Siemens multi-point injection, in 40 kW and 50 kW forms, with a carburettor version for some markets. Volkswagen contributed a 55 kW 1.6-litre petrol engine and a 47 kW 1.9-litre diesel, Škoda’s first diesel model, and the 1.6 became the homologation basis for the Felicia Kit Car in the World Rally Championship’s F2 class. A 1996 update strengthened the body for airbags, raised the compression and changed the camshaft timing of the 1.3, added the group engines, reinforced the front suspension with an anti-roll bar and improved the trim. ABS, a driver’s airbag, seat-belt tensioners, power steering and air conditioning were available on higher models, and the Laurin & Klement edition marked the company’s centenary.
Facelift, commercial versions and reputation
On 12 February 1998 Škoda presented a facelift with a new grille, bumper and bonnet in the style of the Octavia, better corrosion protection, body-coloured bumpers and a slightly longer body. The utility versions, built in Kvasiny and Vrchlabí, were not affected: the Pick-up, the Vanplus panel van and the Fun, a lifestyle pick-up whose rear screen hinged out to reveal two extra folding seats under a tonneau cover. The Pick-up was also sold as the Volkswagen Caddy Pickup in some countries, and about 19,000 were rebranded. The Felicia did much for Škoda’s reputation: in 1998 it gave the brand the best-manufacturer result in the J.D. Power customer satisfaction survey, and a Top Gear survey the same year ranked Škoda the most satisfying brand to own in Britain. Production ended on 20 June 2001 with a white Felicia LX 1.9 D, and 1,420,489 cars had been built. Ten years later it was still the most common car on Czech roads.
Design and features
- Favorit structure, new skin: the same core body with new panels and a modern front end.
- Volkswagen engines: a 1.6 petrol and Škoda’s first diesel, the 1.9 D.
- Modern equipment: ABS, airbag, seat-belt tensioners and power steering on higher models.
- Wide range: hatchback, Combi, Pick-up, Vanplus and the Fun lifestyle model.
Škoda Felicia versions
- Felicia hatchback (1994–2001): the five-door, 3,855 mm long, 3,883 mm after the facelift.
- Felicia Combi (1995–2001): estate with 447 to 1,366 litres of luggage space.
- Felicia Pick-up (1995–2001): two-seat utility, also sold as the Volkswagen Caddy Pickup.
- Felicia Vanplus: panel van version.
- Felicia Fun: pick-up with two folding rear seats under a cover.
- Laurin & Klement: luxury edition for the company’s centenary.
The Felicia replaced the Škoda Favorit and was followed by the Škoda Fabia. More cars are in the Škoda collection.
Sources
- Škoda Felicia, English Wikipedia: development, bodies, engines, equipment, totals, UK surveys
- Škoda Felicia, Czech Wikipedia: launch dates, dimensions, updates, facelift, production end
