Geneva Preview: Skoda Fabia Scout wannabe Crossover

The ever-growing family of crossoverish station-wagons has just welcomed a new member in the form of the Skoda Fabia Scout that is set to make its world debut at this year's Geneva Motor Show. But despite its off-road looks and unlike Audi's A4 Allroad Quattro or Subaru's Legacy Outback, the Fabia Scout retains the standard model's front-wheel drive architecture.

Based on the subcompact Fabia Estate, the Scout has been adorned with plastic cladding, newly styled bumpers and silver roof-rails.Other distinctive features of the Fabia Scout include fog lamps (with corner design), tinted windows and 16-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, apart from the Scout-specific upholstery there's floor mats bearing the Scout logo, pedals with stainless steel surfaces and anti-slip, heavy-duty rubber elements.

When it goes on sale across Europe from late May this year, the Fabia Scout will be available with four powerplants. The petrol engines will consist of a 85HP 1.4 litre, with fuel consumption of 6.5L/100km (43.5mpg UK) and a 105HP 1.6 litre with a fuel consumption of 6.9L/100km (40.9mpg UK).

The two diesel engines are a 80HP 1.4 litre with fuel consumption of 4.6L/100km (61.4mpg UK) and the top-of-the-range 105HP 1.9-litre engine with fuel consumption of 4.9L/100km (57.7mpg UK).