What's all this about?

Another car that has been looking pretty on a stand in Paris, but which is now facing the pragmatic realities of life is the third-generation Skoda Fabia, so we now know how much it will cost and what the trim levels will be.

Go on then, enlighten me.

The UK Fabia range will be made up of a simple three trim lines and therefore 18 possible models, at least for the hatch - the Estate's range is yet to be confirmed. Base trim is S, followed by SE with Elegance topping out the pile.

And what's the entry ticket?

A 1.0-litre MPI with the 60hp three-cylinder engine from the Citigo and in S specification can be yours from £10,600. All Fabia hatches are in VED bands A or B, with this base car emitting 106g/km CO₂ to sit in the higher bracket. It will have a benefit in kind (BIK) rating of 14 per cent.

What do I get for my money?

The S Fabias come with six airbags, a DAB radio, Bluetooth, stop-start and electric front windows. SE models, from £12,760, chuck in air conditioning, alloys, Skoda's Front Assist auto-braking crash mitigation system, an Arkamys surround sound system with a Bolero radio incorporating telephone control, MirrorLink smartphone compatibility and ports for USB and SD cards. They also get a three-spoke leather steering wheel, height adjustable front seats and a Maxi-Dot trip computer.

And what about the Elegance?

This spec starts from £13,610 for a 75hp version of the 1.0-litre and goes up to the most expensive car in the Fabia launch line-up, the 1.4 TDI 90hp with a DSG twin-clutch automatic gearbox, retailing at £17,240. On top of the SE's toys, the Elegance adds 16-inch alloys, climate control, cruise control, keyless entry and Light Assistant.

You've touched on engines and transmissions - can you just recap my choices?

Yup, the petrol engines are the 1.0-litre in the two power levels, 60- and 75hp, and the 1.2-litre four-cylinder TSI (a peach, by the way), which also comes with differing outputs of either 90- or 110hp. The 1.4 TDI handles all diesel duties and again is split into two versions, one with 90hp and the other with 105hp - this latter engine only comes in the Elegance spec with a manual gearbox. DSG is available on six models across the three trim levels, while CO₂ emissions run from 88g/km for manual versions of the 90hp 1.4 TDI to 110g/km for manual 1.2 TSIs.

Anything else you'd like to add?

The new Fabia, as before, can be personalised with a number of different body, wheel, roof and door mirror colour combos, the car's more spacious inside for passengers and it has a class-leading boot, according to Skoda, of 330 litres rear seats up and 1,150 litres with the back bench folded away.