Skoda Fabia, Scala and Kamiq rally-inspired Monte Carlo editions ...

WHAT’S better than one Skoda Monte Carlo model review?

Three of course! I drove the Fabia, Scala and Kamiq back to back over three weeks, so it’s a Skoda triple whammy for your reading pleasure.

The Fabia is proof you don’t need supercar levels of performance to have super fun.

Now in its third generation the new Fabia is the latest evolution of Skoda’s fab little supermini and in standard trim, it’s a great looking car.

RED NOVEMBER: Monte Carlo models come in seven colours but looks best in this Velvet red metallic Black Magic Pearlescent

But it was the Monte Carlo edition I tested so it came with loads of sporty add-ons such as 16-inch black alloys, black roof, pillars and mirrors, black front grill and rear spoiler, plus tinted glass and loads of Monte Carlo logos and yip, black badges.

And even though you can choose from seven colours, the velvet red metallic black magic pearlescent colour that you see above is the one to have, making the Fabia look like a little rally car.

Inside it’s another treat, with sporty, figure-hugging seats that sadly weren’t heated, plus loads of red trim, cool Fabia logos on the driver’s instrument binnacle, plus there’s fake carbon fibre and customisable driver’s display.

There's manual heating controls and also something you don’t see much of these days, a five-speed manual gearbox and manually operated hand brake.

It’s a hoot to drive. The Monte Carlo model doesn’t add any extra power — it’s all visual — and under the bonnet is a little 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, turbo petrol engine.

It’s happy to rev, and although 95bhp and 175Nm of torque isn’t a lot, 0-100kph takes 10.7secs.

But the Fabia is small and only weighs 1,159kg, so it’s light on its feet and great fun to throw around with fantastic grip.

Plus, it’s economical, returning 49mpg.Sure, it doesn’t perform like a WRC2 rally car, but it will make you smile.

BOOT SIZES: Fabia’s boot is 380 litres, the Scala is 467 litres and the Kamiq is 400 litres in size

Next up was the Scala that sits above the Fabia and below the Kamiq in the Skoda line-up and it’s kind of the sweet spot between the two.

It’s bigger and more family friendly than the Fabia, but smaller than the Kamiq.

However the Scala’s squared-off tailgate means it has more boot space.

The Scala’s boot is 467 litres while the Kamiq drops down to 400 litres, so sometimes less IS actually more.

Under the bonnet of the Scala is the same little 1.0-litre petrol engine but the Skoda boffins have cranked the power up to 116bhp and 200Nm of torque.

So it doesn’t struggle or feel as under-powered, with 0-100kph taking 9.5secs and a top speed of 202kph.

And just like the Fabia there’s a manual gearbox but this time it’s a six speed so it’s much more comfortable cruising at speed on the motorway and that extra gear helps with the fuel economy too, returning 50mpg.

Inside there’s more creature comforts than the Fabia, like dual climate control and thankfully heated seats, plus a heated steering wheel too — very fancy.

Like all new cars, all three Skodas come with the latest driver assist and safety systems, so this means once you go over the speed limit by even 1kph, it will start beeping at you.

RALLYING TO THE CAUSE: Harking back to Skoda’s near-100-year rallying legacy, the Fabia, Scala and Kamiq Monte Carlo range exterior appearance is both dynamic and distinctive whilst simultaneously retaining the sporty look

But Skoda has made it very easy to turn off by pressing one button on the steering wheel — thank you!

Like the Fabia, the Scala handles very well, with decent grip.

The slightly bigger dimensions mean it’s not as nimble but you can use that manual gearbox to extract every last ounce of power from the little 1.0-litre engine.

So again, it’s easy to have fun behind the wheel.

Then finally it was the turn of the Skoda Kamiq, an SUV of sorts.

Apart from a set of roof rails and raised suspension, it’s not as rugged-looking as some of its rivals and there’s no all-wheel-drive version.

SPORTY CABINS: All three are well equipped with the Kamiq boasting heated, sports seats and steering wheel

But as my test Kamiq was the Monte Carlo model, it’s much more sporty-looking than a regular SUV.

Again it looked fantastic, with its red paint and contrasting black trim.

And the sportiness continues inside with fantastic figure-hugging sport seats.

Plus the Kamiq boasted the same levels of luxury with dual climate control, those sporty seats were heated as was the steering wheel.

It even came with heated electric mirrors plus a panoramic roof with electric folding blind.

But being the biggest of the three vehicles, you’d think the Kamiq would have a bigger engine . . . eh, no.

Under the bonnet is the same engine you’d find in the Scala and compared to its smaller brother, the Kamiq SUV is carrying a few more pounds.

Not that there is anything wrong with the 116bhp, 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine.

It’s free revving, sounds nice when accelerating, but in the bigger body Kamiq, it runs out of puff pretty quickly, especially if fully loaded with passengers and luggage.

However, it is frugal, I managed to average 45.7mpg, so 50mpg would be possible on a long run.

Like the Scala, the Kamiq came with a six-speed manual gearbox which no doubt helps with the fuel economy.

Although having a manual gearbox in an SUV is pretty rare these days, so I’d opt for the seven-speed DSG auto.

And all three models benefit from Skoda’s clever features, like an umbrella in the door, ice scraper in the fuel cap filler, phone pockets and loads more.