Skoda's next-gen Fabia will be revealed at the Paris motor show in October, but the car in question has already been largely exposed by these Automedia pics of a lightly disguised prototype.
As evident from these images, the newbie has a much more angular look than the outgoing model, bringing its styling in line with its larger Rapid and Octavia stablemates.
Although a less radical redesign than one might have expected, the third-gen Fabia does sport a wider grille, a more distinctive greenhouse and a sportier C-pillar. There are also Rapid-inspired taillights and a stylish tailgate with an integrated spoiler.
Even though the looks haven't changed dramatically, the new Fabia is wider than the existing model, but it's also lower, which gives it a chunkier stance and should benefit its handling.
Despite its wider girth, the latest Fabia is expected to be lighter than its predecessor, but this isn't the result of an all-new platform, as it's underpinned by the same 'PQ' architecture used by the VW Polo and Audi A1 (rather than adopting a shrunken version of the VW Group's increasingly ubiquitous MQB platform).
As per its compact-sized VW Group stablemates, the Fabia will be offered with a range of 1.2- and 1.4-litre TSI turbo engines, along with a 1.6 TDI diesel and a miserly 'Greenline' derivative.
Also likely to be part of the engine line-up is the new 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine that VW has recently slotted into its updated Polo.
However, hot-hatch aficionados may be disappointed to learn that there are as yet no plans for a pumped-up RS variant.
Although there are no interior pics to go on for now, it's believed the new model will offer more cabin space and higher quality trim materials.