THAT Czech icon of modern performance motoring, the Skoda Fabia vRS, has achieved what some might say is the impossible.

Once the ugly duckling of car manufacturers and butt of many a joke, Skoda, now Volkswagen- owned did the unexpected and turned the tables on its critics, powering out of Czechoslovakia with a range of cars that is the envy of the world

And in more recent times Skoda has done it again with with the Fabia vRS because after a run of popularity as a turbo diesel, vRS broke daring ground after a short break by going petrol-powered with an automatic transmission.

Eyebrows could have been raised over the wisdom of such a move, considering the engine is only of 1,390cc capacity, but when you realise that it is both supercharged and turbocharged and the transmission is of the very latest DSG type, providing lightning-fast gear shifts you begin to understand the brilliance of this very exciting hot hatch.

Those still not convinced by the low engine capacity should note that the new vRS in hatchback form (there is also an estate) can achieve 139mph and zoom to 62mph in 7.3 seconds. And the double whammy is that average fuel consumption is 45.6mpg and CO2 emissions of 148g/km.

It is the fastest production Fabia ever built and looks the part too, making the most of the strong frontal styling of the car and adding front and rear spoilers to give a hunkered-down appearance, set off by twin exhausts, red brake calipers and and tinted windows.

As with other cars in its class the Fabia vRS aims for the optimum compromise between work and play, aiming to make the most mundane journey a pleasure.

My first experience of this was on a track with the engine on full boost, but my latest drive on the road proved that there is also much docility because the impressive maximum power of 180bhp comes into play exactly when needed. Otherwise it is as easy and controllable as less powerful hatches.

But the real winner is the transmission. You can use paddle shifts if needed, but stick the selector into 'S' for sport and you have a super-automatic which hammers another nail into the old-fashioned manual gearbox.

The purists may scoff but this transmission would beat a manual to the draw any time. Flicking through the tightest corners on high power, it never fails to be in the right range.

The dual boost system provides a seamless flow of power delivery across the rev spectrum. The mechanically-driven supercharger supplies the combustion chambers up to engine speeds of 2,400rpm, at which point the exhaust-driven turbocharger reaches full-effectiveness and provides extra boost in the higher rev range.

So why is such a punchy engine with a DSG transmission so economical? One of the main reasons is that the direct fuel injection system allows a high compression ratio and maximum boost pressure of 2.5 bar. This gives the unusually high torque levels which allow for longer gear ratios to be used.