CZECH IT OUT (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_skodascala_2019

By Jonathan Crouch

Skoda's Scala claims to bring something a little different to the compact hatch class. Jonathan Crouch takes a look at the improved version.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 98

With the Scala, Skoda aims to offer a credible solution for customers who can't quite make up their mind between a supermini and a family hatchback. Though the engineering's familiar from other VW Group models, the way the Czech brand has packaged it all up is quite appealing, with a decent combination of value, practicality and efficiency. If you prioritise sense and sensibility, want value in a car of this kind and are looking for something a little different from the obvious contenders in this class, the Scala could be worth a look. Especially in this revised form.

Backgroundword count: 217

Most mainstream brands offer a supermini and a family hatch. Skoda does too, the Fabia supermini and the Octavia family hatch. But in between, the Czech maker inserts this car, the Scala, which aims to offer the best of both. It was introduced back in 2019, sharing just about everything under the skin with the marque's Kamiq small SUV. In Autumn 2023, like that car, it received a mid-term update, creating the model we're going to look at here. Unlike the Octavia, this car doesn't get the full-sized MQB platform you'd also find in a Golf or a SEAT Leon. Instead, this model is based on the more compact MQB A0 chassis used by superminis like the Volkswagen Polo and the SEAT Ibiza. The 'Scala' name comes from the Latin meaning 'stairs' or 'ladder', reflecting this model's claim to be 'a leap forward in design and technology' - at least for a Skoda. Plus as usual with its offerings, the brand is offering it at slightly lower prices than the opposition and includes a range of 'Simply Clever' design features intended to make everyday life with this car just that little bit easier. It all adds up to a contender that aims to bring something a little different to the bottom end of the family hatchback class.

Driving Experienceword count: 327

There are no significant mechanical changes as part of this update. Which means the Scala continues to be offered with three petrol units, the vast majority of customers choosing between 95 or 116PS versions of the VW Group's familiar three cylinder 1.0-litre turbo petrol unit, now upgraded to new generation 'evo2' spec. The lesser variant gets a 5-speed manual gearbox; the 116PS derivative offers the choice of either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. Which are the same transmission options offered for the minority-interest 1.5-litre 150PS petrol engine that continues on at the top of the range. This bigger four cylinder petrol unit's worth a look, equipped as it is with efficient Active Cylinder Technology that means it's almost as efficient as the 1.0-litre option. So what's this Scala like on the road? Well other smaller cars that use its MQB-A0 chassis like the sixth generation Volkswagen Polo have impressed us with the way that relatively crude torsion bar damping can be tuned to provide a really supple quality of ride. This Skoda delivers that too. You can't have everything of course. Sharper potholes catch it out, but over commoner tarmac tears and highway undulations, it flows beautifully. With at least some of the kind of 'big car' feel that Skoda promises. Of course, it loses out to such as the Golf or the Focus in this class in terms of handling feedback. Throw this Skoda into a bend with any sort of vigour and though grip levels are admirable and the relative lack of body roll even quite surprising, there's little sense of enjoyment in the process through the light steering. Does that matter? Only you can decide. Optional is an Adaptive Cruise Control system that can automatically keep the car a safe distance behind the vehicle in front on the motorway, being even able to slow you right down to a stop and start you off again if you come across a tailback.

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