By Ian Strachan
The all-new Skoda Scala may be a fairly conservatively styled compact family hatchback but it’s already winning awards. The Scala scooped the best compact family car accolade at the Auto Express awards and deservedly so. It is inexpensive, roomy, reliable and handles nicely.
The optional black 16″ alloy wheels certainly gave my test Scala some character. But the big thing which makes the Scala stand out from the crowd is its price. The Scala starts at a shade over £18,500 and the higher-specification SE 1.6 TDI which I tested comes in at £21,515, which makes it one of the bargains of its sector.
The Scala sits in the middle of Skoda’s expanding range, below the much-acclaimed Octavia. It’s a good looking car, with styling that is smooth and flowing, making it look bigger than it actually is.
I test drove 115 bhp Scala SE which is powered by a willing 1.6 litre diesel engine, linked to a stepless seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox. The engine sounded a tad worked at high revs, but not excessively so, and was flexible throughout the range. It is impressively frugal, returning 54.3 miles to the gallon in mixed driving.
The front grille is carried over from other Skodas, with a lower grille and fog-light housing and big headlights, while the rear end is chunky and purposeful.
Inside, the car feels large and substantial, with a well laid out dashboard and neat, easy to read instruments. The radio and other functions are controlled via an eight-inch touchscreen. Despite its low price, there has been no skimping on trim materials, with smartly-trimmed seats and leather multi-function steering wheel. Controls easily accessible and there is a wealth of storage space about the cabin, including storage compartments under the front seats and storage in the rear armrest. And of course you get Skoda’s trademark umbrella.
Interior room is very good. There’s more than adequate leg and room, particularly for rear passengers, and the seats are exceptionally comfortable and supportive. The cargo area is deep as well as wide, with a 467 litre capacity that can be increased to 1410 by folding the rear seats
Suspension is firm without being uncomfortable and handling is crisp and sure-footed with confident cornering.
There’s an emphasis on safety features in the Scala which has a five star Euro NCAP safety rating. Driver assistance features include cruise control, front collision assist, blind spot sensors, side assist and rear parking sensors. It also has lane-keeping assist, which like some other models, can’t tell the difference between white lines and tarmac seams so you can end up wrestling the steering wheel despite being perfectly positioned in your lane. It can be switched off, though.
General specification is good, with air conditioning, front fog lights, cruise control, all round airbags, electrically heated and powered door mirrors, electric windows, eight-speaker DAB radio, Bluetooth telephone connection, USB ports and hill hold control. No satellite navigation though, which is a bit miserly in an SE specification.
My test car was fitted with some optional extras which pushed the price up to £24,470. These included adaptive cruise control (£400), electrically operated boot (£400), front and rear parking sensors (400), keyless start/stop (£195) and metallic paint (£595). The black alloy wheels were an extra £415.
This is a nicely put together car which looks good on your drive and offers super value for money. It doesn’t disappoint.
