First Drive: The Skoda Scala is the mid-sized family hatchback the firm has been craving
Skoda is entering the competitive hatchback segment with this – the Scala. Can it fend off key rivals? Ted Welford finds out
What is it?
The Volkswagen Group is pretty good at churning out some of the best family hatchbacks in the business. Volkswagen has its Golf, Seat its Leon and Audi its A3. But where does Skoda fit into all of this?
Well, now we have this – the all-new Scala. Offering class-leading practicality, a well-built interior, loads of standard equipment and an affordable price tag, it could help to get Skoda back into the minds of family hatchback buyers.
What’s new?
Taking advantage of Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform used across the range of brands, the Scala is essentially an all-new model, and a vast distance apart from the Rapid, even if Skoda is clear to say that it doesn’t “replace” that model.
Aside from introducing a new style language, the Scala’s key improvement is the cabin, where a touchscreen size of up to 9.2-inches is offered alongside a 10.25-inch digital virtual cockpit, which are both some of the largest screens in its class. The VW Group’s latest MIB3 infotainment package is also offered, which boasts a host of new connectivity services, with scope for services such as door unlocking and parcel deliveries when using a Skoda app.
What’s under the bonnet?
There are no surprises when it comes to powertrains, with the Scala being offered with three of the Volkswagen Group’s staple engines.
The 1.0-litre petrol engine is expected to account for the vast majority of sales – particularly in 113bhp trim, which is the car we tested. The three-cylinder turbocharged unit is willing, and despite its modest power output, is still able to accelerate the Scala to 60mph in under 10 seconds, and keep going onto a top speed of 125mph.
The six-speed manual transmission is slick to shift, albeit the engine can feel a bit unrefined and noisy under harsher acceleration. It should also prove to be cheap to run, with Skoda claiming a fuel economy figure of 56.6mpg and CO2 emissions of 113g/km.
