Scale model
“IT’S TARGETING THE LESS SEXY END OF ONE-STOP-SHOP FAMILY CAR”
Just what the world needed; another mid-sized hatchback. This time spun intricately by Skoda from the A0 (think Polo) subset of endless carmaking Lego that is the VAG MQB platform, aiming once again at the practical end of the market. It’s called the Scala. Mind you, this makes sense for Skoda, because the Scala slips neatly into the gap left between Fabia (small hatch) and Octavia (big hatch/saloon/estate). Gap, plugged. It’s targeting the less sexy end of one-stop-shop family car, so think Ford Focus, Kia C’eed, that sort of thing, trying to make a new VW Golf look expensive and a second hand Golf look… used. As ever with middle children though, there are complications.
The breakdown goes like this: there’ll be three engines available from launch, with four different outputs, with either 5spd or 6spd manuals or a 7spd DSG paddleshift. A 1.0-litre TSI 3cyl petrol that comes in 93 or 112bhp flavours, another 4cyl petrol 1.5 TSI with 147bhp, or a similarly four-pot 1.6 TDI diesel with 112bhp. There are three trims, S, SE and SE L, with the walk-up generally meaning SE costs 1,185 quid more than the boggo S, and SE L running at £1,800 on top of the SE.
As with anything at the practical end of the range, there’s a war fought in the trenches of standard equipment and it gets confusing quickly if you’re not capable of reading several different spreadsheets simultaneously, in five dimensions. Even the base cars (S) on sale in the UK get 16in alloys, LED headlights, a 6in
infotainment screen, tinted windows and aircon, DAB radio, front and back electric windows and front head and side airbags, as well as some tweaky add-ons like standard lane assist, front assist and ‘Easy Light Assist’, which I am assuming isn’t for cigarettes.
To be honest, the SE looks like the best compromise – you pump up the S’s spec with an 8in touchscreen to fill in the dash, front fogs, rear parking sensors and a ‘Jumbo box with stitching’ (I kid you not – this is a thing), as well as the all-important alarm, which I have to say I thought was a standard feature on pretty much all new cars. Whatever, you can probably live without the SE L’s 17in alloys, cornering fogs, folding door mirrors and slightly weird proliferation of chrome. Because shiny means expensive, right? The 9.2in Amundsen satnav and virtual cockpit shenanigans are nice, but not necessary. There are other spec differences, but to be honest, when it starts to drill down into which model gets a net in the centre console versus manual lumbar support for the passenger seat, I tend to try and find a happy place and go there in my mind until it stops. Rest assured, the options list is long and generally pointless (18in wheels, really?), because once you start to spec the Scala into Volkswagen Golf territory, then the temptation would be to, y’know, just buy a Golf.
Keep it at the lower end of the Scala scale (in-joke – ‘Scala’ is Latin for scale, measure or, um, ladder), and that’s where sense is made. Bought conservatively, the Scala is a biggish
car for small-car money, and the kit list is enough – not ridiculous, but not de-contented to wicker seats, either. It’s a very decent size, with big back doors and plenty of space for everyone, and a useful boot for their kit. It’s inoffensive to look at, has some nice detail and the interior feels more Volkswageny than ever – and that’s not a criticism.
The good news continues when you drive it. Unsurprisingly, the cars available on the launch were all high-specification, but materials are good, ride, handling, noise all on the positive side. In fact, this is a solid little chassis set-up – especially with the active ride control that firms dampers, affects steering weight and throttle response – and could handle way more power than the maximum 147bhp from the most powerful engine. Will there be a vRS? Apparently not, but it could manage. But that’s not really what the Scala is for, is it? The best cars (so far) in the range turned out to be either of the 3cyl cars with the 6spd manual gearbox. The ’box itself is ridiculously easy to use, and the engine is gently characterful and with enough power to potter, even in the lowest state of tune. Excellent mpg and general cleanliness, a relatively simple daily proposition that’s not trying to be what it’s not. And that’s the key with the Scala – stay mid-range and off the options list, forget the DSG ’boxes and frippery, and you get a very competent, quality car for reasonable cash. And that’s where this Skoda makes sense.