Skoda Scala (2019) Review

There’s some soft-touch plastic on top of the dashboard, but pretty much everything else is constructed from stuff that’s harder, scratchier and less tactile.

What’s more, there aren’t many additional trim pieces to add variety to the cabin’s range of colours and textures, giving a rather monotone feel. In truth, most rivals have a more appealing interior than the Scala, and that’s the case regardless of how far up the Scala’s trim structure you go.

That said, while the materials aren’t the last word in plushness, they do look and feel incredibly robust, and the substantial way in which they’re bolted together also helps give the Scala a built-to-last feel.

The nature of the infotainment system you get depends entirely on the grade of car you choose. We’d avoid the entry-level S-trimmed car on this score alone, because it gets a very basic system with a tiny 6.5-inch touchscreen system. It comes with Bluetooth, DAB radio, four speakers and a couple of USB-C ports, but that’s it.

Upgrade to the SE, and you get a bigger 8.0-inch screen with eight speakers, but the biggest difference is that it comes with Smartlink, a stem that rolls up Apple Carplay, Android Auto and Mirrorlink - the most common smartphone integration systems - into one package.

So, whatever phone you have, the Scala should be able to work with it, and it means you can use your phone’s navigation functionality through the car’s screen.

The SEL and the Monte Carlo both get a system with a bigger 9.2-inch screen and built-in navigation, along with a digital instrument screen. These look great and work well, but there’s very little wrong with the conventional dials found in other Scalas.

Each touchscreen system uses the same basic user interface, and it’s intuitive and easy to find your way around. Being a touchscreen, it’s a little more distracting than some other types of interface because you have to stare at the screen so intently to make sure you hit the right bit, but as touchscreens go, it’s not bad at all.

The latest WLTP figures for the diesel suggest that up to 60mpg is possible, dropping to around 56mpg if you add the automatic gearbox.

Before you buy, though, make sure you’re going to cover enough miles to make up for the considerable amount more you’ll pay for the diesel.

The best of the petrols is actually the 115PS version of the 1.0-litre, with a figure of 51mpg compared with the weaker 95PS version’s 50mpg. However, the punchier engine’s return drops to 48mpg if you add the twin-clutch automatic, while the 1.5 petrol delivers 49mpg in manual form and 46mpg as an auto’.

If you’re buying a budget-focused car like the Scala, you don’t want to pay a king’s ransom to insure it, and the good news is that you won’t. Insurance groupings range from 10 at the bottom of the scale to 19 at the top, with most versions sitting at around the 14 mark. So, if you have a decent no-claims-bonus, premiums should be very palatable.

And, whichever version of the Scala you pick, you’ll pay annual VED tax of £150 per year. You’ll also be chuffed to learn that Skoda finished second in the 2019 JD Power Vehicle Dependability Survey, suggesting that the Scala should be extremely reliable.

Scala buyers have the choice of three turbocharged petrol engines: a pair of 1.0-litre three-cylinder engines with either 95PS or 115PS, and a four-cylinder 1.5 with 150PS. We haven't tried the weakest one, but the 115 is great. With impressive low-down pull, it feels responsive and surprisingly strong from anywhere on the rev range, so not only is your progress adequately brisk, it’s also easy and effortless.

The 1.5 is a fraction quicker against the stopwatch, and has a similarly perky character. However, in 90 percent of driving situations, it doesn’t feel a whole lot faster than the smaller engine, so we’d probably save ourselves the extra it costs to buy.

A diesel choice is also offered, a 1.6 with 115PS. It gives decent pace, but it doesn’t feel as lively or as eager as the equivalent petrol, and overall, it doesn’t suit the car as well. It cost quite a bit more, too, and you’ll have to cover a lot of miles before its superior fuel economy overturns the difference.

All engines are offered with a reasonably slick six-speed manual gearbox, while all but the 95PS petrol are also offered with a seven-speed twin-clutch automatic. It slurs through the gears pretty effectively, keeping your progress smooth and responsive.

Bit of a mixed bag here. Importantly, the Scala scored the full five-star rating when it was smashed into various things by the experts at Euro NCAP, and its individual section ratings also look reasonably good as well.

The safety kit you get as standard includes a very run-of-the-mill six airbags, automatic emergency braking, lane assist and automatic emergency calling.

However, lots of other stuff that rivals might provide as standard cost extra on the Scala, a driver’s knee airbag and front parking sensors, for instance. Buyers also have to pay extra for adaptive cruise control and a self-parking function. A space-saver spare wheel is included, though.