Skoda Scala 2024 (2024 - )

Sitting neatly between the Fabia and Octavia in the Skoda line-up, the Scala has crept in somewhat beneath the radar, but it should be grabbing the top billing in its sector, or at least claim one of the headline act spots.

That’s because this five-door family hatchback does everything rather well without too much fuss. It looks smart, but not flashy, boasts a wealth of on-board tech without being over-complicated, is remarkably practical and spacious, plus it drives well. And all these attributes are neatly packed into a car that is very competitively priced.

The front-wheel drive model, that was introduced in 2019 as the Skoda Rapid was withdrawn, is available in trims called SE, SE L and Monte Carlo and customers can choose from three petrol engines – two 1.0 TSI versions with power outputs of 95PS or 116PS, plus a 1.5 TSI delivering 150PS.

And the Scala has been given quite a significant makeover for 2024 with a fresh new look, enhanced technology and equipment, plus more efficient powertrains.

We opted for the entry-level Scala SE with the smallest engine for our test drive in Germany.

The refreshed Skoda Scala has a stronger road presence with a sportier appearance thanks to some eye-catching new styling traits. These include a revised octagonal-shaped grille flanked by slimmer light clusters, redesigned front and rear bumpers, SKODA lettering across the tailgate and, for the first time, Matrix LED headlights are available as standard on the range-topping model or as an optional extra costing £1,650 on SE L cars.

Moving inside, the interior is surprisingly spacious and our SE-grade test car featured beautifully upholstered cloth seats that, together with the steering wheel, offered plenty of adjustment to find the ideal driving position.

The basic car does not have a sat nav system but it’s easy to connect a smartphone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for any navigation and music preferences. It has an 8.25-inch touchscreen (9.2-inch on higher trims) and there is a separate panel for all the climate control functions.

All the vital driving information is clearly shown on an 8.0-inch digital driver display behind the steering wheel and once again this becomes larger at 10.25 inches as you move up to SE L and Monte Carlo.

The seats can be heated to fend off the winter blues and the comfort levels impress too with good all-round driver visibility. All models feature rear parking sensors as standard and, for £1,000, a Convenience Pack adds front sensors and a reversing camera on SE and SE L cars. This pack is slightly cheaper on the Scala Monte Carlo at £325.

Powering our Skoda Scala was the three-cylinder, 1.0-litre 95PS petrol engine matched to a five-speed manual gearbox. Six-speed manual or DSG automatic transmissions are available on other cars.

This powertrain forms part of Skoda’s highly efficient latest evo2 generation of engines and, with 175Nm of torque, it could complete the 0-62mph sprint in a respectable 10.8 seconds with a top speed of 119mph. 

The route including a good mix of roads with some motorway driving, twisting hill climbs and through busier town centre settings. The Scala cruised at 70mph on motorways and was grounded and well balanced when tackling the steep inclines and descents. It did feel a tad laboured a couple of times and the engine was also noticeably more vocal on the motorways, but that aside it coped really well. 

In addition, I did go searching for a non-existent sixth gear on more than one occasion … to no avail!

But it is worth reminding ourselves that this was the lowest powered Scala available. We had a run out in a 1.5-litre Monte Carlo model too and it didn’t falter no matter what was thrown its way.

The suspension set-up works well with all but the harshest bumps and dips smoothed out along the way, and the cabin was well insulated against noise intrusion, apart from when pushed really hard.

The Skoda Scala is deceptively spacious and it boasts a strong road presence without any in-your-face attitude or outlandish design cues.

It’s a practical five-door family hatchback that stretches 4,362mm in length, is 1,998mm wide (including door mirrors), 1,471mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,649mm.

Passenger space really impresses with ample room up front for tall adults to sit comfortably and then enough space in the back for a couple more grown-ups. Add a third and it admittedly gets a little too cramped, but three youngsters would easily fit and there are Isofix anchors to the outer rear seats to fit child seats.

The boot is generous in size with a capacity that ranges from 467 litres to 1,410 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped flat. There is a net and hooks inside the boot to stop items rolling around, which is one of the well-renowned Skoda Simply Clever features that also include an ice scraper in the fuel filler flap, a brollie in the door and mobile phone pockets in the seat backs.

And throughout the cabin, storage options include a glovebox, door bins, a central cubby compartment, cup holders and trays.

The Skoda Scala line-up starts at £22,095 for the 1.0 TSI 95PS model in SE trim, as tested, and climbs to £30,445 for the 1.5 TSI 150PS DSG model in Monte Carlo specification.

Our test model was a European styled car so it did feature a few additional bits and pieces, but it was still closest to the SE grade.

According to official figures under WLTP testing, the vehicle could deliver a combined 50.7-55.4mpg with carbon emissions of 115-127/km.

This CO2 output would result in a first-year Vehicle Excise Duty charge, or road tax as it is generally known, of £210, dropping to the standard annual fee of £180 after 12 months.

The test vehicle has a Benefit in Kind tax rating of 29 per cent and the insurance group rating is still to be confirmed.

The Skoda Scala is a winner on so many counts, but it seems to have missed out on the recognition it deserves. It’s really well put together and there is a good selection of highly efficient engines and well-equipped trim levels to choose from.

The pricing will leave you on speaking terms with the bank manager and even the most basic entry-level car ticks all the right boxes for an active family. Obviously, the more you spend the more powerful the engine choices and you will get extra technology, but it’s a great family car even without all the bells and whistles.