New Scala will go up against the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra
Upmarket family hatch debuts brand’s new design language and overhauled interior
Skoda has announced UK prices, engine options and trim specifications for its new Scala hatchback. The Ford Focus rival will be available for order from May, priced from £16,595.
Four engines are offered for UK-bound Scalas: two 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrols with 94bhp or 113bhp, a 1.5-litre, 148bhp four-cylinder petrol and a 1.6-litre, 114bhp diesel. All are powered through five- or six-speed manuals, with a seven-speed DSG automatic an option with all engines except the entry-level 94bhp 1.0-litre. There are currently no plans to introduce the plug-in hybrid powertrain previewed by the Vision RS concept.
Buyers opting for the entry-level S trim package receive 16in alloy wheels, LED headlamps, leather steering wheel and a height adjustable driver’s seat. Air conditioning, DAB radio, electric radios and a 6.5in infotainment display are also equipped as standard.
SE trim is priced from £18,580 and adds cruise control, parking sensors, an 8.0in touchscreen and passenger seat height adjuster.
Range-topping trim is available from £20,380. Alongside Skoda’s new infotainment system, the Scala SE L is fitted with a 9.2in touchscreen, climate control, keyless entry, start/stop, a digital head-up display and microsuede upholstery. The top-spec Scala is marked out from the rest of the range by its 17in alloy wheels, LED rear lights and tinted rear windows.
The Scala, which replaces the Rapid in Skoda’s line-up, is only available as a hatchback, and is the first Skoda to be built on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB A0 platform, which is already used on models such as the Seat Ibiza and VW T-Roc.
It marks the debut of what Skoda is calling a “more emotional” design language, and takes styling cues from the Vision RS concept shown at the Paris motor show in 2018.
That includes the optional all-glass rear window, which replaces a more traditional tailgate and features the word ‘Skoda’ written out in place of a logo (the manufacturer’s first car to do so) in an effort to distinguish the brand in markets where it is less well known, such as China.
The Scala also features an all-new interior, with new materials throughout including microfibre fabric for the seats on top-spec models and soft foam surfaces for the dashboard trim. The freestanding touchscreen infotainment system can be paired with an optional 10.25in virtual cockpit display in place of traditional instruments, and uses the latest generation software – a first across the entire VW group. The main touchscreen sits on a small ‘shelf’ for people to brace their hands while operating it.
It is the first VW group car to be always-connected, with the ability to update over the air and download apps that widen the infotainment system’s abilities. It is also among the very first cars with wireless support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, albeit as an option rather than standard equipment. Head of marketing Alain Faey called the Scala a “benchmark in infotainment and productivity”, one that would set the trend for the Volkswagen group rather than follow by example.
The five-seat Scala is 4362mm long, making it marginally longer than the Rapid Spaceback it replaces, with its larger 2649mm wheelbase allowing for increased legroom. At 467 litres, Skoda also says the Scala has the largest boot in the segment. An optional electric tailgate also features.
Other trademark Skoda touches, including an umbrella compartment in the driver’s door and ice scraper in the fuel filler cap that doubles as a tyre tread depth gauge, make a return.
An optional sport chassis will ride 15mm lower than the standard car and include four user-adjustable drive modes for a more responsive throttle and steering.
Scala is a Latin word that means ‘ladder’, and represents Skoda’s ‘next step forward in the compact segment’ according to company boss Bernhard Maier. Skoda is targeting a European market share of 4.3% for the Scala, exactly double what it achieved with the Rapid.
Customer deliveries are set to begin in Summer. Skoda says further information relating to performance and economy will be announced nearer the time.
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Source: Autocar
