With the recent launch of the all-new Octavia family, you’ll be excused for forgetting about another compact car Skoda is selling, the Scala.
It has been available on the European market for a year but CarWow has only now managed to get an in-depth review of the Scala. Their assessment? It’s quite possibly “the best value car in the world.” That’s a very bold statement so here’s how they reached this conclusion.
For starters, the Scala starts at just under £17,000 in the UK, undercutting most of its rivals which include the VW Golf, Ford Focus, Peugeot 308 and a flurry of other compact hatchbacks. It also massively undercuts the new Octavia, which starts at £22,390 in the UK. For the base price, one should not expect fireworks as the entry-level engine is a 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder petrol unit rated at 95 PS (94 HP) and 175 Nm (129 lb-ft) of torque.
Watch Also: Is The Skoda Scala All The Compact Hatchback You’ll Ever Need?
However, the car in this review features the 1.0-liter turbocharged three-pot with 115 PS (113 HP) and 200 Nm (147 lb-ft) of torque, which enables a decent 0-60 mph sprint of around 10 seconds. Offered with a standard six-speed manual or optional seven-speed DSG, it’s officially rated at 51.4 mpg UK (5.5 l/100 km) combined. However, during the test, the manual Scala averaged 41.4 mpg UK (6.8 l/100 km) which is not bad.
The compact model is easy to drive and almost as comfortable as a VW Golf Mk8, which is a big compliment from the reviewer. It’s not sporty in any way, however, and driver excitement was not high on Skoda’s list when developing the Scala.
Mind you, it surely gets the job done and is also very practical, offering plenty of room for five passengers and a huge 467-liter (16.5-cu ft) boot capacity. Keep in mind that the new Golf has only 380 liters (13.4 cu ft). Not yet convinced the Scala is the best value car in the world? Watch the video for the reviewer’s full argumentation.