Skoda Scala review: one of the best value family cars around

The Skoda Scala is one of our favourite family hatchbacks, as well as one of the most practical cars in its class. It offers a huge boot and lots of passenger space, plus it gives the Volkswagen Golf a run for its money when it comes to ride, handling and build quality. Standard equipment is good across the range too, as is the fuel economy offered by the Scala's range of petrol engines.

Value is what impresses most with the Scala, though – all of this ability comes at a price that undercuts every version of the Golf and matches most of its nearest rivals. It’s hard to recommend the Volkswagen Golf over the Skoda Scala unless you really want a little extra quality, polish and prestige; the Scala is so good it’s more than just a viable alternative.

About the Skoda Scala

The Skoda Scala joined the Czech manufacturer’s range in 2019, sitting alongside the slightly larger Octavia in the hotly contested family car market as a more direct rival for the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus, Kia Ceed and Vauxhall Astra, among others.

While the Skoda Octavia features a saloon-like body (albeit with a large hatchback), the Scala takes a more practical shape that allows for lots of boot and passenger space. The Scala is built on the Volkswagen Group's MQB A0 platform – the same one that underpins the VW Polo, Audi A1 and SEAT Arona – and all its engines are familiar Volkswagen Group units, too.

Buyers are given the choice of a 1.0-litre TSI petrol producing either 94bhp or 108bhp, and a 1.5-litre TSI engine producing 148bhp. The 94bhp petrol unit is offered with a five-speed manual gearbox, while all other versions come with either a six-speed manual, or a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission.

There isn’t a hybrid or electric version of the Scala, unlike with its Peugeot 308, SEAT Leon, Toyota Corolla and Astra rivals. It's also worth noting that high-mileage drivers looking for the economy of a diesel engine will need to look elsewhere, because the 1.6-litre TDI diesel has been removed from the price list.

The Scala's trim structure consists of SE, SE L and top-spec Monte Carlo models. But whichever trim level you choose, value for money is impressive versus the Scala’s nearest rivals, with prices starting at a little over £22,000.

Base SE cars come with LED headlights, 16-inch alloy wheels, an 8-inch central touchscreen, dual-zone climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, cruise control and rear parking sensors.

SE L versions feature 17-inch alloys, a 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit digital instrument display, rear privacy glass, a larger 9.2-inch touchscreen, and automatic lights and wipers. Finally, top-of-the-range Monte Carlo models get matrix LED headlights, black exterior trim, a panoramic glass roof, red interior trim accents, sat-nav, and a rear-view camera.

​Skoda Scala 1.5 TSI SE DSG long-term test

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In 2020, our photographer, Otis Clay, ran a Skoda Scala for six months, racking up over 6,000 miles. Otis found it to be a very practical family car that was perfectly capable of ferrying around all his camera equipment, with the more powerful 1.5-litre engine providing all the power he needed to get to and from shoots quickly and efficiently.

He did experience issues with the infotainment system (an older version that has since been replaced) crashing on him, and the DSG automatic gearbox was often slow to respond in town traffic, an issue that wasn’t helped by the Scala’s start/stop system. However, the latter could be easily turned off, making the car a little more responsive when pulling away at traffic lights.