Skoda Scala - Practicality, comfort and boot space

The Skoda Scala majors on practicality – those looking to get the most space for their money will be hard pressed to find a better hatchback in the class. There are five seats, with those in the rear big enough for adults. Interior space is impressive generally – Skoda has done wonders with packaging. Visibility is great thanks to a large glasshouse.

The boot is large, and there’s the usual smattering of practical storage areas, including large door bins, a cooled glovebox, under-seat storage in the front, and a sunglasses cubby overhead. Other practical touches include electrically adjustable and heated mirrors, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and a space-saver spare (rather than a rescue foam kit).

The Skoda Octavia is a good alternative if you need even more space, but the Scala’s shape makes it a more flexible proposition overall.

Dimensions and size

The Scala measures 4,362mm long, 1,793mm wide (1,988mm including side mirrors) and 1,474mm tall. It’s about 510kg lighter than an equivalent Volkswagen Golf and over 130kg lighter than a Kia Ceed, despite being longer and more spacious inside than both.

27

How practical is the Skoda Scala?

Seats & space in the front

There’s loads of room for a pair of six-foot adults in the front, and the seats are very comfortable, with each getting height and lumbar adjustment as standard. A standard centre armrest also features, plus a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

A common trait of the Skoda brand is that its cars come with numerous thoughtful storage and convenience features, such as the umbrella in the driver’s door should you encounter a sudden downpour.

The front door bins are a useful size, as is the glovebox. There is space inside the centre armrest to store items out of sight, while three cupholders provide a place for various sizes of coffee cups or bottles of water. There’s a spot for your smartphone along with two USB-C charging ports ahead of the gearlever, but you’ll need to specify the £350 charging package or upgrade to Monte Carlo Edition in order to get wireless phone charging.

Seats & space in the back

There’s more space in the back of the Scala for passengers than just about any other car in this class – great news if you need space for a growing family. Speaking of which, ISOFIX points are supplied on the front passenger seat, and on the outer positions of the rear bench seat, with the securing rings easily accessed under some removable plastic caps. The rear doors open wide and, in combination with the relatively high roofline, offer good access to the rear when fitting child seats.

Boot space

One of the Scala’s big selling points is its even bigger boot – a wide, square load space with an impressive 467 litres and a low load lip. The boot is usefully bigger than the Volkswagen Golf’s 380-litre offering and beats the Ford Focus’ 375 litres of space.

The rear bench folds in a 60/40 split to increase total load capacity to 1,410 litres – a figure that’s among the very best in this class. The seats don’t fold completely flat, but it’s still a hugely practical space. The boot also features two large pockets behind each wheel arch – great for keeping loose items from sliding around.

If there’s one criticism, it’s that there’s a bit of a lip to lift items over when loading up the boot, so we’d suggest specifying an adjustable height boot floor for £200, because that removes the lip, and the awkward step when the rear seats are folded down, making the transport of longer items a bit easier.

Towing

The Scala can be prepared for – or fitted with – a tow bar as an option, but you’ll need to make sure the former box has been ticked on the list if you want to retrospectively add a tow bar. The 94bhp 1.0-litre TSI model can tow up to 1,000kg of braked trailer weight, while the 1.5 TSI manages a braked load of 1,250kg. 

If you’re looking to tow more weight, consider the plug-in hybrid Vauxhall Astra with its 1,450kg braked towing limit, or a traditionally powered 2.0-litre diesel Golf, because that’ll pull up to 1,600kg.