Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Skoda Scala - Reliability and safety

The Skoda Scala gets a five-star Euro NCAP score and plenty of standard safety kit

Reliability and Safety rating

4.0

How we review cars
RRP
£22,740 £31,090
Avg. savings
£1,807 off RRP*
Find your Skoda Scala
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

Euro NCAP crash-tested the Skoda Scala in 2019 and awarded it a full five-star rating, with excellent scores for adult and child safety of 97 per cent and 87 per cent, respectively.

It’s encouraging to see a good amount of standard safety kit on the Scala, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) called ‘Front Assist’, lane-keep assistance, traffic sign recognition, and an emergency call function. Some safety options are available, such as the £650 Safety Pack, which includes a driver’s knee airbag and rear side airbags. Adaptive cruise control isn’t standard, but you can add this with the Assisted drive pack for £800 on SE Edition or SE L Edition trims. A blindspot monitoring system to warn you of vehicles approaching along your side when driving down the motorway is a £500 option that comes as part of the Assisted Drive Plus Package that’s reserved for the Monte Carlo trim.

The Scala didn't feature in the 2024 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, but it seems there’s work to do for the brand. The company finished in 23rd position out of 32 manufacturers included in the survey, behind ahead brands SEAT and Volkswagen in 24th and 29th place, respectively.

Key standard safety features

Euro NCAP safety ratings

  • Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
  • Lane keep assistance
  • Traffic sign recognition
  • Driver attention monitor
  • eCall
  • Five stars out of five (Euro NCAP, 2019)
  • Adult occupant protection - 97%
  • Child occupant protection - 87%
  • Vulnerable road user protection - 81%
  • Safety assist - 76%

Warranty

The Skoda Scala is covered by a three-year warranty with no mileage limits for the first two years, then up to 60,000 miles for the third year of ownership. It’s a competitive warranty, but it can’t match Hyundai’s five-year/unlimited-mileage coverage, nor Kia’s famous seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty. For just over £500 however, you can get an extended warranty to cover the Scala for up to five years or 100,00 miles, whichever comes first.

Servicing

All engines in the Skoda Scala range have service intervals every 12 months or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first. The timing belt will need to be changed every 112,000 miles. You can specify a service plan to cover your first two services when you purchase the car.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    1.0 TSI 95 SE Edition 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • RRP
    £22,740
Select car

Most Economical

  • Name
    1.0 TSI 95 SE Edition 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • RRP
    £22,740
Select car

Fastest

  • Name
    1.5 TSI SE Edition 5dr DSG
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £26,365
Select car
News reporter

As our news reporter, Ellis is responsible for covering everything new and exciting in the motoring world, from quirky quadricycles to luxury MPVs. He was previously the content editor for DrivingElectric and won the Newspress Automotive Journalist Rising Star award in 2022.

New & used car deals

Skoda Scala

Skoda Scala

RRP £19,520Avg. savings £1,807 off RRP*Used from £9,495
Skoda Fabia

Skoda Fabia

RRP £16,160Avg. savings £1,325 off RRP*Used from £11,815
Skoda Octavia

Skoda Octavia

RRP £21,750Avg. savings £2,212 off RRP*Used from £12,648
Skoda Superb

Skoda Superb

RRP £35,925Avg. savings £2,880 off RRP*Used from £13,420
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k
Kia PV5 Passenger - show front

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k

New entry into the electric people carrier market undercuts the VW ID. Buzz by a significant margin
News
29 Apr 2025
Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price
BMW X7 - front

Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price

German firm’s flagship SUV could never be called cheap but it is exceptional value at £735 a month – making it our Deal of the Day for Sunday 27 April
News
27 Apr 2025
New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645
Kia PV5 Cargo on display at Commercial Vehicle Show - front 3/4

New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645

All-new entry into the van market promises competitive pricing and comes with a range of up to 247 miles
News
30 Apr 2025