Our long-term Škoda Scala continues to deliver on the practicality side, assuaging any fears over boot space. 

Model: Škoda Scala SE Technology 1.0 TSI 110PS

P11d (BiK) £22,030 (29%) Economy 53.4mpg CO2 emissions 120g/km  On Fleet 41.3mpg

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Report 2:

Forget range anxiety, I think I have boot space anxiety. It’s a problem exacerbated by years of carrying around excess gubbins, in case we suddenly need a picnic blanket, swimming stuff or a bucket and spade. And also down to years of covering for every eventuality on family holidays – the year that I triumphantly produced a hitherto unused kite on a cold and windy beach in France being a case in point.

Ahead of our switch from the long-term Karoq SUV to the Scala, I had visions of having to jettison the boules set, spare fleeces or the badminton racquets and a subsequent slight panic. But no such problem! First glances from when the car arrived showed that stowage wasn’t going to be an issue and, in fact, I’m positively revelling in the onboard space; as mentioned in the first report, the Scala’s 467 to 1,410 litres of boot space rival many in the sector. Fold the 60:40 rear seats down and there’s a slight step up but they’re quick to activate. The Scala also has a plethora of bag hooks and tie down points to stop boot contents rattling around, plus the cubbies behind the wheel arches, which have proved a godsend in the past. Drivers can also opt for an optional variable boot floor.

The cabin has plenty of storage too; a total of 26 litres in fact. One slight niggle is that while it’s great having two cupholders, they’re the same size and too small for some cups/water bottles that we’ve tried them with. I have to put my gym water bottle on the front seat. The handbrake is also located over on the front passenger side too, albeit not far to reach over.

We remain impressed by the space in the rear seats. I sat in the back of the Skoda for a brief spell the other day, much to the confusion of a teenager passing by me on the pavement, and found there really is knee and head room to spare, even for my teenage son who seems to grow an inch a week at the moment.

Our 110hp 1.0-litre engine continues to prove its value at the fuel pumps, achieving consumption in the 50s on longer journeys with little effort. Our 41.3mpg average economy is short of the 53.4mpg average but that’s with a 28mph average speed in predominantly urban conditions. And a lot of onboard clutter too…

The Scala sits between the Fabia and Octavia, and delivers on space, value and practicality

Report 1:

Following the departure of the Karoq midsize SUV, we’ve stayed with Škoda but switched to the C-segment for our Scala longtermer. And as with all our Škoda test drives of late, it’s proving a pleasant surprise already.

Launched in 2019, the Scala sits between the Fabia and Octavia, replacing the Rapid to bring a more direct challenger to main players such as the Focus and Astra. Since then, it’s won plaudits and awards aplenty for its space, practicality and value – all of which have been clear from the start of our test.

It’s based on the MQB-AO platform, an evolution of the modular MQB architecture used for the VW Golf and Škoda Octavia in the same class as the Scala but actually developed for smaller vehicles such as the SEAT Ibiza and VW Polo. Despite this, the Scala is actually larger than many of its C-segment rivals – delivering boot space of 467 litres up to 1,410 litres (VDA) with the rear seats folded. Rear leg and headroom are also benchmarks in the segment – six-footers needn’t worry about space here.

Such attributes are of course key components of the Octavia proposition too but the Scala is positioned to sit nicely under its larger family car sibling – both in terms of size and price – to provide a complementary compact option. It’s also only available as a hatchback, unlike the Octavia. OTR prices start from £20,800 – slotting it above the £18,600 entry point of the smaller Fabia and below the £24,540 of the Octavia hatch but also positioning it very attractively compared to rivals.

Engine line-up focuses solely on conventional petrols; there’s no hybrids nor a fully electric option and the sole diesel at launch has since been dropped. The three petrols are familiar Volkswagen Group units and span a 1.0 TSI three-cylinder with 95 or 110hp and a four-cylinder 1.5 TSI motor with 150hp.

Ours is the 110hp three-cylinder married up with the six-speed manual that comes as standard, rather than the optional DSG. It’s a combo that we’ve tested in other models and found to nicely straddle the line between economy and performance. Official fuel consumption is 53.4mpg.

We’re also in the fleet-focused SE Technology spec, preceded by the SE and topped by the Monte Carlo and bringing a lengthy list of equipment.

Already the Scala has shown that it’s a competent, comfortable and likeable addition to the fleet, delivering many merits to support six months of work and family transport.