What’s it like?
Skoda has long had a reputation for offering bigger cars than its rivals in each of the classes in which it operates. So while the long-serving Fabia was the alternative to a Volkswagen Polo, Opel Corsa or Ford Fiesta, and the bigger Octavia sat in the Volkswagen Golf, Opel Astra or Toyota Corolla segment, the Octavia’s size meant a gap appeared between the two Skoda cars. In 2019, the Czech company slotted a new line in between the Fabia and the Octavia and called it the Scala.
It’s a simple car to understand, as there is one body style – a five-door hatchback – and a straightforward selection of engines. As well as the rivals listed above, and the company’s own Octavia, you could also consider the Scala an alternative to the Peugeot 308, Ford Focus and Hyundai i30.
Which model to go for?
As we’ve said, there’s just the hatchback body to pick, so then it comes to engines. Skoda offered the Scala with a turbocharged three-cylinder 1.0-litre petrol engine called the 1.0 TSI available in both 95- and 115hp formats. Above that was a four-cylinder 1.5-litre TSI with 150hp, while a 1.6 TDI turbodiesel also churned out 115hp to match the brawnier 1.0 TSI, although the diesel had more torque.
However, if you search the classifieds on Carzone.ie, you’ll find that almost every single used example of the Scala on sale in Ireland is fitted with the 1.0 TSI, removing the luxury of choice from the equation. There is one decision to make, though, between the 95hp unit and the stronger 115hp. It’s easy to identify the former, as it has a five-speed manual gearbox only, whereas the 115hp could be equipped with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch auto.
All Scalas were front-wheel drive and there was no RS performance model topping the tree either, so speed is not something the Skoda has in abundance. Nevertheless, the extra 20hp and 25Nm the 115hp model possesses, plus its slicker six-speed gearbox, help to make it the preferred choice.
Does anything go wrong?
Not really, no. The Scala uses simple, tried-and-tested Volkswagen Group drivetrains and gearboxes, although watch any variant fitted with the automatic gearbox for signs of clutch judder on take-off – and avoid buying the car if you experience it. In the main, it’s glitches with the infotainment which affect the Scala the most, but this is not a common fault.
After that, you’re generally just checking the condition of the car, such as spotting scuffed bumpers, badly kerbed alloys, dented body panels, or worn interior trim, to see if it has had a hard urban life. If it has, you can walk away and find another, better-cared-for example, as there are plenty of Scalas to choose from.
There were just two recalls issued for the Skoda Scala – one for the communications module of the eCall emergency system, and another for defective seams on the seat covers.