Skoda Scala 2019 Car Review

Scala, meaning stairs or ladder in Latin, builds on the success of the outgoing Rapid, and is positioned for the wider fleet and also retail buyers (you and me). According to ŠKODA the ideal buyer will be independent thinkers, those who enjoy sustainable living, metro couples, who enjoy travel, food and wine.

It’s the first ŠKODA product to be built on the VW group MQB A0 scalable platform, and is longer, wider, and taller than the vehicle it replaces (the Rapid). Available at launch to NZ buyers in two variants, Sport and Style, both with 1.5ltr TSI turbo engines, with a sub $30k price point 1.0ltr Ambition base model arriving soon.

It’s also the first ŠKODA to feature LED lights and animated rear indicators as standard and the first of many to have the Skoda name on the boot lid instead of the badge. The tailgate glass extends seamlessly down to the number plate, it’s a bit hard to notice this small detail but when you do, it gives the back of the car a more rounded look.  

For ŠKODA being a Czech vehicle manufacturer, hockey is a passion. Czechs themselves have had a long standing place in the world of hockey. Representatives from Bohemia (now the modern day Czech Republic) were a part of the founding of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in 1908, and hockey has remained a national passion for Czechs ever since.

The rear lights pay homage to these hockey roots by displaying a shape of a hockey stick, while the front and rear lights also reflect clever angles and lines distinctive of Bohemian crystal glass art from which ŠKODA design inspiration stems. 

Inside the vehicle, the infotainment screen has been positioned higher on the dashboard to reduce averted gaze and perform similar to that of a Head up Display (HUD). The interior is basic, stylish and rather comfortable and that goes for the seats too!

Simply Clever is also standard, like an umbrella slot in the driver’s door, a windscreen washer fluid bottle lid that folds into a funnel to stop spillage when you fill, and a handy frost/ice scraper that sits inside the fuel filler flap that also has a tyre tread depth indicator on it.

Safety systems

• Lane assist
• City emergency brake
• Front assist with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring
• Seven airbags