The Skoda Scala is the model designed for people who want a Skoda as their family car, but who find the Octavia just that little bit too big. Because while the proven hatchback gets constant praise for its best-in-class practicality, it is also that bit larger than the likes of the VW Golf, Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra - and harder to park and place as a result.

The Scala, then, is a straight-down-the-line rival for those aforementioned vehicles. It’s 4,263mm long, so around 10cm longer than a Golf, but the wheelbases of the two cars are much more closely matched.

Under the skin, however, Skoda has been quite clever with its new model - because it is based not on the same MQB A1 platform that underpins the Octavia, Golf, SEAT Leon and Audi A3, but rather the cheaper A0 version that you’ll find on a SEAT Ibiza or VW Polo. It’s been stretched to its extreme in the Scala’s case, but it does retain a few cheaper elements – such as a torsion beam rear suspension configuration, with not even the option of a multi-link set-up on more powerful variants, as there is on the Golf and Focus.

The Scala will be offered with a choice of petrol engines - a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo, with 113bhp and 200Nm of torque, and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo that has 148bhp and 250Nm. There is also a diesel - a 1.6-litre with 113bhp, emitting just 108g/km of CO2.

Skoda does plan to offer an even more modest entry point further down the line, but the 94bhp version of the 1.0-litre won’t come until after the rest of the range lands in dealerships this summer. When it does arrive, it’ll be the only engine in the line-up with a five-speed manual gearbox; all the rest get either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

The trim levels will look familiar to anyone who’s recently perused a Skoda brochure. The range starts with S, which gets 16-inch alloys, LED headlights, air-con, front and rear electric windows and a 6.5-inch infotainment display. SE adds cruise control and rear parking sensors, and increases the infotainment screen size to eight inches, as well as offering Android and Apple smartphone connectivity for navigation.

The range-topper is the SE L, which includes 17-inch alloy wheels, LED rear lights, dynamic (animated) indicators, rear privacy glass, a digital instrument cluster and climate control. It also features Skoda’s biggest infotainment system, the 9.2-inch Amundsen system.

On the face of it, Skoda is being punchy on pricing. The entry-level Scala 1.0 S will cost you £16,595; that’s around two grand less than Ford’s 99bhp Focus Style. But of course, resale values and the resulting monthly payment plans will be more important to most retail buyers than the headline figure. And it’s worth noting that S won’t be available at the car’s launch - so the starting entry point for the Scala range will be a 1.0 SE, at £18,585.

Still, that version is tipped to be the best-seller anyway, and it doesn’t take long on the road to see why it’ll have wide-ranging appeal. Its three-cylinder motor has just about enough shove low down to get the Scala up to speed, and as long as you keep it spinning above 1,400rpm, you shouldn’t be too troubled by turbo lag. Acceleration is steady rather than strong, but there’s enough shove there to make things feel comfortable enough when getting up to speed on a motorway on-ramp, for example.

The six-speed gearbox is slick enough, with a reasonably short throw, and while the steering is typically VW Group in its reluctance to communicate what the front wheels are doing, it is generally accurate and consistently weighted.

If you think this makes Skoda’s latest offering sound a bit anodyne, you’d be right; the Scala is not going to win any prizes for driver involvement. If you want fun, you’ll still be better served by a Ford Focus or even a Golf – but for those after more simple pleasures, Skoda’s engineers have done a commendable job of turning the smaller MQB platform into a bigger car.

Key specs
Model: Skoda Scala SE 1.0 TSI 115PS
Price: £18,585
Engine: 1.0-litre 3cyl turbo petrol
Power/torque: 114bhp/200Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
0-62mph: 9.8 seconds
Top Speed: 125mph
Economy/CO2: 56.6mpg/113g/km
On sale: Summer

►► you may like :
2019 Renault Clio / Twingo / Dacia Duster / Logan MCV Ultimate Limited Edition - Walkaround
►   • 2019 Renault Clio / Twingo / Dacia Du...  

2020 Hyundai Sonata – next-generation Sonata
►    • 2020 Hyundai Sonata – next-generation...  

2020 Ford Escape Exterior and Interior
►    • 2020 Ford Escape Exterior and Interior  
_____________
► If you love cars, you should subscribe now
https://goo.gl/tMtpYD
subscription You will receive the latest automotive News.
GOOD LUCK