Skoda Scala (2019-2026)

Incredible vehicle, perfectly fit for purpose. I wanted a small car that was efficient, spacious and decent to drive, but not an SUV. The Scala delivers these and then some! It is extremely roomy with excellent headroom and comfortable leather seats. The engine is surprisingly strong and feels more powerful than 110kW would suggest, probably due to the accessible torque. Handling is safe, secure and can even be a bit of fun if you push it, especially if you put the transmission in sport mode where it will hold gears longer and rev out further. Not a sports car by any stretch, but pretty good for this category. Shudders a bit over very rough or irregular surfaces, but no worse than any other similar car. Very composed otherwise. Brakes excellent and progressive. Fuel economy is outstanding. I average about 6.5L/100km in suburban driving without stop/start engaged and have seen as low as 4.4L/100km average on the highway (Eco mode, being careful on the throttle, but still using A/C). Cargo space is huge for a small car. This version of the Scala is also very well equipped with all the safety gear you want - adaptive cruise, AEB, lane keeping, etc. Even the sound system is decent and touch screen infotainment reliable and easy to use. The only complaints are relatively minor. I don't like having to change the AC fan speed via the touchscreen and would prefer old style twist knobs, though I think this may have been changed in newer updates. The factory tyres are a pain to find and replace, so I went with four new Michelins in a more common size with no noticeable change in grip or performance. Start/Stop defaults to on every time the car is started but is easy to deactivate with a button next to the gearshift. ECU failed but replaced under warranty quickly at no cost. Normally this might be a major irritation, but Skoda roadside and the dealer (Essendon Skoda) made it relatively painless. Dealer service in general has been flawless. The only exception was during purchase immediately after delivery. The tint I paid for was not done. Promises and plans were made to send a mobile tint out to my workplace to complete the job. Instead, the job was cancelled and my money refunded and I had to arrange the tint independently. It appears that this decision was made by an aftermarket manager at South Yarra VW, part of the dealer group. Made me feel like an inconvenience rather than a valued customer. Would happily own another Skoda but will choose a different dealer that is not part of LMG.