The Škoda Scala is a

small family car The C-segment is the 3rd category of the European segments for passenger cars and is described as "medium cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "small family car" size class, and the compact car category in the United States. In 2011, the C ...

compact Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to: * Interstate compact * Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines * Compact government, a type of colonial rule utilized in British ...

hatchback manufactured by Czech automaker

Škoda Auto Škoda Auto a.s. (), often shortened to Škoda, is a Czech automobile manufacturer established in 1925 as the successor to Laurin & Klement and headquartered in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic. Škoda Works became state owned in 1948. After 1 ...

. The car is intended to fit between the Fabia and the Octavia, and to be a competitor to the cars in the

C-segment The C-segment is the 3rd category of the European segments for passenger cars and is described as "medium cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "small family car" size class, and the compact car category in the United States. In 2011, the C- ...

hatchback segment. The Scala was unveiled in December 2018. An online configurator was accessible in January 2019, and sales officially began in May 2019. Earlier, it was assumed that the new car would be called Felicia, Garde, Spaceback or Popular, however the name Scala was announced on October 15, 2018. Scala means "stairs" or "ladder" in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

, according to the car maker it presents a big step forward in the compact car segment. This name has already appeared several times in the past, including the

Renault Scala The Renault Scala nameplate has been used by the French automobile manufacturer Renault for the following cars, in the following markets: * Renault Samsung SM3, in Mexico, Egypt, Cuba and Colombia from 2010–2013 * Nissan Latio (also as Almera, S ...

, which was sold between 2012 and 2017, and the

Zastava Skala Zastava Skala (), also known as Yugo Skala (), is a generic name for a family of cars built by Serbian manufacturer Zastava Automobili. Based on a Fiat 128 sedan, it was introduced in 1971 and sold as Zastava (Yugo) 128 with a restyled rear pane ...

, a

between 1971 and 2008.

Overview

After four years in the development stage, the Scala official premiere was held on 6 December 2018 in

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the ...

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

, as Škoda is the best-selling European brand in the country. The design was previously previewed as the Škoda Vision RS concept at the

2018 Paris Motor Show The 2018 Paris Motor Show took place from 4 October to 14 October. For the first time, it consists in three shows dedicated to automobiles, motorcycles and new mobility. Introductions Production cars *Audi A1 * Audi E-tron EV * Audi Q3 * Audi ...

. It is based on a stretched version of the MQB A0 platform that underpins the

Volkswagen Polo The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car ( B-segment) produced by the German car manufacturer Volkswagen since 1975. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, and estate variants throughout its production run. Histor ...

and

SEAT Ibiza The SEAT Ibiza is a supermini car that has been manufactured by Spanish car manufacturer SEAT since 1984. It is SEAT's best-selling car. The Ibiza is named after the Spanish island of Ibiza and was the second SEAT model to be named after a Spa ...

, which means the car has a C-segment dimensions while built above a

B-segment The B-segment is the second smallest of the European segments for passenger cars between the A-segment and C-segment, and commonly described as "small cars". The B-segment is the largest segment in Europe by volume, accounting for 20 percent of ...

platform in order to be competitively priced compared to its rivals. As the result, the Scala has a wheelbase, which is longer compared to the Volkswagen Golf. Škoda claims this translates into competitive amount of cabin space, especially for the rear passengers. The usage of the cheaper A0 platform also pushed the use of

torsion beam The twist-beam rear suspension (also torsion-beam axle, deformable torsion beam or compound crank) is a type of automobile suspension based on a large H or C-shaped member. The front of the H attaches to the body via rubber bushings, and the ...

rear suspension, saving costs over the complex multi-link systems. Three trim levels are available in Europe, which are S, SE and SE L. It is the first Škoda car with a constant

internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

connection, which works with a built-in SIM with permanent 4G connectivity which allows owners to unlock the car using a smartphone and enables

satnav A satellite navigation or satnav system is a system that uses satellites to provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning. It allows satellite navigation devices to determine their location (longitude, latitude, and altitude/elevation) to high pre ...

map updates to be updated automatically. It is also equipped with 10.2 inch digital instrument panel, 9.2 inch center

screen Screen or Screens may refer to: Arts * Screen printing (also called ''silkscreening''), a method of printing * Big screen, a nickname associated with the motion picture industry * Split screen (filmmaking), a film composition paradigm in which mul ...

, blind spot monitor which senses cars up to 70 meters, lane, front and park assist, crew protect assist, rear traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and 467 litre boot space. The Scala also features a Sport Chassis Control which offers two different suspension tunings. The chassis is 15 mm lower and in addition to a Normal mode, also has a Sport mode with valve-adjustable shock absorbers that would give the car a firmer ride. Drivers can switch between the two settings via the Driving Mode Select menu. File:Skoda Scala IMG 0366.jpg, Škoda Scala S File:2019 Skoda Scala SE TDi 1.6 Front.jpg, Škoda Scala SE File:2019 Skoda Scala SE TDi 1.6 Rear.jpg, Škoda Scala SE

Powertrain

The Scala is available with a range of three turbocharged

petrol engine A petrol engine (gasoline engine in American English) is an internal combustion engine designed to run on petrol (gasoline). Petrol engines can often be adapted to also run on fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas and ethanol blends (such as ' ...

s and one turbocharged

diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...

. The 1.0-litre TSI unit is available with or , while a more powerful 1.5-litre with is also available. The only diesel engine choice is a 1.6-litre TDI unit with . In 2019, a

CNG Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a fuel gas mainly composed of methane (CH4), compressed to less than 1% of the volume it occupies at standard atmospheric pressure. It is stored and distributed in hard containers at a pressure of , usually in cy ...

''G-Tec'' powertrain is added as an option.

Sales

Awards

The Škoda Scala received the

Red Dot The Red Dot Design Award is a German international design prize awarded by Red Dot GmbH & Co. KG. There are prize categories for product design, brands and communication design, and design concept. Since 1955, designers and producers can appl ...

Design Award for March 2019. In the leading automobile magazine in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, ''

Auto Bild ''Auto Bild'' is a leading German automobile magazine based in Hamburg, Germany. History and profile ''Auto Bild'' was first published on the last week of February 1986. The magazine is published by Axel Springer AG on a weekly basis. The webs ...

'', the Scala defeated its rivals, the

Mazda3 The Mazda3 (known as the Mazda Axela in Japan (first three generations), a combination of "accelerate" and "excellent") is a compact car manufactured by Mazda. It was first introduced in 2003 as a 2004 model, replacing the Familia/323/Protegé ...

, the

Ford Focus The Ford Focus is a compact car (C-segment in Europe) manufactured by Ford Motor Company since 1998. It was created under Alexander Trotman's Ford 2000 plan, which aimed to globalize model development and sell one compact vehicle worldwide. The ...

, and the

Volkswagen Golf The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...

References

External links

Official website
{{Škoda timeline 1990 to date Scala Compact cars Hatchbacks Cars introduced in 2018 2020s cars Front-wheel-drive vehicles