Skoda Scala is a front-wheel drive five-door hatchback of the C-class, whose name means “ladder” in Latin: it symbolizes the importance of the car for the Czech company in conquering the European market ... The main target audience of the “golf” hatch are young people (regardless of gender ), for whom not only practicality is important in the "iron horse", but also stylish design and "saturation" with the most modern options ...
The public presentation of the Skoda Scala took place on December 6, 2018 at a special event held in Tel Aviv, Israel. The car that replaced the Rapid Spaceback surpassed its predecessor in all respects, "rising" to the C-segment, and according to some characteristics it became a "pioneer" for the Czech brand: it was he who first received the Volkswagen MQB-A0 platform as a basis, and on it for the first time tested a new design "language" hinted at by the Vision RS concept.
Outside, the "Skala" attracts attention with an attractive, modern and stylish look, in which there are no excesses - and this is only good for the car.
The energetic front part of the five-door is crowned with aggressively frowned lighting technology, a "family" radiator grill and a sculpted bumper, and on its tight stern one can contemplate elegant lamps with LED filling, a trunk lid with the "Skoda" lettering in the center and a "puffy" bumper.
In profile, the car looks dynamic and balanced, although nothing special does not catch the eye - a sloping roofline, a "window sill" that rises smoothly to the rear, expressive edges on the sidewalls and large cutouts of wheel arches that can accommodate wheels measuring from 15 to 18 inches.
In terms of its dimensions, the Skoda Scala falls into the very heart of the "golf" class: its length is 4362 mm, its width extends to 1793 mm, and its height does not go beyond 1471 mm. The distance between the wheelsets of the front and rear axles in the hatchback is 2649 mm.
The interior of the "Rocks" looks attractive, fresh and laconic, and in addition to this it is distinguished by verified ergonomics and high-quality level of performance.
Inside the car, the first thing that catches the eye is a separate touchscreen of the entertainment and information complex (its diagonal, depending on the version - 6.5, 8.0 or 9.2 inches), under which symmetrical ventilation deflectors and a neat air conditioning unit are modestly "registered". At the driver's workplace there is a digital "toolbox" with a 10.25-inch screen (though in the "base" there are analog devices) and a three-spoke multifunctional steering wheel with a rim cut in the lower part.
The Skoda Scala interior has a five-seat layout, with sufficient headroom provided in both rows of seats. The front riders are assigned to ergonomically profiled seats with well-defined sidewalls, filling with optimal density and wide adjustment intervals. For rear passengers, there is a comfortable sofa with three headrests.
In the normal state, the trunk volume of the five-door hatchback is 467 liters, and even the compartment itself boasts an almost perfect structure. The second row of seats is compared to the floor in two unequal parts, which makes it possible to increase the “hold” capacity up to 1410 liters. There is a 12-volt socket in the cargo compartment, and a dock and tools are located in a niche under the raised floor.
A wide range of power units equipped with turbocharging, direct injection system, variable valve timing, start / stop technology and energy recovery during braking, which meet the Euro 6d-TEMP environmental standards, are announced on the European market for the Skoda Scala:
- The basic petrol version is the "troika" TSI with a working volume of 1.0 liter, available in two power options:
- 95 horsepower at 5000-5500 rpm and 175 Nm of torque at 2000-3500 rpm;
- 115 h.p. at 5000-5500 rpm and 200 Nm of rotational potential at 2000-3500 rpm.
- The more powerful petrol versions are powered by the 1.5-liter four-cylinder TSI engine, which develops 150 hp. at 5000-6000 rpm and 250 Nm of torque at 1500-3500 rpm.
- Diesel versions are equipped with a 1.6-liter TDI engine generating 115 hp. at 3250-4000 rpm and 250 Nm of peak thrust at 1500-3200 rpm.
- An alternative to the aforementioned units is the 1.0-liter G-TEC, which "digests" methane and produces 90 hp. and 145 Nm of torque.
Engines with a power of 95 and 90 h.p. by default they are mated with 5- and 6-speed "manual" gearboxes, respectively, and front-wheel drive transmissions, while the rest relies on a 6-speed "mechanics" or 7-band "robot" DSG with two clutches to choose from.
At the heart of the Skoda Scala is the MQB-A0 front-wheel drive architecture, which implies a transverse arrangement of the power plant. The load-bearing body of the car consists of high-strength steel grades to a large extent.
At the front, the hatchback is equipped with an independent suspension with McPherson struts, and at the rear - with a semi-independent structure ("in a circle" - with passive shock absorbers and anti-roll bars).
By default, the car is equipped with a rack and pinion steering system and an electric power steering.
In the initial versions, ventilated disc brakes are installed on the front wheels of the five-door, and on the rear wheels there are drum devices (on more expensive versions, disc brakes).
For a surcharge, the hatch has a Sport Chassis Control suspension with a 15 mm low ground clearance and adaptive shock absorbers with two operating algorithms (Normal and Sport), as well as the Driving Mode system, which affects the settings of the gas pedal and steering (there are already four modes, namely Normal, Sport, Eco and Individual).
Sales of Skoda Scala in the countries of the Old World will begin in the first half of 2019 (configurations and prices will be announced closer to that moment), but it will most likely not reach Russia, since the previous Rapid Spaceback model was not delivered to us either.
Already in the "base", the five-door boasts: front and side airbags, air conditioning, 15-inch wheels, ABS, ESP, power windows, LED low beam, a media center with a 6.5-inch screen, heated front seats, central locking, an audio system and other equipment ...
"Top" modifications have to their credit: nine airbags, dual-zone climate control, fully LED optics, virtual instrument cluster, electric drive of the fifth door, multimedia system with a 9.2-inch touchscreen, heated steering wheel and rear sofa, adaptive cruise control, technology automatic braking, car parking, panoramic roof and the darkness of other "chips".
