The way Škoda works is that Volkswagen tosses the brand some small car platform and the Czech arm of the greater VW Group empire returns it better, nicer and often cheaper than VW ever would. That’s no different with the new 2019 Škoda Scala.
Today is a blessed day because it’s New Škoda Day. There’s a new family hatchback from the Czech carmaker we can’t help but love no matter how little sense it makes. The Scala is a VW Golf-sized car based on the Polo version of the MQB platform:
Škoda turns a smaller VW into a larger, more upscale version that’s still affordable and honest.
The Scala is indeed slightly larger than the Golf, but I dig first and foremost its optional built-in internet, per the Škoda press release:
The Scala is the first Škoda to be always online. What’s more: due to the latest generation of mobile online services, it offers a new and flexible concept for individual Infotainment Apps, allowing the customer to benefit from various online options and additional features. The built-in eSIM establishes a high-speed, LTE Internet connection, meaning there is no longer any need for an additional SIM card or a tethered connection via a smartphone.
For the first time in a Škoda, the eSIM, which supports the Emergency Call and Proactive Service functions, comes as standard. Emergency Call, which is mandatory in the EU, automatically makes an emergency call in the event of an accident, but can also be activated manually at any time. If an accident occurs, the Proactive Service relays the vehicle’s position as well as information about its status. Apart from that, it can archive information about the car’s status as a one-off or at regular intervals and it keeps the Škoda Scala in contact with the garage, allowing service notifications to be relayed or service appointments to be scheduled.
The software for the infotainment system and the navigation map can now also be automatically updated ‘over the air’, as frequently as desired. It is also possible to download additional Infotainment Apps. There is therefore no need to visit a garage.
The car also gets what Škoda is calling the biggest touchscreen for a compact car at 10.25 inches. Dang! Look at that:
Specs are straightforward. The basic car gets a 90-horsepower 1.0-liter three-cylinder and a five speed, top trim is a 150 HP 1.5 liter four with a six-speed manual, with some other options in between. Wheels are 15-inchers standard. Bigger wheels and a DSG are optional, but like, why.
Odds of Americans getting this car are basically none, so please appreciate it from afar, kind of like an alternate universe European version of a Pontiac or Oldsmobile something or other.