Skoda Scala Monte Carlo 2021 Review

When Skoda first revealed its intentions to bring the Scala to Australia, there were some questions about its potential pricing.

Thoughts of how it would be positioned against its competitors were balanced against the certainty that the all-new Skoda Scala would be pricier than the outgoing Rapid, which hovered around $24,000 towards the end of its days.

As it turns out, the 2021 Skoda Scala is no sticker-shocker but is positioned at the higher end of the category.

The range covers three model grades – Ambition (from $30,190 plus on-road costs), the Monte Carlo tested here (from $34,190 plus ORCs) and the top-spec Signature (from $36,290 plus ORCs), which essentially replaces the previous Scala Limited Edition that topped the launch line-up.

There’s plenty of standard equipment at each grade to justify the premium price, but that hasn’t stopped Skoda Australia from developing optional packages.

The Monte Carlo we’ve got on test, for example, includes a $4300 Travel Pack that’s necessary if you want sat-nav or wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring.

The pack also adds self-parking capabilities, voice control, heated front and rear seats, heated leather-clad steering wheel with shift paddles, premium sound system and, not least of all, some important safety features – blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert.

These make the Travel Pack almost impossible to overlook, yet the bundle takes the price for the Monte Carlo to $38,490 plus ORCs – a figure that certainly impacts on its competitiveness.

That said, a panoramic sunroof and power tailgate are also among the high-grade features fitted standard here, making direct comparisons with its major rivals tricky.

Notwithstanding the optional driver assist features lumped into the Travel Pack mentioned above, the 2021 Skoda Scala Monte Carlo carries a decent amount of safety tech.

This includes low-speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and bicycle avoidance, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, rain-sensing wipers and driver attention detection.

There’s also seven airbags and multi-collision braking which continues to function post-accident, along with auto-release of the central locking system so that ingress and egress are not compromised. As yet, there is no front/centre airbag.

On the back of an exceptional result in Euro NCAP testing, the Skoda Scala received an equivalent five-star safety rating from ANCAP that’s based on 2019 protocols applied in Europe more than a year before its local launch.

On the tech front, the digital ‘virtual cockpit’ confronting the Scala driver on a multifunction screen offers scrolling-through of the info display according to requirements, including a direct view of what’s going on with the sat-nav – whether it’s factory-fitted or functioning through a smartphone.

The Scala Monte Carlo doesn’t offer any alternative other than a touch-screen for working the sat-nav and other functions, but at least the screen is large and high-res.

The 2021 Skoda Scala has a zippy 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo engine that punches out the same 110kW/250Nm as the slightly smaller 1.4-litre turbo used in the Volkswagen Golf and drives the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT).

Partly because the Scala weighs in at a feathery 1215kg (tare), which is at least 100kg less than the bulk of its competitors, there’s plenty of engine response available.

On the open road, nailing the accelerator brings a strong, smooth, relatively quiet surge that minimises the time spent passing slower traffic.

The DCT is clearly efficient too, the only rider being its reluctance to deliver at low speeds unless the accelerator pedal is used determinedly. The paddle shifters on the three-spoke multifunction steering wheel fitted to our Monte Carlo (with Travel Pack) are always there to help.

The fuel economy on test was also pretty good. Against the claimed 5.5L/100km average we recorded 6.6L/100km over a week of mixed driving in urban and freeway environments which, with the 50-litre tank, suggested a range beyond 700km would be comfortably achievable.

We also note that the Scala’s claimed 127g/km CO2 output is notably below that of its competitors, most of which are quoted at more than 150g/km.

The Scala Monte Carlo doesn’t mind being thrown around either.

Particularly helped by the lower-set adjustable sports suspension that’s standard on this variant, the small hatchback is responsive to the nicely-quick steering (2.7 turns from lock to lock), grips well with its 205/45R18 rubber and rides without overmuch firmness.

The Monte Carlo’s Sport Chassis Control sits the car 15mm lower and, via a button aft of the shift lever, offers a choice between Normal and Sport settings which soften, or further sharpen, the ride/steering responses.

If you are not already moved by the very Euro, sharped-edged and balanced style of the 2021 Skoda Scala Monte Carlo, you’ll be completely charmed once stepping inside.

The cabin is not only airy and spacious and easy to enter, it also breathes a certain air of quality that’s not superficial. There’s a real depth and breadth to the Scala that’s simultaneously reassuring and cosy.

In fact, the Scala at first glance suggests it’s a mix between a small wagon and a regular hatchback – an impression confirmed by what turns out to be pretty sizeable cabin and cargo area dimensions.

The cabin offers stretching space for five adult passengers and ample headroom throughout, despite the Monte Carlo version’s standard panoramic fixed sunroof.

The boot can swallow 467 litres with the rear seats upright, and the total all-seats-folded capacity is 1410 litres. That’s best in class, according to Skoda.

Notably, the newest member of the Czech brand’s SUV stable, the 2021 Skoda Kamiq, replicates most of the Scala’s physical dimensions other than being slightly propped up for greater ground clearance and featuring a more tightly-cropped rear (which sacrifices some of the Kamiq’s load capacity).

The Monte Carlo, from its flat-bottomed, leather-trimmed steering wheel to its shapely, designer-look sports seats and a prevalence of soft-touch trim on doors and dash (as well as venting to the back seat passengers), is redolent with quality and style.

It’s a pity that, unless optioned for the driver only, there’s no power adjustment for the seats and rear passengers miss out on a centre arm rest.

Typically-Skoda touches include not just the trademark umbrella slotted into the driver’s side door panel, but also the provision of Skoda-crafted mats in the cabin and boot – where there’s also a profusion of restraint nets and strategically-placed hooks to keep things in place.

A bit of a surprise in a close-to-premium small hatch – a surprise that ends up being virtually irrelevant to most – is the Scala’s use of a lever-operated parking brake.

The Scala is covered by Skoda’s five-year/100,000km warranty, plus a choice of three- or five-year service packs, priced at $800 and $1400 respectively with servicing due every 12 months or 15,000km. There’s also 12 months of roadside assistance.

Skoda has matured to become a brand with its own clearly-defined identity.

The new-generation styling that’s been applied to both the 2021 Skoda Scala – and its Kamiq SUV equivalent – has a universal appeal that plays a role lifting the company well above previous perceptions of it being a low-cost alternative to the Volkswagen brand.

The Scala moves a little closer to the mainstream without compromising the thoughtfulness and individuality that permeates the brand while also upping the levels of perceived quality, particularly inside the cabin.

Although it could be argued that the Scala’s sharp dynamics, strong performance, quality build and generous passenger and luggage space are compromised by the need to spend extra money on an option pack if it’s to equate the safety technology of some competitors, it remains comfortably in the mix, even with the added impost.

As we found in our recent Best Small Car 2021 mega-test, the Skoda Scala is now a force to be reckoned with in this popular class.

How much does the 2021 Skoda Scala Monte Carlo cost?
Price: $34,190 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 110kW/250Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 5.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 127g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)