Even from afar, this new headlight looks good at Scala, and the change is quite striking. From the spacious parking lot, the Monte Carlo versions emerged, both with the 1.5 turbo engine, which is the most interesting for this reason alone, as well as the sports seats. 150 hp is quite unusual in this class, and 110-130 hp is typical, so the Scala and Kamiq can be called athletes.
The Scala is available with 95-150 hp engines
Until now, this engine was only available with the DSG transmission in the Fabia, but in the new models it is equipped with a manual transmission as standard. The six-speed manual transmission tested in the Scala is tight, precise, and unexpectedly weighty for the situation. The same applies to the steering and sports steering wheel. His grip is excellent, maybe his position could be improved, he can get a little closer, then the driving position will be real.
Pedal distribution is good, my foot fits well in the shoe, but the clutch is oddly heavy, and it's not possible to release it in the most precise way, but that's probably only true of the cars in the test fleet. We've satisfied this engine before, it pulls decently, and because of its four-cylinder engine, its sound and character are cultured. These cars weigh less than 1.3 tons, and anyone who wants some sportiness in everyday life will find it here.
The lights at the back have also changed
With the Scala Monte Carlo you can feel over 220, at least with the manual transmission you can only go over 1. Although the Kamiq's top speed is 214 with the DSG gearbox, in the pouring rain on a wet German autobahn, it dynamically accelerated to 170 continuously and continued to 195, which is a good performance considering the situation. The truth is that the noise level did not change for a single moment between 110 and 195. Only the noise of the wind and wheels was a negligible whisper. The sound insulation in the cams is excellent.
We tested the same engine in a Kamiq with a DSG transmission, which, similar to what we've seen in recent years, isn't the most cultured dual-clutch transmission. It starts out with a big slide, and as it slides down it sometimes shakes and looks uncertain. We can excuse that the upshift is lightning-fast and imperceptible, but looking at the rest, this gearbox seems to get worse with each new model.
The DSG gearbox is seven-speed
The Monte Carlo's sports seat is excellent, I'm not out of shape and I'm only average size, but it's exactly the size of my shoulder, so it's easy for a lot of people to find it too tight. As it's assembled, the entire passenger compartment feels quite bulky in both models, and I'm not noticeably taller in the Kamiq either. I wouldn't be surprised if the exterior was just an optical illusion and the seats were actually the same height.
Legroom in the back is very good, 180cm rear, and knee room is about 10cm in both, making it very comfortable here. The lighting in the door panels and in the footwells is comfortable. In general, everything is very good to the touch, these are far from low-end cars and have been much improved inside Skoda compared to the previous Octavia for example.
The Monte Carlo gets all accessories in black
