BMW X3 vs Skoda Scala

What's the difference?

This is a highly competent all-rounder, given that it has the comfort and practicality for urban family duties yet with its revered M breeding can produce a level of performance which, in competent hands, could hold its own at a track day where its capabilities could be safely explored.

The new Skoda Scala Select proves base models can be well-equipped and have a great price tag, which is not always the case at this grade level.

Its driving experience might not be as exciting as some rivals but it’s a great urban dweller nonetheless and it offers really good value overall.

The fourth-gen X3, which has a lighter but stiffer body, shares the same wheelbase as its third-gen predecessor but at 4755mm end-to-end it's 34mm longer and it's 29mm wider.

It’s also 25mm lower, which combined with front and rear track-width increases and adaptive suspension damping to sharpen the handling underlines its sportiness and driver appeal, despite a substantial 2055kg kerb weight.

The new exterior design is characterised by short overhangs, flush door handles, a larger ‘split kidney’ grille, new LED taillights and L-shaped light elements for the LED headlights.

The new interior design is a classy mix of soft-touch materials and high-gloss hard surfaces in tastefully contrasting tones. The seats are upholstered in a new synthetic leather called 'Veganza' ('Espresso Brown' in our example) which according to BMW requires 85 per cent fewer CO2 emissions to produce than genuine leather (which is still available as an extra-cost option).

Combined with subtle use of ‘Magnolia’ fine-wood trim inserts, satin chrome, piano black, blue/red M highlights and slender ambient light-strips, it’s a cabin that exudes opulence.

The new Scala has had a minor facelift that sees a redesigned black grille with slim LED headlights, refreshed 17-inch alloy wheels and an extended rear windscreen.

The new Scala more than holds its own against its European rivals when it comes to looks and while it's more unassuming at the kerb side than its peers, there will be those who appreciate that it's not too cutesy-looking.

Head inside and there are similarities between its corporate cousin, the VW Polo with the sharply-designed dashboard and air vents but it’s softened by lovely grey fabric-accent panels and soft touchpoints that have been liberally scattered across the cabin.

The technology screens look premium, if small, and the black and grey cloth seats look a lot nicer than the standard black fabric you usually get in base models.

There's also a certain charm to seeing the traditional elements, like the gearshift and new physical buttons for the climate control. There's enough in the cabin to satisfy most.

This would make a great family weekend escape machine, for which BMW quotes a 645kg payload rating. It’s also rated to tow up to 2500kg of braked trailer, which could pose a challenge given the relatively low 100kg tow-ball download limit (TBD is typically around 10 per cent of trailer weight).

BMW also does not publish a GCM figure (how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) so we can’t confirm if it can carry its maximum payload while towing its maximum trailer weight.

Even so, the M50 has a useful-sized luggage area which offers up to 570 litres (or 0.57 cubic metres) of load volume with the rear seat upright.

This expands to 1700 litres (or 1.7 cubic metres) with the rear seat folded flat, which can be handy for a multitude of tasks like transporting a mountain bike or hauling home flat-pack furniture.

There’s comfortable space for the driver and front passenger, along with useful storage including large bottle-holders and bins in each front door.

The centre console has two small-bottle/cupholders plus wireless phone-charging and a pair of USB ports. There's also a glove box plus another box at the rear of the console with a padded lid that doubles as an elbow rest.

The rear bench seat is surprisingly spacious, given that I’m 186cm tall and when seated behind the driver’s seat in my position I still have about 40mm of knee clearance, which is optimised by the concave shape of the front seat backrests.

The spacious and airy feel is enhanced by the ‘panorama’ glass roof which spans the full length of the seating area and allows generous headroom even for tall people.  

However, shoulder room is tight for three adults and the centre passenger’s feet must contend with the transmission tunnel, so even though it would be fine for three kids we’d suggest a limit of two adults for longer trips.

Rear passengers get privacy glass and pull-up roller sunshades, large-bottle holders and bins in each door plus net-type pockets and anchorage points for media devices on each front seat backrest. There are also two small-bottle/cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest.

The rear of the centre console has two USB ports, adjustable air-vents plus controls for zone temperature, airflow preferences and seat-heating.

The bench seat features a 40/20/40 split, which allows the centre backrest to fold forward independent of the two outer backrests to allow long loads like snow skis, home hardware etc to be carried if securely fastened.

A power tailgate provides access to the luggage area, which is equipped with a handy 12-volt accessory socket plus load-anchorage points front and rear, extra storage nooks for small items on either side and a retractable roller-type load cover. Overall, this vehicle offers good practicality for family duties.

Ooh, the cabin of the new Scala offers fantastic practicality because it's class leading when it comes to space. There is no 'sardines in a tin' experience here, front and rear passengers get stacks of head- and legroom.

The only stumble on this front is the elbow room up front as you can at times jostle a co-pilot on the annoyingly sloping armrest.

Access is easy enough and you surprisingly don't 'fall in' or grunt when getting out, despite the low 149mm ground clearance.

The storage is good for a hatchback with the front getting a glove box that can fit more than just a manual, small middle console, two cupholders and a drink bottle holder in each door. As well as a sunglasses holder (always handy) and a medium-ish storage cubby in front of the gearshift that can accommodate a phone and wallet.

The rear enjoys two map pockets, two device pockets and a drink bottle holder in each door but misses out on a centre armrest and cupholders.

The boot is massive with its 467L of available capacity and we managed to fit luggage and golf clubs on a roadie this week without trouble.

There’s a temporary space saver tyre underneath the floor and while there’s no powered tailgate, it's not a difficult lid to operate. It even has a neat little toggle to help pull it down.

Other amenities feel well-rounded with two USB-C ports in each row, directional air vents, a 12-volt socket and reading lights.

The touchscreen multimedia system is responsive but looks tiny as it's almost the same size as my iPhone 15 Pro Max. This translates to smaller text and icon sizes as well as a smaller screen for the reversing camera.

There’s also not much in the way of customisation or extra features, like satellite navigation but the new wireless functionality for the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto makes it feel modern. Although the wireless function for the CarPlay drops in and out a lot.

There are two variants available for the Skoda Scala, and the Select on test for this review is the base model.

The Select replaces the previous base Ambition grade and is $1100 more affordable at $32,490, drive-away, and offers great value for money as it sits in the middle of its rivals, the Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport at $36,023, drive-away, and Volkswagen Polo 85TSI Life at $31,990, drive-away.

The features list has been reshuffled with a few previous extra cost options now included as standard fare, like front parking sensors, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, upgraded USB-C ports, keyless entry and start and dual-zone climate control.

However, previous standard items have been omitted from the list, like adaptive cruise control, floor mats and a 'Lane Centering Aid' while the previous 10.25-inch instrument panel has been replaced with an 8.0-inch screen.

Technology still feels well-rounded with the 8.25-inch touchscreen multimedia system that features a reversing camera, four USB-C ports, Bluetooth, AM/FM radio and an eight-speaker sound system.

According to BMW, the M50 xDrive features the most powerful inline six-cylinder petrol engine fitted to an M Performance model.

This 3.0-litre unit clearly benefits from BMW’s twin-scroll turbocharging technology, which combined with variable valve timing and an extra 13kW/200Nm from the 48V mild-hybrid technology produces a stomping 293kW of power at 5500rpm and 580Nm of torque at 1900rpm.

It also has a ‘boost’ function, which provides an extra burst of power for short periods when maximum acceleration is required when overtaking etc.

It’s activated by the left paddle-shifter on the steering wheel and automatically optimises transmission/chassis settings to suit. There’s also a drive mode selector, with ‘Sport’ offering the most responsive and engaging experience.

The eight-speed torque converter automatic is a refined and efficient transmission well suited to this full-time all-wheel drive application. Rapid-fire manual shifting is also available using the steering wheel paddles.

The Scala Select is a front-wheel drive with a seven-speed auto transmission. It has a 1.0L three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that produces up to 85kW of power and 200Nm of torque.

At first glance you might think those outputs sound low and while most of its rivals have better outputs, there's plenty of oomph here to move the little Scala around. 

BMW claims an official average combined consumption of 8.2L/100km but the dash display was showing 9.9 at the completion of our 210km test, which included a mix of suburban, city and highway travel.

Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, came in slightly higher again at 10.5L/100km, which given our test vehicle’s two-tonne-plus weight and performance capabilities is still reasonable economy.

So, based on our figures, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 600km from its 65-litre tank, which prefers premium 98 RON petrol.

The new Select has almost hybrid fuel efficiency with its official combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) fuel figure of 5.4L/100km. In comparison, its hybrid rival, the Toyota Corolla isn’t too far away with its 4.0L usage.

Based on its 50L fuel tank, you should see a theoretical driving range of up to 925km, which is excellent for an urban dweller.

After doing a road trip combined with a fair amount of city-driving, my real world usage has popped out at 5.7L/100km. Which is a great result overall.

First, the fun stuff. It certainly feels like ‘the ultimate driving machine’ when you slide behind the chunky leather-rimmed flat-bottom steering wheel and hold it in your hands.

The driver’s seat offers not only powered adjustment of backrest and base-cushion rake, but also four-way lumbar support and side-bolsters that can tighten their embrace of your upper torso to contend with high cornering loads.

There’s also manual extension of the base-cushion length for greater thigh support and a big left footrest to brace against, so you could not ask for a more accommodating and purposeful driving position.

The steering is perfectly weighted and the quartet of enormous disc brakes provide ample bite with superb pedal feel. Combined with its adaptive suspension and wide grippy tyres, the X3 is a family car that’s also invigorating to drive, particularly when you select the ‘Sport’ mode.

The enhanced engine response and sharper steering that result (even the instrument panel display changes) make any twisting mountain road an engaging experience, enhanced by an intoxicating exhaust note that only a BMW M six can deliver.

The turbocharged engine offers an unyielding surge of acceleration from well below peak torque at 1900rpm to maximum power at 5500rpm, making BMW’s claim of 0-100km/h in a scant 4.6 seconds sound credible.

You can also manually change gears using the steering wheel paddles, but we found the gearing and shift calibrations so good that we preferred to leave it in auto mode.

However, the X3 M50 has two distinct personalities, as in more relaxed drive modes it’s just as happy serving as practical family transport during the week for grocery shopping, daily school runs and other common tasks.

It’s also a comfortable tourer for family getaways, with long gearing that requires only 1500rpm to cruise at 100km/h where low engine, tyre and wind noise allow highway conversations at lounge room levels.

Hatchbacks are always a bit of fun to drive because of the dodgem car-esque handling and when the Scala is in Sport mode, it has enough pep to earn it a fun badge.

Out of Sport mode, the power delivery is still responsive enough for it to be a pleasant open-roader but you won't whoop with joy when you accelerate.

The steering is light without feeling loose and the Scala is nimble when cornering or in tight turns.

The ride comfort is very good and despite hitting some bad weather the Select didn’t miss a beat. It's a confident on-road experience because of its surefootedness.

There's a bit of road noise although its pretty quiet in the cabin, which also makes it a refined open-roader.

The visibility is decent and it’s easy to feel the dimensions of the car when you're in a skinny city laneway.

The Select gets a reversing camera with dynamic reversing guidelines and a clear quality feed but its tiny in the little screen.

The additional front sensors round out the parking experience considerably. You shouldn’t have any issue in parking this one!

The Scala has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2019 and scored well across the four assessment areas.

It rated 97 per cent for adult protection, 87 percent for child protection, 81 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 76 per cent for its safety assist systems.

However, this car only features six airbags, which is low in our day and age but you get a decent number of safety features included as standard, including biggies like rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring and forward collision warning.

The base model also comes with a Lane Keeping Aid, lane departure warning, LED DRLs, driver monitoring, safe exit assist, seat belt reminders and front/rear parking sensors.

The Scala Select is no longer offered with adaptive cruise control, you just get the standard type, or a driver's knee airbag, either.

The rear seat features two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top tether anchor points but two seats will fit best.

It has AEB with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection which is operational from 4.0-250km/h.

It comes standard with a five-year, unlimited km warranty.

Scheduled servicing is determined by BMW’s vehicle monitoring system which advises when a service is needed, typically around 12 months/15,000km.

A capped-price servicing package covering five years/80,000km (whichever occurs first) totals $2475, or an average of $495 per service.

The Scala is offered with a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, which is good for the class and you can pre-purchase a seven-year/105,000km servicing program for a flat $3650, which is competitive.

Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12-months or 15,000km. You also get roadside assistance as a part of your servicing pack if you service on schedule. 

The Scala likes to drink the good stuff, though, and Skoda recommends a minimum 95 RON premium unleaded petrol be used.