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Volkswagen Golf vs Skoda Scala

What's the difference?

VS
Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Golf

$35,898 - $89,990

2023 price

Skoda Scala
Skoda Scala

$21,880 - $31,990

2021 price

Summary

2023 Volkswagen Golf
2021 Skoda Scala
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 2.0L

Turbo 4, 1.5L
Fuel Type
-

Premium Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
7.0L/100km (combined)

5.5L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Too much road noise
  • Annoying touchscreen
  • Pricey

  • Monte Carlo’s choppy ride
  • Some safety tech like blind-spot alert costs extra
  • Too much road noise intrusion
2023 Volkswagen Golf Summary

In a world where hatchbacks are being cancelled left, right and centre, it was super refreshing to get into the Volkswagen Golf GTI hot-hatch recently.

I’d driven other Mk 8 Golf models including the R flagship wagon, but this was my go in the car I’d long considered to be the best Golf for the money.

But with prices continuously cruising north - this car is now a $54,990 prospect before on-road costs - does it still make dollars and sense? And what’s it like to live with in the daily grind?

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2021 Skoda Scala Summary

Skoda’s retired nameplate list has grown to three in its 14 years in Australia under Volkswagen: Roomster, Yeti and – most recently – Rapid. Three interesting, offbeat sales losers. Replacing the latter for 2021 is Scala.

Based on the early 2010s VW Polo but stretched and packaged as a family small car, the old Rapid’s failure to fire against the likes of the Mazda3 remains a mystery, as on paper it represented an appealing concoction of pleasant styling, a roomy interior, slick powertrains and affordable pricing. Perhaps punters pushed back on the name – which has ties to the Czech brand stretching back to the mid-1930s.   

The all-new Scala – which, again, uses components shared with (today’s) Polo and is related to the popular Kamiq small SUV – builds on many of the Rapid’s virtues with more space, safety, technology and equipment. But it’s also more expensive.

We take a look at the Monte Carlo from $33,390 plus on-road costs (or $34,990 driveaway) to see if the newcomer has a fighting chance of staking a claim in the C-segment hatch segment.

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Deep dive comparison

2023 Volkswagen Golf 2021 Skoda Scala

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