The local Australian Skoda website is indicating that the base 1.5tsi manual is available and may be in my price bracket.

I can only find comments from 1.0tsi and dsg owners

 

Current car is a 1.4tsi mk3 Octavia estate so this would be a step down in size so comments welcome also comments on performance, economy and handling would be useful.

 

Cheers

 

Edited 19 February, 20215 yr by Gerrycan

It seems manual 1.5tsi Scala owners are either rare or shy.

 

So today I popped into the swish new Skoda dealer facilities, which are much more conveniently placed than before, to get the measure of the two prospective candidates.

Candidate one is the 1.0tsi Kamiq: 

Surprisingly roomy for a compact hatchback (sorry I refuse to call it an SUV). Very good passenger accommodation front and rear and a reasonable boot.

Candidate two is the 1.5tsi Scala:

A bigger (longer) boot than the Kamiq with slightly less legroom in the back (I think) but with less apparent internal width.

 

They only had higher grade models of both,  with features I am not interested in because I think leather, a pano roof and any colour other than white is ridiculous in a country with very very hot summers, so this was a very provisional assessment. I would have to wait a bit until rare low spec manual versions were available for the wife and I to try.

 

I have to say I am inclined toward the Scala because not only does it have a substantially more powerful engine, it is quoted with similar consumption figures.

Another factor is that without any haggling the drive away price of the Scala at A$26990 is $1000 less than the Kamiq. 

 

1 hour ago, Gerrycan said:

It seems manual 1.5tsi Scala owners are either rare or shy.

 

So today I popped into the swish new Skoda dealer facilities, which are much more conveniently placed than before, to get the measure of the two prospective candidates.

Candidate one is the 1.0tsi Kamiq: 

Surprisingly roomy for a compact hatchback (sorry I refuse to call it an SUV). Very good passenger accommodation front and rear and a reasonable boot.

Candidate two is the 1.5tsi Scala:

A bigger (longer) boot than the Kamiq with slightly less legroom in the back (I think) but with less apparent internal width.

 

They only had higher grade models of both,  with features I am not interested in because I think leather, a pano roof and any colour other than white is ridiculous in a country with very very hot summers, so this was a very provisional assessment. I would have to wait a bit until rare low spec manual versions were available for the wife and I to try.

 

I have to say I am inclined toward the Scala because not only does it have a substantially more powerful engine, it is quoted with similar consumption figures.

Another factor is that without any haggling the drive away price of the Scala at A$26990 is $1000 less than the Kamiq. 

 

In the uk you can get the  Kamiq SUV with a 1.5 TSI 

6 hours ago, skoda1982 said:

In the uk you can get the  Kamiq SUV with a 1.5 TSI 

The 1.5tsi has just been released here but is dsg only and a lot more expensive.

I do not want to pay more than A$30k.

5 year unlimited mileage warranties are fairly common here except for Korean or Chinese 7 year and elite manufacturer pathetic 3 year offerings.

Fabia Mk3 Run Out Model.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/490564-aust-fabia-run-out-model

 

I just got mine but I've done 40 miles only so I can give only first impressions.

On 05/04/2021 at 04:06, HyperP said:

I just got mine but I've done 40 miles only so I can give only first impressions.

It takes a while to come to terms with a new car's characteristics in different environments and things change anyway as it is run in.

Look forward to hearing your opinions when you are ready to post.

So, after 300 miles I can report that:

 

I love the engine and the gearbox - quiet and smooth. On a trip from Dorset to London, Kensington and back, it averaged 58 mpg - not bad at all for a brand new engine. It had enough power to easily maintain 70 mph in 2-cyl mode. The ride is soft and decently stable.

The car as a whole seems well designed and not so well made. There's some wind whistling at speed and certain crosswinds, which wasn't there on the test drive car. There's a panel under the dashboard fitted improperly and  something loose in the boot rattling, which I couldn't find and will be taking the car back to the dealers to figure. Nothing like this on the test drive either.

 

The infotainment and the driving assistance features feel like "work in progress" - some features of the Bolero are just not there and the button for changing the "speed limit/cruise control" mode brings the driving assistance menu instead. The default is with lane assist and cruise control on, which I find useless and even dangerous in town driving.

At least the Android Auto works as expected. The music sound is good. No SD slot and USB-A but two USB-C ports so I had to buy new memory stick and phone cable.

 

The car is SE trim, made in Oct 2020.

I'm comparing it to the Fobia SE 75 MPI, which I had before, and my wife's Peugeot 308 Active 1.6 HDi.

Thanks for your comments.

Based on my experience with the  (older 103kw) 1.4tsi in my Octavia I'm not surprised at the competence of the 1.5tsi.

As I was hoping, it sounds like it might be a bit more economical than my current vehicle although we are at the pointy end of ICE development so gains are likely to be incremental. The version sold here in Australia does not have the PPF fitted which will help a bit more.

You do raise an interesting point though about all the new 'safety' tech in the car as I have reservations about some of the decisions it makes for the driver. Not everyone in this forum is a fan of it.

I use my basic cruise control a lot, both in and out of town and appreciate its effective operation, but I have no experience of the ACC versions although many users here swear by it.

Your wind noise at speed may be due to an ill-fitting door seal? I have had that problem myself but it was easily fixed as it had come loose at one point and the mount just needed to be be pushed back in its hole.

Hope the visit back to the dealer addresses your rattles.

Let us know how you get on with the now that the UK is opening up a bit more.