Skoda’s new hatchback, the Scala, has been introduced to fill the void between the Fabia and Octavia that’s been left by the discontinued Rapid. It’s styling, dubbed ‘Simply Surprising’ doesn’t quite live up to that billing, but it is clearly the next step on the evolutionary design ladder.

The front grille is bold and assertive, aggressive even, and is flanked by sharply tapered headlights that, like the rears, bear the Bohemian crystal signature design. SKODA is confidently spelt out across the width of the bootlid, Porsche-style. I can’t imagine there are many people, and I certainly include myself among this particular category, who ever believed that Porsche and Skoda would appear in the same sentence.

The Scala is also the first Skoda to be made available with scrolling indicators and full LED head and tail lights but you’ll have to grab the top spec SE L trim if you want them.

Engine options include a three-cylinder 1.0-litre petrol with either 94 or, in the case of the car reviewed here, 113bhp There’s also a higher capacity 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol with 115bhp, or a 1.6-litre diesel producing 114bhp.

The Scala’s cabin is without doubt the best-looking of any Skoda this reviewer has driven to date. Aesthetically it stands comparison with anything that adorns some of its more premium competitors’ interiors. The neatly sculpted dashboard is the centrepiece and it combines an interesting mix of surfaces and textures with bold curves and strong lines. A red pinstripe that runs across the dash and flows along both front and rear doors brings a welcome dash of colour though, I must admit, I was disappointed that it wasn’t illuminated. I’ve become a big fan of ambient lighting.

A high-definition 9.2in display is mounted high on the dash and, although it follows the current trend of adopting a tablet-like appearance, it feels much better integrated into the fascia than some and, in my opinion, looks all the better for it. The high position does mean that you don’t have to divert your eyes too far from the road ahead to look at it.

The seats are comfortable and supportive and there’s enough adjustment in both seat and steering column that you should have little trouble finding a decent driving position. All-round visibility is excellent thanks in no small part to the commendably narrow C-pillars.

With a wheelbase that measures 2,649mm you would expect cabin space to be generous and you won’t be disappointed. According to Skoda, kneeroom in the rear is a generous 73mm, which is the same as you’d find in the larger Octavia.

In real-life use, that means that the Scala will comfortable accommodate two six-foot passengers riding in tandem. It isn’t just your knees that are looked after in the back either. Oh no. Rear headroom is also, at 982mm, the best in the segment.

It isn’t all sunshine and roses, however, because back and base of the middle seat protrude uncomfortably, rendering it only really suitable for smaller passengers and, by smaller passengers, I mean children.

Equipment levels are generous – even in the SE and even without the full LED lights – and include 16in alloy wheels, basic LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, Bluetooth audio streaming and handsfree calling, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, DAB radio, leather on the gear stick, handbrake lever and steering wheel, automatic lights and wipers, parking sensors and cruise control with speed limiter, two USB ports and, as part of the firm’s Simply Clever philosophy, there’s an umbrella, a cap that doubles as a funnel on the screen-wash reservoir and an ice scraper that doubles as a tyre tread gauge beneath the fuel filler cap.

If you’re starting to get the impression that the Scala has been designed with, predominantly, comfort and convenience in mind you’re on the right track. That philosophy is never clearer than when you’re on the move.

The driving experience is unassuming, straightforward even. The controls are light in weight and short of feel, but anything else would feel alien in a car that is unashamedly focused on conveying you and your passengers to your destination with as little fuss as possible.

The ride is very, very supple. It’s hard to think of another car this side of a Roller that’s so unerringly compliant over bumps, lumps, cracks, holes and any other imperfections that our roads can throw at it. If anything, it’s a little too soft for my tastes and, at times, was prone to wallow a little before settling down on its springs again.

On dual carriageways the Scala is calm, quiet and efficient. The 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine is prone to emitting a busy little thrum under acceleration – nothing unusual about that – but once you’re up to speed it becomes inaudible. The cabin is, in fact, very well insulated from external noises.

Away from the main roads and, if you’re so inclined, it doesn’t take long to discover the Scala’s dynamic limitations. The car’s balance is reasonably good and, for a car that rides on such seemingly soft suspension, the body control is respectable, but there’s some inertia in the steering around the dead-ahead that sucks all the confidence out of the driver and, of course, that lack of feedback that I mentioned earlier is the final nail in the enthusiastic driver’s coffin. Not literally, of course.

The Scala is undoubtedly another significant step forward for Skoda. The exterior might be just the natural evolution of the firm’s current design direction but the cabin, in both material quality and style, is a step or two ahead of anything else the company has produced so far. There are also the usual thoughtful touches such as the included umbrella and ice scraper that can make ownership such a pleasure.

Dynamically the Scala doesn’t offer much incentive to explore its limits. It is, instead, unashamedly aimed at drivers who value comfort and capacity ahead of performance and on that front it delivers with very real success.

Skoda Scala SE 1.0 TSI 115PS

Price: £18, 585

As tested: £20,340

Engine: 1.0-litre 3-cylinder

Transmission: 6-speed manual

Max power: 115PS

Max torque: 200Nm 2,000 - 3,500rpm

Max speed: 125mph

0-62mph: 9.8sec

WLTP combined: 49.6 – 44.8mpg

Emissions (CO2): 113g/km

For more information visit www.skoda.co.uk