IN these times of hybridisation and high tech, there's something reassuring about an unpretentious and straightforward family car with neither quirks nor excess gadgetry.

And that's exactly what the Skoda Scala sets out to be. With a price tag of just over the £20,000 mark, it offers spacious accommodation for four alongside 50mpg economy from a diminutive three cylinder, 1.0-litre engine.

It's turbocharged but there's no electricity to help eek out performance and frugality. Nevertheless, in 110ps form as driven here it's sprightly enough to keep pace with most, and easily rattles off the 62mph benchmark in around 10 seconds.

The three-pot engine emits a rather pleasant subdued throb as it spins freely up the rev range and it boasts impressive torque that allows it to pull strongly in high gear. The standard six-speed manual gearbox is light and crisp to use. An auto is offered as an extra cost option.

As with the larger Octavia, the Scala has a composed and comfortable ride and performs best on smaller 16-inch wheels rather than the larger ones fitted to the more powerful 1.5-litre version. Most bumps are easily smoothed over, and whether the surface is undulating or rippled, there's minimal disturbance to the passengers.

There's some body-roll during quick cornering but grip is more than adequate, allowing the Scala to be hurried securely through curves.

Cabin layout is somewhat utilitarian, but it's good to see traditional knobs and buttons for heating and air con. A touchscreen with more controls sprouts out from the fascia in the now ubiquitous fashion. Lots of black plastic mouldings are visible and not too much soft-touch plastic.

While mechanical noise is well muted, there's some wind noise from the front pillars and the tyres tend to rumble over some surfaces.

No problems with visibility from the driving seat thanks to a generous glass area and slim pillars. Rear parking sensors are standard fitment in the entry level SE and front ones can be specified as an extra. The review car was also fitted with rear view camera.

Boot space is larger than obvious rivals such as the Golf and Astra, and there's loads of storage room for the usual family clutter within the cabin. The boot, which has an adjustable floor, is squarely shaped with a relatively low platform making loading heavy objects pretty hassle-free.

Standard equipment on the SE includes leather covered steering wheel, automatic lights and wipers, air con, anti-theft alarm and cruise control. Safety aids such as lane assistance, speed limiter and automatic emergency braking are also fitted.

In usual Skoda fashion, the Scala packs in a few ‘simply clever' features - parking ticket holder on the windscreen, an ice scraper inside the petrol filler cap and a an umbrella tucked away in the front door.

Our best fuel consumption was marginally over the 50mpg mark on a gentle cross country run. Press on and the average is closer 40mpg.