Automatic drive seekers go for Scala

Exterior Front grill is masculine. Side contours and rear curves in combination rear brake light cluster provides Scala a delicate upmarket look. A boot spoiler adds that extra lift to the rear hump by which car picks up extra style quotient and appreciative glances. Colour range is restrictive. If a canary yellow or leaf green is added to the colour range then the shade card becomes perfect and attracts a larger number of lady drivers. Renault must consider this suggestion. Turning indicator on the side mirrors, which is now a universal standard, must be added. Wheel cavity and arches are proportionate. Add crome bborder to the arches for the killer looks.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Rear seat confort is exceptional and without doubt the best in class. Seat angle can drop by another 2 degress for better argonomics. A 60:40 provision for RHS rear seat can be considered. Front space is adequate, but copassenger is more comfortable than the driver. Some automation to driver's seat adjustment must be incorporated. Instrument cluster is simple, smart and inteligently placed. Plastic is passable. Door knobs are crome and rugged. Pockets and niches in door cavities leaves lot of scope to improve. Biggest shortcoming is driver's LHS arm rest and USB port. Sound system effectiveness is below par due to high cabin noise.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Fan noise is abnormally high. Engine is also noisy across a wide range of rpm as compared to other Petrol cars of 1.5 litre capacity.  Petrol AT is giving 15+ kmpl consistently in Bombay stop-start traffic, a remarkable achievement for this class of sedan. Hunch is that engine oil consumption will be high. AT gear box is nautchy and gear shift is not the highlight of driving pleasure. Steering is leather clad with minimal finger controls (which is good since more controls distract). Road feedback to steering improves with speed. Gear knob is very plastic and the ball is too big for an elegant look and feel.

Ride Quality & Handling Traction is good and smooth. Wheel base sits well on the road and grips it adequately. Car turns sharp edges well which is a big plus in tight parking slots. Suspension is stiff enough. Cabin picks up a lot of fan, engine and road noise. Extra padding is added to muffel it. At speed avove 80 kmph in-line driving is a question. Not safe on off-road and gravel surface driving. Driver's fatigue in long distance driving will build up due to absence of arm rest and cruise control.

Final Words Good ar to own if your choice is Petrol AT.

Areas of improvement Slightly overpriced for the features it offers. Else add 3-4 value giving features in the same price.

Exterior rear side, back seat space, instrument cluster.High noise level inside cabin both from engine and road