Game, Set, Hatch

ALTHOUGH YOU WOULDN’T think it at first glance, the Skoda Octavia is something of an oddity among family hatchbacks.

No, it hasn’t got three wheels, a steam-powered engine or a central driving position, but it is significantly roomier than its main competitors. And having generous rear seat space and a boot that’s large enough for an echo can be really handy

For some people, though, the Octavia is just a bit too big – after all, it’s a foot longer than a Ford Focus – which explains why Skoda introduced the smaller Rapid in 2012. But while the idea was right, the execution wasn’t, with the Rapid being let down by a lumpy ride and cheap-feeling interior. So it has now been replaced by the Scala, a car that’s still spacious and, as our first drive showed, a much better all-rounder.

It’s not the only new kid on the block, though. There’s also the latest Mazda 3, which is designed to tempt buyers by offering a sharper drive than rivals and the sort of interior quality more commonly found on executive saloons than family hatchbacks.

And while our final contender, the Kia Ceed, isn’t new, it will be no pushover, having won its price point at the 2019 What Car? Car of the Year Awards. The mid-spec version we’ve lined up here sits between the Scala and 3 in terms of cost and, like all Kias, it comes with the reassurance of an industryleading seven-year warranty.

DRIVING

Performance, ride, handling, refinement

We’re used to cars in this class having small, turbocharged petrol engines, but while the Scala and Ceed don’t mess with that formula, the 3 goes off piste.