Skoda has announced UK prices, engine options and trim specifications for its new Scala hatchback. The Ford Focus rival will be available for order from May, priced from £16,595.

Four engines are offered for UK-bound Scalas: two 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrols with 94bhp or 113bhp, a 1.5-litre, 148bhp four-cylinder petrol and a 1.6-litre, 114bhp diesel. All are powered through five- or six-speed manuals, with a seven-speed DSG automatic an option with all engines except the entry-level 94bhp 1.0-litre. There are currently no plans to introduce the plug-in hybrid powertrain previewed by the Vision RS concept.

Buyers opting for the entry-level S trim package receive 16in alloy wheels, LED headlamps, leather steering wheel and a height-adjustable driver’s seat. Air conditioning, DAB radio, electric radios and a 6.5in infotainment display are also equipped as standard.

SE trim is priced from £18,580 and adds cruise control, parking sensors, an 8.0in touchscreen and passenger seat height adjuster.

Range-topping trim is available from £20,380. Alongside Skoda’s new infotainment system, the Scala SE L is fitted with a 9.2in touchscreen, climate control, keyless entry, start/stop, a digital head-up display and microsuede upholstery. The top-spec Scala is marked out from the rest of the range by its 17in alloy wheels, LED rear lights and tinted rear windows.

The Scala, which replaces the Rapid in Skoda’s line-up, is only available as a hatchback, and is the first Skoda to be built on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB A0 platform, which is already used on models such as the Seat Ibiza and VW T-Roc.

It marks the debut of what Skoda is calling a “more emotional” design language, and takes styling cues from the Vision RS concept shown at the Paris motor show in 2018.