Always online thanks to the new ŠKODA Connect generation including new Infotainment Apps

› Innovative online functions thanks to the flexible system of new Infotainment Apps
› Emergency Call and Proactive Service free of charge due to eSIM and LTE now being standard features
› Customisable Virtual Cockpit and a navigation system with the largest displays in the segment

Along with the new interior concept, which appears for the first time in the SCALA, ŠKODA has also equipped the new model with the latest digital technology. The optional Virtual Cockpit, which can be flexibly configured to suit the driver’s needs, features a 10.25-inch display – the largest in the compact car segment. The infotainment systems’ central touchscreens each measure up to 9.2 inches and thus also set a benchmark within the segment. And thanks to its built-in eSIM, which comes as standard, the SCALA is the first ŠKODA to be always online. It also offers Emergency Call and Proactive Service to all customers. The Infotainment Apps are now available for the top-of-the-range Amundsen infotainment system.

The optional Virtual Cockpit can be individually customised and offers the driver a choice of five different views. These range from the Classic layout – displaying both a large speedo and the rev counter in the style of round, analogue instruments – to the Basic, Modern and Sport layouts as well as the Extended layout, which integrates the map from the Amundsen navigation system on a large scale. In addition, in its different configurations the Virtual Cockpit also displays relevant vehicle and driving data, radio stations, active assistance systems or navigational information.

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The top-of-the-range Amundsen infotainment system as well as the Bolero and Swing systems belong to the latest-generation of the infotainment systems. The free-standing central display, which is part of all systems, is positioned high on the dashboard in clear view of the driver. The Amundsen system currently always comes paired with the Virtual Cockpit and offers a 9.2-inch display with a glass front. The system can be navigated using the touchscreen as well as voice or gesture commands.

Other features include 3D navigation, a 64-GB SSD hard drive used for maps, Internet access and an optional Wi‑Fi hotspot. The Bolero infotainment system features an 8-inch glass display and comes with Bluetooth connection and SmartLink+ technology. Wireless SmartLink+ technology is an optional extra, allowing wireless connection to smartphones. Both the Amundsen and Bolero systems are equipped with a total of eight speakers in the doors as standard.

The ŠKODA Sound System is optional, and provides an additional speaker in the centre of the dashboard, a subwoofer in the boot and an amplifier for a particularly impressive sound. The Swing infotainment system is the base system for the ŠKODA SCALA and offers a 6.5-inch display and four speakers in the front, to which four speakers in the rear as well as a Bluetooth connection and SmartLink+ can be added. The Phonebox, which provides wireless connection to the car’s aerial and inductive charging, is available as an option for all infotainment systems.

The SCALA is the first ŠKODA to be always online. What’s more: due to the latest generation of mobile online services, it offers a new and flexible concept for individual Infotainment Apps, allowing the customer to benefit from various online options and additional features. The built-in eSIM establishes a high-speed, LTE Internet connection, meaning there is no longer any need for an additional SIM card or a tethered connection via a smartphone.

For the first time in a ŠKODA, the eSIM, which supports the Emergency Call and Proactive Service functions, comes as standard. Emergency Call, which is mandatory in the EU, automatically makes an emergency call in the event of an accident, but can also be activated manually at any time. If an accident occurs, the Proactive Service relays the vehicle’s position as well as information about its status. Apart from that, it can archive information about the car’s status as a one-off or at regular intervals and it keeps the ŠKODA SCALA in contact with the garage, allowing service notifications to be relayed or service appointments to be scheduled.

The software for the infotainment system and the navigation map can now also be automatically updated ‘over the air’, as frequently as desired. It is also possible to download additional Infotainment Apps. There is therefore no need to visit a garage.

The ŠKODA SCALA’s online services package includes a wealth of infotainment features, such as remote vehicle access and selected Infotainment Apps from new ŠKODA InCar Shop – which can be conveniently accessed via the car’s central touchscreen. These Infotainment Apps include a weather app capable of displaying weather conditions for the whole of Europe, and a news app, which allows users to set up a news feed subscription from the SCALA’s infotainment touchscreen.

Additional apps will come in the future, which will also be backward compatible. The integration of Online Traffic Information in real time allows the Amundsen navigation system to provide more accurate and reliable route suggestions and estimated journey times. Compared to the system’s previous generation, these suggestions and estimations are now also populated more quickly. In the event of a traffic jam alternative routes are calculated and updated in real time.

The parking and petrol station functions, which display available spaces or current fuel prices and can amend the navigation system’s route guidance accordingly, are now also backed by online data. The ŠKODA SCALA’s online and offline functions seamlessly merge into each other and the passengers do not have to switch between them manually. In addition, access to the ŠKODA Server helps to improve the infotainment system’s new voice control feature, allowing it to understand complete sentences as well as dialects.

The newly designed ŠKODA Connect app for mobile phones and smartwatches or the ŠKODA Connect web portal provide Remote Access and enable for the ŠKODA SCALA to be locked and unlocked remotely (Remote Lock/Unlock). It is also possible to check whether all windows are closed from a distance. In addition, car owners can conveniently call up information while on the go or at home in the living room, and find out how much fuel is left in the tank, or view and archive other vehicle and driving data such as the car’s mileage or the speeds it has travelled at.

If set to do so, the SCALA can also send push notifications should it be stolen, leave a predefined area or exceeds a certain speed, for example. Remote access also provides information about where the car is parked. And makes it possible to activate the SCALA’s horn and indicators at the touch of a button, allowing the car to be found more quickly in a large car park. Furthermore, based on the current traffic conditions, the app can also remind the driver to set off in good time for their preplanned journey.

In ŠKODA InCar Shop, customers can also select additional data bundles. These data can be transferred via the SCALA’s Wi-Fi hotspot to any of its passengers.