Skoda has announced a new technology for its Scala hatchback range, which it hopes will ensure safe traveling for people with dust and pollen allergies.
The dual-zone climate control system now filters out small particles before they can get inside the car, preventing possible allergic reactions. This is obviously most vital for the driver, because coughing, sneezing, runny nose and tears in the eyes can all be dangerous distractions while behind the steering wheel.
Most people deal with these issues in two ways. Some take medicines before they drive, many of which slow down reaction times and cause drowsiness. Others prefer to keep windows closed at all times and the air conditioner on in recirculation mode, which still doesn’t guarantee dust-free air while depleting it of oxygen. Skoda has found both workarounds bad enough to warrant designing its own feature, now known as the Climatronic.
The Climatronic is a pollen/allergen filtration system which uses multiple sensors to detect allergens, another sensor to measure the overall air quality, and a special filter to filter out all potentially harmful particles. The air conditioning takes in air from outside the car when it is sufficiently clean, but immediately switches to recirculation whenever pollen is detected.
The Skoda Scala hatchback premiered in December 2018 as a production successor to the Vision RS Concept.