The Skoda Scala is now a not-very-intimidating police car

You can tell a lot about a nation from what it chooses to police its mean streets. Try America: angry-looking Dodge Chargers. Heavyweight Ford SUVs. Or maybe Dubai: Ferraris and AMGs patrol the streets. Italy has been known to dabble in the odd Lamborghini, or an Alfa Romeo super-saloon.

And what of Great Britain? Surely our boy and girls in blue are entrusted with wingshod McLaren Sennas, shrieking Aston Valkyries and stealthy Jaguar I-Paces?

Ah, no. Meet the latest recruit to the police academy ranks. The new Skoda Scala. Not so much the long arm of the law as the generous bootspace of justice.

Skoda says: “The Scala’s advanced driver assistance and safety features make it an ideal partner for the emergency services. The brand also offers a ‘one-stop shop’ for blue-light fleets that includes full vehicle conversion, which sees the generous interior – with a vast 467 litre boot (extendable to 1,410 litres with rear seats folded down) – able to fit both passengers and equipment, comfortably.”

See, crime doesn’t pay, but the legroom on the way to the station will be commodious.

The mightiest engine available is a 1.5-litre turbo petrol unit good for 148bhp. How many horses are used to power the 100-amp three-tone siren, we’re not sure. It’s not so much Hot Fuzz as Lukewarm Law.

Still, Skoda will convert the Scala in-house, so it’s one of the most cost-effective ways of getting a shiny new panda-car onto the beat. It's a, ahem, steal. And what’s more British than snapping up a bargain, after all?