Skoda is well represented in the segment for small, trendy SUVs with this car, the Kamiq, here usefully improved. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

Skoda had a hand in popularising the small SUV concept a decade ago with their Yeti model. Today, we've got the Kamiq, which aims to distil all the Czech brand's best bits into a compact Crossover you could really bond with. Here's the revised version.

Background

Skoda could have been at the forefront of the current craze for supermini-based SUVs - Juke and Captur-class models. Back in 2009 before either of these two cars, it launched a model you might conceivably remember, the Yeti, which used Fabia bits but dressed them up with Crossover attitude. It was a good start, but the foundation wasn't built upon. The facelifted Yeti of 2013 was disappointingly conservative in a market seeking high fashion and after four years on sale, was allowed to drift out of production without being properly replaced. Leaving the Czech brand to wait until it could launch its own version of the small SUV design possible on the VW Group's MQB-A0 platform, a chassis that by Autumn 2019 had been pressed into service for the SEAT Arona and the Volkswagen T-Cross in this class. That was when Skoda was also able to use it to launch this car, the Kamiq. Four years on, we've got a lightly facelifted version of that same design.

Driving Experience

There are no significant engineering or dynamic changes as part of this facelift. Because this Kamiq uses the same underpinnings as a Skoda Scala family hatch (the A0 version of the VW Group's MQB platform), it can only have front wheel drive and straightforward torsion bean rear suspension. Still, that's all likely buyers will probably want. As an option, the brand offers 'Sport Chassis Control', which lowers the car by 10mm and gives it two-way adjustable dampers. We can't see many customers taking this up. Most customers will want the base 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine, now updated to the latest 'evo2' spec. Entry-level versions get it in 95PS form with a 5-speed gearbox but further up the range, the variants available feature this unit in a 116PS state of tune. Go for that and you'll be offered the option of a 7-speed DSG auto gearbox. Both engines have impressive torque available from low revs - the 95PS version delivering 175Nm from just 2,000rpm and the 116PS version serving up its 200Nm across the same 2,000rpm to 3,500rpm band. In other words, you won't have to row this little SUV along with the gear lever through town. Skoda is also offering a 150PS 1.5 TSI petrol powerplant with the option of DSG auto transmission. Don't expect a Kamiq to ride quite as well as a Scala - that taller, heavier body has to tell somewhere - but for the school run and commuting duties, few buyers are likely to have issues.

Design and Build

This revised Kamiq gets a range of subtle visual updates, with a larger, more upright front grille flanked by slimmer headlights, which can now be ordered with intelligent matrix tech and have a revised split-lamp treatment. There's also a wider front intake, a revised rear diffuser and restyled front and rear bumpers. There's also updated branding, with the Skoda name spelt out across the tailgate. Otherwise, things are much as before, which means that the Kamiq looks essentially like a version of one of the brand's larger SUVs - the Karoq and the Kodiaq - that's been somehow shrunk in a hot wash. Inside, an 8-inch digital instrument panel screen is now standard, with a larger 10.25-inch set-up offered as an option. The centre dash infotainment monitor is 8-inches as standard, but customers can upgrade to a 9.2-inch display, complete with a wireless version of the brand's 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring system. There's also a smarter cabin feel, thanks to trimming and materials governed by various 'Design Selections' - package combinations of colours and finishes. Other fresh additions include smartphone storage pockets in the front seatbacks, a removable box on the centre tunnel that incorporates a cup holder and the option of a powered tailgate with foot gesture control. As before, rear legroom isn't of the order you'd find in the kind of Scala or Octavia family hatch model you could buy from Skoda for similar money. But Kamiq customers, who'll typically use this area of the car primarily for ferrying kids probably won't care too much about that. The same comment applies to the boot, which measures in at 400-litres, extendable to 1,395-litres when the rear seats are folded.

Market and Model

Expect the Kamiq to sell in the £24,000 to £32,000 bracket, which is fractionally above what you'll pay for volume rivals like Renault's Captur and Nissan's Juke but much the same as you'd have to find for this model's two VW Group cousins, the Volkswagen T-Cross and the SEAT Arona. Kamiq customers will still be looking at the same three core trim levels - 'SE', 'SE L' and 'Monte Carlo'. 'SE' buyers get the chance to pay around £800 more to graduate from the entry-level 95PS version of the 1.0 TSI petrol engine to the 116PS variant. Further up the range, you have to have this perkier unit. Providing you avoid base trim and the base 95PS engine, you'll be offered the chance to pay £1,250 more for a 7-speed DSG auto gearbox. Even the entry-level Kamiq 'SE' is decently equipped, coming with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail lights, air conditioning and a 8.0-inch 'Bolero' centre touchscreen display. Customers opting for the 'SE' model benefit from satellite navigation, rear privacy glass, a wireless 'phone charger, dual-zone climate control, a space-saver spare wheel and a choice of either 17 or 18-inch alloy wheels. 'SE L' models get a larger 9.2-inch 'Amundsen' infotainment system and microsuede upholstery.

Cost of Ownership

Skoda quotes CO2 figures for the 1.0 TSI petrol engine ranging between 120 and 140g/km - so not too far off what you'd get in a diesel. Expect around just over 50mpg on the WLTP combined cycle (specifically bests of 53.2mpg and 120g/km for the 95PS version). The 1.5 TSI manages bests of 49.8mpg and 128g/km of CO2. And maintenance across the range? Well, there's the choice between fixed or flexible servicing regimes, depending on whether your annual mileage is short or long. Service intervals are every 18,600 miles or every 24 months. The available 'Skoda Connect' app has a 'Proactive Service' element included which, when activated, can send all the data needed from your car in advance to your local Skoda dealership prior to a service visit. What else? Well your car will come with three years of pan-European Roadside Assistance that has no mileage restriction. The paintwork warranty lasts for three years and, as you'd expect, this model is protected by a 12-year anti-corrosion package. Finally, while it's certainly true that other rivals better the three year 60,000 mile warranty that Skoda provides, you can extend your cover to four or five years by paying extra. Not that you really need to. The brand regularly tops independent consumer satisfaction surveys: according to real people, there are few more satisfying cars to own.

Summary

There's nothing very original about the Kamiq, but it's more in tune with the current zeitgeist than the old Yeti was. And certainly more fashionable than the next model up in the Czech maker's SUV model line-up, the rather worthy Karoq. Skoda buyers are now well used to re-worked Volkswagen Group engineering with a bit of practical embellishment at a lower price - which is precisely what's served up here. If you're looking for something more outlandish and personalisable, buy a Nissan Juke instead. But one of those might not be as easy or as pleasing to live with as a Kamiq. You get most of the sensible virtues we like in the brand's Scala family hatch, without the rather vanilla blandness we don't. A Kamiq, in fact, is without doubt the trendiest car the marque has yet produced, particularly in this improved form. A fashion statement that's also a Skoda. Whoever would have thought it?

Body Glass

Rear wiper

Front and rear electric windows

Heated rear window

Ticket holder inside windscreen

Privacy glass

Brakes

Extended and predictive pedestrian/cyclist protection

Electronic Stability Programme

Disc brakes

Manual leather parking brake

Traction control

Hill hold control

Carpets/Rugs

Textile floor mats

Communication

Voice control system

E-call

Bluetooth system

Driver Aids

Front assist system

Advanced driver attention and drowsiness monitor

Rear view camera

Speed limiter

Traffic sign recognition

Rear parking sensors

Power assisted steering

Driver Information

Wireless smartlink

Service indicator

Virtual cockpit with 10.25" display

Driving Mirrors

Automatic dimming rear view mirror

Black door mirrors

Entertainment

8 Speakers

4 USB C ports

DAB Digital radio

9.2" Skoda navigation display

Exterior Body Features

Rear side wing doors

Black roof

Black roof rails

Body colour door handles

Chrome grille surround

Body colour bumpers

Exterior Lights

LED brake lights

LED third brake light

Full LED headlights

Rear LED fog light

LED high beam

LED daytime running lights

Automatic headlight control with coming home and leaving home feature

LED low beam

LED front turning lights

Heating/Cooling/Ventilation

Inner circulation control with pollen filter

Dual zone climate control

Interior Features

Cargo elements

Net package and top tether hooks in boot space

Red hotstamping

Net under rear shelf

3 spoke leather sports multi-function steering wheel

Umbrella in driver's door

Glove compartment with illumination

Black suedia decor inserts

Black suedia door inserts

Rear centre armrests

Chrome inner door handles

Dynamic cloth upholstery

12V socket in luggage compartment

Ice scraper

Black roof lining

Leather gearknob and handbrake lever

Aluminium pedals

Overhead glasses storage compartment

Rake/reach adjustable steering wheel

Front centre armrest

Interior Lights

Front and rear roof lights

Ambient lighting in white/red

Reading lights

Safety

Front side airbags with curtain airbags

3x3 point rear seatbelts

Manual rear child locks

Tyre pressure monitor

Airbags - driver and front passenger

Front passenger airbag deactivation switch

One tone horn

Seatbelt reminder for driver an co-driver

Seats

Height adjustable driver seat

Sports seats

Isofix preparation for back seats

ISOFIX on front passenger seat

Third rear headrest

Manual lumbar support for front seats

Front head restraints

Top tether for front passenger seat

Pocket on the back of both front seats include mobile phone pockets

3 seat bench in 2nd row

Height adjustable front passenger seat

Single front passenger seat

Security

Anti-theft wheel bolts

Anti-theft alarm system with interior monitoring, backup horn, towing protection and remote central locking with SAFE system

Electronic engine immobilizer

Vanity Mirrors

Driver and passenger sun visors with vanity mirror

Wheels - Spare

Tyre repair kit

Emissions - ICE

Standard Euro Emissions: EURO 6

NOx: 0.016

HC+NOx: N

Particles: 0.0001

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb: 123

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Low - TEL: 151

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Low - TEH: 154

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Medium - TEL: 118

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Medium - TEH: 121

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - High - TEL: 107

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - High - TEH: 109

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Extra High - TEL: 130

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Extra High - TEH: 132

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb - TEH: 125

WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb - TEL: 123

Engine and Drive Train

Cylinders - Bore (mm): 74.5

Cylinders - Stroke (mm): 76.4

CC: 999

Cylinders: 3

Cylinder Layout: IN-LINE

Number of Valves: 12

Camshaft: DOHC

Fuel Delivery: TURBO DIRECT INJECTION

Catalytic Convertor: No

Engine Layout: FRONT TRANSVERSE

Compression Ratio: 11.5:1

Transmission: MANUAL

Gears: 5 SPEED

Fuel Consumption - ICE

EC Directive 1999/100/EC Applies: 0

WLTP - MPG - Comb: 51.9

WLTP - MPG - Low - TEL: 42.4

WLTP - MPG - Low - TEH: 41.6

WLTP - MPG - Medium - TEL: 54.2

WLTP - MPG - Medium - TEH: 53.1

WLTP - MPG - High - TEL: 59.8

WLTP - MPG - High - TEH: 58.8

WLTP - MPG - Extra High - TEL: 49.2

WLTP - MPG - Extra High - TEH: 48.6

WLTP - MPG - Comb - TEL: 51.9

WLTP - MPG - Comb - TEH: 51.1

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb: 5.4

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Low - TEL: 6.7

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Low - TEH: 6.8

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Medium - TEL: 5.2

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Medium - TEH: 5.3

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - High - TEL: 4.7

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - High - TEH: 4.8

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Extra High - TEL: 5.7

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Extra High - TEH: 5.8

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb - TEL: 5.4

WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb - TEH: 5.5

General

Coin Series: Design Edition

Coin Description: TSI 95

Standard manufacturers warranty - Years: 3

Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage: 60000

Manufacturers Paintwork Guarantee - Years: 3

Manufacturers Corrosion Perforation Guarantee - Years: 12

Did at least one aspect of this vehicle's safety give cause for concern?: 0

Special Edition: 0

Special Order: 0

Based On ID: N

Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 07: 12E

NCAP Adult Occupant Protection %: 96

NCAP Child Occupant Protection %: 85

NCAP Pedestrian Protection %: 80

NCAP Safety Assist %: 76

NCAP Overall Rating - Effective February 09: 5

Badge Power: 95

Badge Engine CC: 1.0

Vehicle Homologation Class: M1

Alternative Fuel Qualifying: 0

Performance

0 to 62 mph (secs): 11

Top Speed: 113

Engine Power - BHP: 95

Engine Power - PS: No

0 to 60 mph (secs): 0

Engine Power - KW: 70

Engine Power - RPM: 5000

Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 129

Engine Torque - NM: 175

Engine Torque - RPM: 1600

Engine Torque - MKG: 17.8

Test Cycles

Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP

RDE Certification Level: RDE 2

Tyres

Tyre Size Front: 205/55 R17

Tyre Size Rear: 205/55 R17

Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT

Wheel Type: 17" ALLOY

Wheel Style: PROPUS

Alloys?: No

Space Saver?: 0

Vehicle Dimensions

Length: 4241

Width: 1793

Wheelbase: 2651

Width (including mirrors): 1988

Height: 1531

Height (including roof rails): 1553

Weight and Capacities

Minimum Kerbweight: 1160

Gross Vehicle Weight: 1716

Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): 52.5

Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 1000

Max. Towing Weight - Unbraked: 610

Max. Loading Weight: 556

Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 400

No. of Seats: 5

Max. Roof Load: 75

Luggage Capacity (Seats Down): 1395

Turning Circle - Kerb to Kerb: 10.1

Exterior Body Features

Solid paint

Exclusive paint

Special paint

Interior Features

Variable boot floor

Packs

Safety package - Kamiq

Simply clever plus package - Kamiq

Charging package - Kamiq

Assisted drive package - Kamiq

Light and view package - Kamiq

Convenience pack - Kamiq

Winter pack with Heated front seats - Kamiq

Paint - Metallic

Metallic - Graphite grey

Metallic - Moon white

Metallic - Race blue

Metallic - Brilliant silver

Paint - Solid

Solid - Energy blue

Paint - Special

Exclusive paint - Velvet red

Special paint - Candy white

Exclusive paint - Phoenix orange

Service/Warranty

Extended warranty (4 years or 100000 miles)

Service plan (Your first two services)

Extended warranty (5 years or 100000 miles)

Extended warranty (4 years or 80000 miles)

Trim - Cloth

Dynamic cloth - Black + Black with grey armrest stiching + Black ceiling

Wheels - Alloy

18" Vega Aero black diamond cut alloy wheels