Skoda Kamiq review: Why this practical SUV remains one of the smartest buys in Ireland
The Skoda Kamiq is a car that nails the basics and adds a good few human touches.
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SKODA KAMIQ |
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Rating |
★★★★☆ |
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Price |
From €29,270 - €34,170 as tested |
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Engine |
Three-cylinder petrol engine with no electric or hybrid elements |
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The Spec |
Top notch |
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Verdict |
Very old school, but that’s possibly to its advantage |
This week at Examiner Motoring, we take a distinct turn away from the all-singing, all-dancing BMW iX of last week - which possibly represents more of the future of our motoring lives than we can even understand - to an old-school car which still has a huge role to play in the automotive canon.
We go from the twin electric motors, the cylindrical battery cells, the 800km range and the radical design and technology package, to an olde worlde scenario where petrol engines, manual gearboxes and simple, quiet, proficiency are the order of the day.
This week we drive the Skoda Kamiq and it is a strange one, this. Nominally the smallest of the Czech outfit’s SUVs, like so many of their other products down the years, it could actually be classified as having DNA from any number of segments.
It could be an estate, it could be a crossover, or it might even be – gosh – an SUV; or it might be none of them. It might even be a subcompact crossover SUV. Whatever it is, however, it has been a nailed-on sales winner. Since its introduction in 2019, it has been a huge success.
While the one we’re testing is the recently facelifted – well, three years ago in 2023 – version, in the past it has been Skoda’s best-selling car in numerous European markets and is actually the second bestselling car in the company’s line-up.
It’s small, diminutive even, and is so old-school – by comparison with such as the iX3, anyway – that people of a certain age might think it’s some sort of heritage car. But it’s not. It is a very cleverly packaged little car with bags of practicality and space, demonstrates excellent economy and is cheap to run.
Post facelift, Skoda has made the design a little less colourless than it originally was what with a few styling tweaks – lights, front end look etc - but has sensibly kept all the good things about it such as its excellent interior layout and those clever touches (the boot strap to help you close the hatch, for example) which stand it out from the crowd.
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Even in Monte Carlo spec (which was not the version we tested) the little Skoda suffers perhaps from lacking a bit of glamour and some punters may pass it by in favour of others – the Renault Captur, perhaps – that do. But even then, they’ll be missing a trick.
First impressions can be difficult to overcome and, in that regard, the Kamiq might suffer a bit in people’s minds. It is without doubt diminutive and the engine choices limited to small, petrol engines, so it’s easy to see why people might think it’s a little too ‘mini-me’ or retro for them. Nothing could be further from the truth.
In Selection+ spec as we drove it, it came with a one-litre 115 bhp engine and a six-speed manual gearbox. So far, so very early Noughties; it almost seems like it’s caught in a time warp.
But there are notable touches; we mentioned the hatch pull strap, but you also get an umbrella and, get this, a space saving spare tyre. Time was when a full-size spare was expected and delivered; nowadays you’re lucky to get some invariably useless repair kit. Not here.
And that’s the thing about this Skoda – it’s not flash, it doesn't have any outrageous look-at-me-design characteristics, it looks small and possibly even cramped. But it’s not. This is a car that nails the basics and adds a good few human touches. It’s a real family all-rounder.
The Kamiq might not be a soup du jour electric, but it is still remarkably efficient. It will average about 5.4 l/100km (51.8 mpg, for those of you still clinging to old-school consumption rates) and only emits 123 g/km of CO2, which makes it good for a €200 per year road tax level.
A three-cylinder, the engine has a very distinctive ‘thrum’ about it, but not invasively so, and while it might not be the swiftest kid on the block it will do the 0-100 km/h dash in under ten seconds (9.7) and has a top speed of 196 km/h.
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Obviously, you’re not going to be getting a blackout due to the accelerative G-forces, but it is nippy enough, while also being a petrol tippler rather than a heavy drinker.
Sure there are annoying things about it, such as the stop/start system and the quite invasive lane-changing and speed warning systems, but each can be easily disabled – even if you have to do it every time you start the car up.
The standard spec, though, is quite impressive and includes cruise control, 17” aero alloys, a CFC-free climate system, all-round electric windows and door mirrors, a programmable instrument cluster, a two-spoke leather steering wheel (which is also heated) and practical, functional upholstery.
Interior space is nearly startling, there’s so much of it and even taller folk – three of them – will be able to get comfortable in the back seats. Boot space too is massive, with a 400-litre capacity, which is more than segment rivals such as the Ford Puma, and also has separate storage compartments.
The 9.2” touchscreen is clarity personified and dead easy to use and the wireless phone charger is also now cooled. Thankfully there are actual buttons for the ‘Climatronic’ climate system. The dash layout too is eye-catching and, as seems to be the fashion everywhere these days, there is a built-in cloth element to it.
On the road it’s a neat handler and ride comfort is perfectly acceptable; steering is well weighted and the whole driving experience is inoffensive but capable. All told, it’s a very well-balanced car that will please most drivers and maybe even tickle the more demanding ones.
It might not be the sharpest in the segment in this area – the Puma and the Peugeot 2008 probably stump it there – but it tops them in other departments and has the edge on price as well, which makes it all the more appealing.
To some the Kamiq might be too old-school for their up-to-the-minute lifestyles, but to me that’s actually part of its appeal. In many ways it’s a triumph of practicality, with style being something of an afterthought, but that can be meritorious in its own way and, in this case, it most certainly is.
