Skoda Kamiq Review

As long as you’re not desperate for a premium badge or a high seating position, the Skoda Kamiq is likely to tick a lot of boxes for a lot of crossover buyers. It’s practical, sensible and has a superb interior. It also represents brilliant value for money.

Don’t bother with a diesel unless you cover lots of miles. The 1.0-litre petrol is very good, particularly the more powerful version (which also comes with a six- rather than five-speed gearbox). If you cover a lot of motorway miles or regularly drive outside of town, the 1.5-litre petrol might be a better choice, however.

In terms of trim level, we’d opt for the highest spec you can afford. The entry-level S model is pretty basic, while the SE and SE L models tick more boxes for a lot of buyers. Topping the range is the Monte Carlo, which manages to look and feel pretty flash, but you'll pay a bit more for this.

If you’re in the market for a Skoda Kamiq, you should also consider other Volkswagen Group alternatives like the SEAT Arona and Volkswagen T-Cross or Volkswagen T-Roc. We’d also recommend the Ford Puma, which is more fun to drive, and the Peugeot 2008, which has a more interesting cabin. You could also look at the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur and Mazda CX-3.

Surprisingly for a Skoda, the Kamiq feels posher inside than the Volkswagen T-Roc and SEAT Arona. That's especially true of high-spec models – the Monte Carlo trim comes with sports seats and aluminium pedals, which makes you feel like you're driving something much more expensive.

The basic Skoda Kamiq S obviously looks a bit drab in comparison to the more expensive models, missing out on the shiny silver dashboard insert and some chrome interior highlights, but it does at least get a leather steering wheel and gear shift lever. The SE feels noticeably plusher.

All Kamiq models have a few hard plastics here and there – particularly low down in the cabin, around the centre console and on the glove box. This is par for the course, though, and they should at least cope well with family life.

The basic S model comes with a 6.5-inch touchscreen display which doesn’t do much but operate the radio. This will suit some buyers but we reckon it's worth upgrading to the SE for its 8.0-inch display, which also brings with it Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring.

Higher-spec (SE Drive and above) trim levels come with a fancier 9.2-inch system, which also includes navigation. This isn't strictly necessary (we prefer to use Google Maps via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto) but it's a desirable upgrade. It also gets Laura, Skoda's Siri or Alexa-like voice-activated personal assistant.

All three media systems are simple and easy to use, although the (actual, physical) buttons on the tiny 6.5-inch system make it the easiest to navigate on the move. The bigger systems rely on touch-sensitive pads which look and feel more modern but aren't quite so user friendly.

SE L and Monte Carlo models come with Skoda's 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit in place of conventional dials. This is one of the best digital dashboards we've used – with clear graphics and a decent range of customisation options. You can even display full-screen navigation if you want, to save you from glancing over to the nav screen when driving.

Despite being a small crossover, the Skoda Kamiq feels spacious enough to use as your main family car. That relatively low seating position translates to loads of headroom, while there's plenty of leg and shoulder room. It's packed with clever storage areas, too – especially if you find one with the optional Simply Clever Pack, which adds drawers under the front seats.

There's more room in the back than pretty much anything else in this class, too. Even the SEAT Arona and Volkswagen T-Roc – two cars which share the Kamiq's platform – feel cramped inside by comparison. You'll find Isofix child seat mounting points on the outer rear seats, while the wide-opening rear doors make juggling kids a piece of cake.

The boot is both usefully square and surprisingly large, capable of carrying up to 400 litres of luggage (or up to 1395 litres if you drop the rear seats). There is a bit of a boot lip which makes loading bulky items a bit annoying, but you can get around this by looking for one with the optional height-adjustable boot floor.

The majority of Skoda Kamiq buyers plump for a petrol engine. The 1.0 TSI is actually our favourite, despite its small capacity. It’s a fizzy little three-cylinder unit, packing plenty of punch in 110PS flavour, and can be combined with a manual or DSG automatic gearbox. The same engine is available in lower trim levels with just 95PS – that's not a great deal of power for a car the size of the Kamiq, so avoid this unless you're on a budget and mainly drive around town.

There’s also a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine which feels a bit more grown-up and, with 150PS, is better suited to out-of-town driving. This is available with a six-speed manual gearbox or seven-speed DSG automatic transmission. Both are great – the manual has a precise yet light gear change, while the DSG responds relatively quickly to inputs. The latter's a bit jerky when stopping and starting but very civilised on a motorway run.

If you’re a high-mileage driver, look for one fitted with the 1.6 turbodiesel engine. With just 115PS, this isn’t the most powerful of diesel motors, but it ought to be very efficient in the real world. This was dropped from the range in 2020 but there are a handful available on the used market. 

The 1.5-litre TSI is the quietest engine in the range, while its punchy performance means you don't need to work it particularly hard to join a motorway or overtake slow-moving vehicles.

Despite its diminutive dimensions, the 1.0-litre motor's pretty relaxed, too. Build the revs and you will notice a bit more noise and vibration in the cabin, but it's not as vocal as the 1.2-litre PureTech engine used in the Citroen C3 Aircross. Likewise, the 1.6 TDI diesel is quiet enough generally, but a bit rumbly on start-up when cold.

There isn't a great deal of tyre roar from the Kamiq's rubber, but there is a fair bit of wind noise at motorway speeds.  That's true for most small crossover SUVs, though, and a disadvantage over lower-riding hatchbacks. 

The Skoda Kamiq is an extremely safe family crossover. When Euro NCAP crash-tested it in 2019, it was awarded a maximum five stars for safety. That includes a very impressive 96% score for adult occupants and 85% for children. It was given an 80% rating for vulnerable road users and 76% for its safety assist features.

There's plenty of technology on hand to prevent you from being involved in a crash and – pleasingly – most of it is standard across the range. All models come with Skoda's Front Assist system, which uses a radar in the front grille to monitor the traffic ahead and apply the brakes if it detects an impending collision. It also includes predictive pedestrian protection, warning the driver via an audio/visual signal and a jolt of the brakes if a pedestrian steps out in the road in front of you.

Lane Assist is also standard, nudging you back into your lane on the motorway, as well as Emergency Call (which automatically alerts the emergency services if you're involved in a crash).

There are a few desirable options to look out for if you're safety-minded. These include blind-spot detection, a driver fatigue sensor and driver's knee airbag.

We headed to an insurance comparison website where we were quoted a fairly reasonable £328 to insure a mid-spec Kamiq with the 1.5 TSI engine and automatic gearbox. That's irrelevant, though, unless you're a 40-year-old teacher from Lincolnshire called Elizabeth (the subject of our insurance quote) – it's such a personal thing, so shop around if you're concerned about the cost of insurance.

The cheapest model to insure should be the 1.0 TSI in S or SE spec as this is placed in insurance group 9E. The priciest will be a 1.5 TSI in SE L or Monte Carlo trim – these fall into category 19E.

After the first 12 months, you'll pay a flat rate of £150 a year to tax the Skoda Kamiq. That's pretty standard, unless you buy a hybrid alternative (which will qualify for a hefty £10-a-year discount). Or there are electric crossover SUVs like the Peugeot e-2008 and Hyundai Kona Electric... these cost nothing to tax. Nada.

The Skoda Kamiq range kicks off with the fairly basic S grade. This comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and black roof rails. Inside, you’ll find cloth upholstery, a three-spoke leather steering wheel and a manually height-adjustable driver’s seat. There’s a digital radio with a 6.5-inch touchscreen display and Bluetooth connectivity. The outer rear seats come with Isofix anchorage points, while Front Assist and Lane Assist are useful standard features. Finally, you get heated door mirrors (with electric adjustment), central locking and manual air conditioning.

We’d look for a Kamiq SE, if only for the eight-inch touchscreen media system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. It also comes with bigger 17-inch alloy wheels, body-coloured bumpers and a three-spoke leather multifunction steering wheel. There’s manual lumbar support adjustment for both front seats (a relatively rare yet desirable feature) and a front centre armrest. An alarm is standard, as is cruise control, rear parking sensors and light/rain sensors.

The Kamiq SE L starts to feel a bit more upmarket, with 18-inch alloy wheels, rear LED headlights (with fancy dynamic indicators) and chrome exterior highlights (namely the window frame surrounds and roof rails). You get a 9.2-inch navigation system with gesture control as well as a 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster. Keyless engine start is standard, as well as dual-zone climate control and electrically folding door mirrors.

Topping the range is the Kamiq Monte Carlo. This comes with a range of gloss black exterior detailing, along with 18-inch black alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, full LED headlights and tail lights, and a special sports front bumper. At the rear, there is a black diffuser and black boot lettering. Inside, the Kamiq Monte Carlo is equipped with sports seats, sports steering wheel and aluminium pedals as standard. Technology includes the Virtual Cockpit, 9.2-inch infotainment system and red ambient lighting.