Skoda Kamiq 2020 Car Review

Unmistakable from the front and unforgettable from the rear, the fine lines and interesting angles make this car stand out from the norm.

An SUV to a ‘T’

The name ‘KAMIQ’ comes from the language of the Inuit people living in northern Canada and Greenland, and translates to ‘something that fits perfectly in every situation’. The KAMIQ’s name also begins with the letter K and ends in a Q, and thereby continuing the homogenous nomenclature of ŠKODA’s SUV models.

The KAMIQ blends the typical advantages of this segment, such as increased ground clearance and a raised seat position, with the agility of a compact car and ŠKODA’s characteristic emotive design. With state-of-the-art assistance and infotainment systems, a generous amount of space and numerous ‘Simply Clever’ features, the new KAMIQ equally fulfils the needs of both family and lifestyle-oriented customers in true ŠKODA style.

A great all-rounder

This medium-sized SUV is very good all round, offering a spacious stylish interior with ample storage, however, there is a trend we are starting to see more now in new cars where the conventional USB ports have been changed to the smaller USB Type-C. In addition to the front of the vehicle there are also two at the back of the centre console for the rear passengers to access.

With the seats positioned 40mm higher than the SCALA (a similar styled passenger wagon by ŠKODA), the driver has better visibility to spot pedestrians and cyclists, and avoid obstacles or a kerb while parking. Inside, the KAMIQ is the second ŠKODA to incorporate the new interior concept, and is adorned with soft materials on the dash and front door trims, while the seats are of a new design with covers made using Swedish microfibre to create an interior of exceptional comfort and style. Further buyer customisation is available with decorative trims, contrasting stitching and ambient lighting.

Two engines are available for NZ. The KAMIQ base model called Ambition (from $30,990), receives a 85kW 1.0L TSI, meanwhile the next model up, the Ambition+ (from $36,990) and Monte Carlo (price TBC) both receive a 110kW 1.5L TSI drivetrain.

Automatic Dual-zone (Climatronic) air conditioning is available from the Ambition+ models up, with optional electric driver seat, heated windscreen, and steering wheel for those who don’t wish to feel the cold.

Safety confirmed

Tested in 2019, the KAMIQ received the 5-star safety rating, based on the crash testing of the similarly styled SCALA, plus additional frontal offset and pedestrian tests were performed to confirm these results. Adult occupant protection scored 36.7 out of 38 (96%) thanks to the inclusion of outstanding safety features as standard like dual frontal, side chest-protecting (for first and second row seats) and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags, and a driver knee airbag.

And assist like Autonomous emergency braking (City, Interurban & Vulnerable Road User) as well as lane keep assist (LKA) with lane departure warning (LDW) are standard on all variants.

The KAMIQ marks the arrival of the third out of four promised SUV launches for ŠKODA’s award-winning range, with the launch timing for the fourth, the ENYAQ (an electric SUV), still to be confirmed.

Safety systems

• Front Assist with Predictive Pedestrian Protection
• Crew Protect Assist - for emergency traffic situations
• Lane Assist
• Multi-Collision Brake
• Side Assist with Rear Traffic Alert
• Adaptive Cruise Control

Find out more on how the AA can help you when buying a new car:

• AA Money - aa.co.nz/money
• AA Insurance - aa.co.nz/insurance
• AA Car Reviews - aa.co.nz/car-reviews
• AA Running Cost Reports - aa.co.nz/runningcosts

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