Refreshed small crossover remains focused on value, practicality and ease of use
MATT SAUNDERS @thedarkstormy1
TESTED 7.2.24, FRANKFURT, GERMANY ON SALE NOW
How many ‘clever’ interior features can you fit into one compact crossover? As of this week, courtesy of your regular Czech purveyor of such things and its revised Kamiq, there’s one more.
The little cubby between the rear footwells with an elasticated strap, the phone-sized pockets high on the front seatbacks, the various cargo nets and hooks, the 12V socket in the boot, the parking ticket holder, the ice scraper in the filler flap, and the umbrella in the driver’s door are joined by a wireless charger with a difference: it’s air-conditioned, so that your phone doesn’t get cooked. And yes, it still blows cool if you ask for the cabin to be warmed. It seems like such an obvious thing to do, so of course Skoda has done it first.
This company clearly continues to care most about how much pain its cars can take out of everyday motoring life for its customers – and all for a very reasonable price.
Elsewhere, there’s a new larger grille, fresh bumpers, new lights, new wheel designs, fresh materials, enhanced infotainment and a new Evo2-generation TSI 1.0-litre petrol engine, improving MPG slightly.
Yet prices have risen by only £1000 to £1500 across the board and remain enticingly sensible.
The Kamiq is one of the larger and more practical B-SUVs and does a pretty tidy impression of a Ford Focus-sized hatchback on stilts. Rivals may offer bigger boots, but the Kamiq’s rear is adult-friendly.
There was a hint of dowdiness about the cabin decor before, which has been addressed via the addition of some tactile cloth dashboard trim. Skoda calls the new ambience ‘living roomy’, and not unfairly.
Trouble is, my young lad doesn’t take off his footy boots in our actual living room and then rub his sweaty socks on the soft furnishings. For me, Skodas should primarily be functional cars, and I worry a bit how such trim might wear and age. It depends on the family, I guess.
Anyway, the rest of the interior and the wider effects of the facelift are good. All Kamiqs now get digital instruments, which are clear and configurable. All get a touchscreen with wireless phone mirroring. And Skoda is still sensible enough to make all of the driver assistance systems easy to toggle on or off via a screen menu that pops up at the touch of a steering wheel button.
There are three petrol engin
