Space and favour in Skoda’s baby SUV

The Kamiq’s practicality saves it from mediocrity, writes Matt Allan

In the past I’ve had Skoda’s other SUV offerings - Karoq and Kodiaq - as long-termers and been impressed by both over the course of a few months. I didn’ t have theKamiq for as long but I did end up with it for a few weeks. Sadly though, it never won me over the way its stablematesdid.

Like so many B-SUVs it doesn’t do anything particularly wrong but it doesn’t excel in manyareaseither.

Looks-wise, it’s recognisably a Skoda with the sharp creases and angles but it lacks the presence of the larger SUVs or the sleek er shape of the Scala hatchback. And the ride height doesn’t feel significantly taller thantheScala, robbingitofone of the supposed appeals of the SUVstyle.

That height issue aside, the Kamiq’ s driving position is good, with decent visibility, supportive seats and plenty of adjustment.

The interior is also recognisably aSkoda. Some dashboard inserts aside it’ s a little plain but all the touch points are good mainstream quality.

Controls are laid out clearly and logic ally, and while there are relatively few physical controls there are proper dial sf or keyf eatu ressuc has the air con.

The interior also brings the Kamiq’ s one key strength-space andpracticality.

I cannot think of a direct competitor that offers as much rear leg and head room. Certainly, I can’t name another model that would allow a 6’5” passenger to fit behind an average sized driver with room to spare.

The rear bench is tight width-wise for three passengers but for a family of four or even four fully grown adults, there’s more than enough room.

If you are going to be carrying those four adults regularly the test car’s 114bhp 1.0-litre petrol might prove a little under powered but in day-to-day use it held up well. There’s enough grunt from the three-cylinder turbo, and the seven-speed auto transmission takes the pain out of city driving. It’s a frugal machine, too, returning44mpg.

On the road, the handling is solid and reassuring, but the ride that feels slightly compromisedbythe18-inch alloys that came as standard on our test car. It won’t break your spine but slightly taller tyreswouldhelp.

At £25,000 our SE L test car sits second from top in the Kamiq range. It packs a decent amount of equipment, such as dual-zone climate control, an excellent 9.2- inch media/ navigation system, a fully digital instrument display, cruise control and safety features such as front and lane assist plus blind spot detection. But even still, there are a lot of blank plates around the cabin, indicating where extra features could be added at a cost.

Like virtually every other B-segment crossover/SUV, the Kamiq fails to ignite much excitement and, personally, I’d choose the hatchback equivalent of any of them. However, in the context of its rivals, the Kamiq again nails Skoda’s brief of offering an enticing blend of quality and space along with a solid and easy driving experience.