SKODA KAMIQ Review

The SKODA KAMIQ at a glance

The SKODA KAMIQ Monte Carlo is the manufacturer’s range-topping model in its line. It’s distinguishable by its front and rear bumpers with black details and has a sporty look. With its stylish exterior the Monte Carlo has striking LED headlights and is a simple, easy to drive, comfortable, small SUV suitable for a family of four with ease.

What’s it like to drive?

The SKODA KAMIQ offers a comfortable, smooth drive that is great for munching through those motorway miles. The adaptive cruise control, once engaged, is a useful tool. As it comes as standard on most new cars these days, we still appreciate it here. Remember to engage the cruise control before trying to activate it – you can do this by flicking a switch on the left steering wheel indicator stork.

It has a lane assist lane keep system, which ensures you’re driving in the middle of the lane and prompts you if you drift at all. It also conveniently includes a driving assist which enables emergency braking if needed. This clever, simple little auto also has driver alert system, which assesses the fatigue of the driver and will alert you if you need to rest during your journey.

When driving through town the engine is lacklustre when setting off from a standstill position. We’d love to see a bit of punch when setting off, especially when needing to make those right hand turns in busy cities, the car seems to lag in its ability to make progress.

What are some of the best features?

This is a practical, spacious little SUV, with ample legroom for passengers and two car seats fit in the back with ease, allowing the little passengers and the grown-ups enough space without feeling squashed. ISOFIX is also included (in the front passenger seat and both back seats) ensuring car seats can be secured with the utmost safety in mind.

Here’s my 3-year-old very relaxed and comfortable in his Joie Traver car seat:

The panoramic sunroof was a winner with the kids, it opened their back seat world and kept them that little bit more engaged on car journeys. It must be one of the most impressive features of the SKODA KAMIQ and has a handy electric shade to keep the sun out of your little one’s faces when travelling during the day.

We love the sportier look this SUV offers, including red interior detailing, ambient interior lighting, 18inch black Vega alloy wheels, a black grille, black window frames, black roof rails, and full LED headlights. The sport seats are comfortable, they hug you in place, and they give a more race-like feel when on the move.

The Infotainment system comes in the shape of a 10.25inch screen, which incorporates Amundsen satellite navigation, Apple and Android compatible connectivity and more. At first, we weren’t sure about the climate controls being separate from the infotainment system display, but we found them useful in the end. Most newer models these days allow the climate to be controlled by the touchscreen, we prefer having the good ol’ standard twisty controls for this. Faffing with a touchscreen when you want to do a quick cool down of the car can be somewhat frustrating.

The infotainment does the job, and you can check the navigation, radio and all other car features with ease. You can link your smartphone via Bluetooth, and we found the touch sensor very receptive in comparison to other SUVs we’ve used which seem slower in response. Between the six speakers in the car, the echoes of Blaze and the Monster machine theme songs and Peppa Pig were heard easily for all.

For those who suffer from back pain like us, there are height adjustable front seats and lumbar support (which comes in very handy and makes for a more comfortable drive, too). Other additions are there are USB and USB-C ports and a snazzy, faux carbon fibre dashboard.

Moving on to the all-important boot space, which is an impressive 400 litres. We were impressed with the size, which comfortably fitted a full-size pushchair, small aeroplane carry-on size suitcase, a duffle bag, with snacks and toys in tow. There are a couple of side compartments and lights to help when things get a bit darker. See evidence of how we crammed the boot up for an overnight trip here:

How economic is the SKODA KAMIQ?

We averaged around 46.3mpg on our overall, combined journeys. We covered around 230miles and hit around the half a tank of petrol mark. Safe to say this is one economical automobile. With petrol prices being all over the shop at the moment, we were very grateful.

Is there anything we’d change?

A few tweaks here and there. We’d love to see an auto-hold brake included. When in town and on flat surfaces, after compressing the brake we had to use the handbrake to keep the car stable. Other cars we’ve used enable an ‘auto-hold’ feature, which secures the car in place for more effective stop and go scenarios.

It would useful if the SKODA KAMIQ’s screen was slightly angled towards the driver’s view for easier use, however we guess it’s a plus that it offers the passenger better view. We also found that we couldn’t end calls from the sporty steering wheel, which is a bit of a pain when on the move and would have been a nice accessible feature to include.

Lastly, we’re not too keen on the side mirrors, they’re a bit too sporty for us and cut off the top view slightly. While we were very comfortable in the sporty driving seat, there isn’t an armrest (car buffs will appreciate that one) and there's no head rest, which meant we couldn’t add our toddler’s tablet holder.

Final thoughts

This is a comfortable car for a family of four, we have had no complaints from our little or large passengers. When you're using the car on a daily basis the lag in the engine when setting off can become increasing frustrating. With the combination of city driving and motorway miles, it wouldn’t suit our drive style. However, the long-haul drives are comfortable, and we adore the panoramic glass sunroof. We think all cars should have one, it just opens up the space in this already spacious little SUV. The car is super economic, and we would recommend you give it a test drive for sure.

Specifications