It’s been three months since we took delivery of our long-term Skoda Kamiq, but have we warmed to it as much as the Karoq? Cameron Richards finds out.
I can’t believe that I’m halfway through my time with the Skoda Kamiq and although it’s only been used sparingly throughout the last couple of months, I’ve still had time to really get to know it.
From the last report, the little Kamiq has been on a few more trips with an airport run in the mix – racking a fair few miles up. Meanwhile, local trips have been its main purpose regarding most of its outings. One of the journeys that I took it on, which showed me really where it was capable, was up to Heathrow a couple of weeks back. This was also where the Karoq shone in, too. Regardless of weather, traffic or road conditions, the Kamiq really is a quiet and comfortable car to travel in. Plus, the cruise control did come in handy on the M3’s 11-mile stretch of average-speed cameras.
In terms of fuel economy, I’ve been averaging around 45mpg on a long run which isn’t the best, but it’s far from the worst as well. Most of my journeys this month in the Kamiq have been in the pouring rain, but even though it’s not sunny, the glass panoramic roof does help let a lot more light into the cabin – even on a wet and windy day. The seats in our test car are also very comfortable and feel very supportive, and thankfully there is a decent amount of lumbar support. Furthermore, the Kamiq isn’t short of space with it easily fitting shopping bags and luggage in the boot as well and the built-in umbrella in the driver’s door has also come in handy in these damper Autumn months.
Unlike last month when the Apple Carplay decided it didn’t want to play ball, this time it has behaved and hasn’t crashed on me. I’ve come to the conclusion that Skoda’s Apple CarPlay system doesn’t like the car being switched off when the sat-nav is currently in use as the Kamiq and Karoq both did exactly the same thing when I was at the same petrol station one afternoon. But, luckily this time that hasn’t occurred and I’ve managed to get to my destinations in a calm and stress-free manner.
However, even though there have been no electrical gremlins or glitches, I’m still not sold on this 1.0-litre powertrain that our test car has. It just doesn’t have enough poke and even though it is turbocharged, you still feel that the car could do with another 30 or 50bhp. When overtaking, the DSG automatic gearbox is a little sluggish to respond and it also is a tad jerky when changing gear under acceleration. I’ve never been the biggest fan of three-cylinder engines, and I just feel the Kamiq would be better suited with either a manual gearbox or the bigger 1.5-litre TSi four-cylinder engine that was in our Karoq previously.
To drive, the Kamiq is very much like its bigger brother in that it focuses on comfort rather than driver engagement. The suspension is smooth and subtle and there isn’t much wind and road noise – but the steering is numb and there just doesn’t feel any communication between the wheel and the driver at all – which is a shame. Cars in this class like the Lexus LBX do drive better – but again I’m probably missing the point with this car and what it does do well is take people around with their belongings in comfort and safety.
I’ve still got three more months left with the Kamiq and coming up soon I’ve got a couple of trips where it will do a few more long-haul journeys. It’s not a car that I get excited about (what SUV does) but what I do enjoy about it is the ease of living with it and the fact that you know that its versatility and practical nature means if you need to carry passengers and their luggage, the Kamiq can take it all without complaint.
Facts at a glance
- Model as tested: Skoda Kamiq 1.0-litre TSi DSG Monte Carlo
- Price as tested: £32,205
- Engine: 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol
- Power: 114bhp
- Torque: 200Nm
- Top speed: 121mph
- 0-60mph: 10 seconds
- MPG: 45mpg
- CO2 emissions: 132g/km
- Mileage: 3,562 miles
By Cameron Richards