Skoda Kamiq review

Small SUVs are becoming more and more like chocolate bars. The basic recipe is often the same – a bit of rufty-tufty styling and perhaps more interior space – and generally they end up quite similar. Yet there’s usually something distinguishing; the Snickers versus Mars 'ingredient' that helps you to differentiate between them. 

So, why might you choose the Skoda Kamiq over a Seat Arona or Volkswagen T-Cross – two models that use the same basic underpinnings? Well, sticking with the choccie bar analogy for a moment longer, the Kamiq has a different wrapper and a squidgier filling, but it’s also what you might describe as ‘King Size’ – it's big by small SUV standards.

The Kamiq also has some neat design touches. Okay, it’s not as adventurously styled as the Nissan Juke, but at least the Kamiq isn’t simply a Karoq (Skoda’s larger, family SUV) that's been shoved into a photocopier and shrunk to 95%.

It features a split headlight design, with LED daytime running lights along the top, and it's available with fancy dynamic indicators, front and rear. Those are the type that you might have noticed when following an Audi or a Jaguar, which use LEDs that light up in sequence – from the inside of the car to the outside – effectively pointing to the direction that the car's going to turn. Kudos to Skoda for offering those at such a low price point.

Then there are its nifty practical features. Fed up with the rigmarole of squeezing out of your car while desperately trying to avoid banging the door into the car next to you? Well, the Kamiq is available with hidden rubber strips that automatically pop out as you open the doors to protect their edges. And the usual handy Skoda accoutrements, including an umbrella in the door and an ice scraper in the fuel filler cap, are all present and correct. Most versions even have a removable, rechargeable torch that lives in the boot.

But aside from all those clever touches, is the Skoda Kamiq a fundamentally good small SUV? Does it stack up financially and, crucially, should you consider buying one instead of its rivals, the Arona, Nissan Juke, Ford Puma, T-Cross and T-Roc? Read on to find out.

And if you’re in the market, check out our New Car Buying service for a hassle-free deal at a great price, on hundreds of new cars, including the Skoda Kamiq.