Many people gasped when Skoda showed off the facelift for its Octavia model, but now that’s no longer the model with the boldest face - that distinction goes to the all-new 2019 Skoda Kamiq, the company’s brand new but also smallest crossover offering for Europe. Last year Skoda revealed a China-only crossover that is also called the Kamiq, but it’s quite a different vehicle that looks nowhere near as funky or as posh as the Euro model.
2020 Skoda Kamiq Eurospec
This new Kamiq for Europe slots in under the Karoq in Skoda’s high rider range that is capped off by the Kodiaq. In case you were wondering where the name comes from, Skoda tells us the word “originates from the language of the Inuit people who live in northern Canada and Greenland: it means something that fits perfectly.” It also obviously fits the company’s crossover naming strategy where all model names must begin with a “K” and end in a “Q.”
The vehicle measures 4.21 meters or 165 inches in length and will be offered with a choice of rims ranging in size from 16- to 18-inch. It is described by the manufacturer as “robust and dynamic,” with a "balanced proportions and a timeless design, combined with a dynamic and sporty look.”
Inside it’s instantly familiar if you’ve been in any recent Skoda (or any comparable VW group product, for that matter). It’s certainly a bit more modern, and it has a different placement for the infotainment screen, but it’s not what one would call flamboyant.
No all-wheel-drive version of the Kamiq will be offered, and the range of available engines is quite predictable: an entry level 1.0-liter TSI turbo with 95 horsepower and 175 Nm or 129 pound-feet of torque; the sole gearbox available for it is a five-speed manual. There’s also a more powerful version of the same engine with 115 horsepower and 200 Nm otr 147 pound-feet of torque - it has a standard six-speed gearbox, but a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch is available.
One diesel will be offered, VW’s 1.6-liter TDI with 115 horsepower and 250 Nm or 184 pound-feet of torque. Available with a standard six-speed stick or optional DSG, it will be the most efficient power plant available for the Kamiq, although we don’t yet know how efficient - Skoda has yet to reveal economy figures for its new baby crossover.
Skoda says the Kamiq will feature a complete slew of active and passive safety aids that include:
-* Front Assist (this includes City Emergency Brake and Predictive Pedestrian Protection)
-* Side Assist (this “can detect vehicles that are up to 70 m away and wanting to overtake or that are in the car’s blind spot, and thus also effectively assists the driver on motorways and dual carriageways)
-* Lane Assist
-* Adaptive cruise control that works all the way up to 209 km/h or 130 mph
-* Driver Alert fatigue detection system
-* Crew Protect Assist.
Additional details about the model will be made public at or after its official public debut next week at the 2019 Geneva motor show.
Further reading
Read our full review on the 2019 Skoda Kamiq.
Read our full review on the 2018 Skoda Kodiaq.
Read our full review on the 2018 Skoda Karoq.