Skoda has unveiled the latest member of its SUV lineup, with the Kamiq set to take on compact crossover rivals like the Kia Stonic and Seat Arona

MLADA BOLESLAV, CZECH REPUBLIC

Skoda has unveiled the new Kamiq, the latest sport utility vehicle (SUV) from the Czech brand. The Kamiq joins the Kodiaq and Karoq (below) as the third SUV in Skoda’s lineup, and will challenge the growing number of compact crossovers in an increasingly-heated market.

The Kamiq has not yet been confirmed for Singapore, but should it make it here, it would most likely arrive in the later part of next year, priced to compete with the likes of the Kia Stonic, Citroen C3 Aircross, and Volkswagen Group stablemate Seat Arona.

READ MORE: The Seat Arona is the Kamiq dressed up in Spanish clothes, and it’s already on sale in Singapore. Check out our local review here

Despite its status as a compact crossover, the Kamiq promises class-leading levels of interior space. Skoda claims that the Kamiq offers 1,003mm of rear headroom and 73mm of rear kneeroom, while the boot offers up to 400 litres of cargo capacity, expandable to 1,395 litres when the rear seats are folded down.

Engine options are likely to mirror the Skoda Scala hatchback, on which the Kamiq is based. This means either a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo with 115hp, or the 1.5-litre inline four turbo with 150bhp as seen in the Kamiq’s bigger SUV sibling, the Karoq.

Skoda also offers a third petrol option in the form of a highly-efficient 1.0-litre G-TEC engine that produces 90hp and can be paired with compressed natural gas (CNG) technology, but that version is unlikely to find favour here.

All Kamiqs come with lane assistance, and Front Assist with pedestrian detection and emergency braking as standard, while optional extras include Sport Chassis Control, which lowers the car by about 10mm and offers two different driving modes, and an electric tailgate.

There’s also the usual neat Skoda tricks like the ice scraper in the fuel filler flap (not so relevant for Singapore), and the hidden umbrella in the door (definitely relevant for Singapore).

Most importantly, how much would it cost? Given that the least expensive Karoq is only S$117k with COE right now, we can expect the Kamiq to be cheaper than that at the very least. 

Skoda has been very competitive in pricing of all of its models so far – which led it to having its best sales year in Singapore in 2018, and this on the same year it officially returned to Singapore under VW Singapore’s distributorship. 

READ MORE: Want to Czech out what a Skoda SUV is like? Take a look at the Kamiq’s bigger brother, the Kodiaq, in our review here. It’s bear-y impressive indeed…