SKODAKamiq 2018 - Present

　　Skoda unveiled the subcompact crossover Kamiq at the 2018 Auto China 2018 and aimed not just at the Chinese market but at European customers as well.

　　The Czech automaker developed the Kamiq on the same platform as the Volkswagen T-Roc and the SEAT Arona. It was the smallest crossover in the Skoda’s inventory, placed below the compact-sized Karoq and the large Kodiaq. The new vehicle came to fill the needs of those looking for an affordable family vehicle that could handle well in crowded cities but also be able to tackle a few unpaved roads, even though it wasn’t offered with an all-wheel drive architecture due to the limited possibilities of the MQB A0 platform on which the car relied.

　　The Kamiq followed the automaker’s cubist design language but with some interesting twists. At the front, the headlights were positioned below the LED daytime running lights and flanked the wedged-shaped grille. Lower, on the bumper, a broad air intake crossed the apron from side to side, and underneath it, it sported a skid-plate-like plastic trim.

　　Skoda made the Kamiq’s profile resemble a subcompact-sized hatchback, with a raked and tall windshield and an ascending waistline. The B- and C-pillars were black, and only the raked-forward D-pillars placed at the back sported the body color. Antii Savio, the car’s designer, made the sculptured door panels to resemble those installed on the Skoda Scala and the Skoda Octavia. A set of contrasting-color side sills was available. The car rolled on 16” to 18” alloy wheels, depending on the grade and options. Skoda made the Kamiq available with standard LED lights both at the front and at the back for the taillights, which was not very common for this car’s segment.

　　Inside, the automaker worked hard to create a pleasant interior for its customers. The dashboard and many contact areas were covered by soft-touch materials. Even the base trim level featured a touchscreen for the infotainment system placed atop the center stack, although it was small. An eight-inch one featuring Android Auto and Apple CarPlay was available from the second grade, while the top trim level received a larger, 10.2” touchscreen with gesture control. In addition, that version also had a digital instrument cluster instead of an analog one. At the front, the bucket seats provided average side bolstering to keep their occupants in place, while at the back, a split-folding (60/40) bench seat was suitable for two occupants or a pair of child seats. There was limited legroom and elbowroom for a third, middle-seated passenger.

　　Under the hood, Skoda installed a range of turbocharged gasoline and diesel engines ranging between 95 PS (94 hp) and 150 PS (148 hp) paired with six-speed manuals or seven-speed automatics. Depending on the market, the Kamiq could also be equipped with a 1.0-liter CNG engine.

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