2024 Skoda Kamiq Select review

Usually, a runout special is a sure-fire way to clear old stock in anticipation of the next generation. You cut the price of the outgoing model to clear space on a dealer lot, then put the price back up for the latest and greatest.

Not the case with the 2024 Skoda Kamiq small SUV. Earlier this year, Volkswagen introduced a striking $32,990 drive-away deal on old Kamiq stock, but here we are in late 2024 – with a new facelifted version – and the price is a still-commendable $33,990 drive-away nationwide.

So, the brand’s definitely sharpened the pricing pencil for the latest version. But is the car underneath still worth buying – especially with strong competition from rivals like Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Honda?

I’m behind the wheel of an entry-level specification – the Select that costs $33,990 drive-away – to find out.

There are only two variants in the 2024 Skoda Kamiq model line-up. Gone are the Style and Signature model grades of old, replaced with the new entry-level Skoda Kamiq Select and the range-topping Monte Carlo specification.

The Kamiq Select costs $33,990 drive-away, which is more than the base-spec Kia Seltos S but less than the Mazda CX-30 and Hyundai Kona 2.0-litre after accounting for additional on-road costs.

There’s a fair amount of money separating the two Kamiq variants – the $11,000 extra spend for the Monte Carlo is a sizeable chunk of change at this end of the market.

But, the Monte Carlo brings equipment including a panoramic glass sunroof, 18-inch alloys, sports chassis control, glossy black highlights for the exterior, tinted rear windows, and a larger 9.2-inch infotainment screen with satellite navigation.

Buyers of the Kamiq Select make do with standard equipment such as keyless entry, push-button start/stop, dual-zone climate control, LED headlights, an eight-speaker sound system, and an 8.25-inch touchscreen that runs wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

You can select the additional Signature package for $4200 extra – this brings adaptive cruise control with lane-centring, a larger 10.25-inch main infotainment display, and ‘Suedia’ upholstery for the seats.

The car I drove was appointed with ‘Krepp’ cloth seats. As an aside, ‘Krepp’ is an interesting name to coin your entry-level upholstery, but more on this fabric in the next section.

The Skoda Kamiq is powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that outputs 85kW and 200Nm to the front wheels. This is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

It’s not fast, but it does promise frugality – Skoda says the model returns 5.5 litres per 100 kilometres on a mixed driving cycle. I tested this, so find out later in the review whether it matches the claim.

Interior-wise, the Skoda Kamiq’s presentation is fuss-free and no-frills. The basics are covered off nicely – the cloth seats feel plush and the seat stitching is sturdy, while there are soft-touch surfaces on the door panels and on the dashboard.

In the way of contrasting trims, the hard-backed (but fabric-covered) dash inlay is a nice point of difference and colour-matches the seat bolsters.

It’s great that Skoda has equipped the Kamiq with a leather-covered gear selector and steering wheel – plenty of other entry-level rivals to this car will have polyurethane plastic steering wheels which feel less pleasing to the touch.

The Skoda Kamiq has two cupholders in the centre console – at least on paper. I tried to fit a standard-size reusable coffee cup in there and it wouldn’t quite fit. There’s also a compact lidded centre console bin for hiding valuables.

There is no provision for wireless smartphone charging – despite wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto featuring as part of the infotainment system – but there are two USB-C ports in the front row and two in the rear.

The back seats are tight for taller occupants – I’m not the best measure of rear seat comfort with my 194cm height – but my knees were pressed into the seat backs and I didn’t have ample space side to side.

That said, it’s great to see amenities such as rear air vents and practical map pockets. There is no fold-down armrest, however.

Naturally, the Kamiq comes with Skoda’s suite of “Simply Clever” features such as an umbrella in the driver’s door, phone pockets on the seat backs, a windscreen washer funnel, and a parking ticket clip on the windscreen.

The Skoda Kamiq’s boot fares decently for a small SUV – 400 litres is fair game for the segment. The comparable Mazda CX-30 can only contain 317L, though the Kamiq is beaten by the Hyundai Kona and its 407L storage space.

Underneath the boot floor, you’ll find a space-saver spare wheel for emergencies.

An 8.25-inch infotainment screen is small by today’s standards, especially when compared to the Skoda Kamiq’s rivals like the Hyundai Kona and its 12.3-inch main display.

The underlying software is an old version of Skoda’s infotainment system, though functionality is fine. It includes full-width displays for the wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto capabilities, while the system itself caters for AM and FM radio bands.

There is no satellite navigation as standard.

It’s simple to get your head around the menus and settings – there are big icons on the home screen to select different functions and buttons either side of the screen to skip to specific items such as radio, smartphone mirroring, or the media system.

I do like that the Kamiq is a holdout of touch-based air-conditioning controls. The dials and buttons the Kamiq uses are far easier to control than placing those kinds of controls in the infotainment system.

The Skoda Kamiq Select’s entry-level eight-speaker stereo punches way harder than a budget-level small SUV’s audio system should. There’s a great clarity of sound and I was revelling in turning the volume up to bassy songs.

Skoda does not offer connected services or remote-access smartphone app functionality on the Kamiq in Australia.

The Skoda Kamiq was awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating when the model first arrived in Australia in 2020, but it has not been tested since – even with the latest facelift.

At the time it received an adult occupant protection rating of 96 per cent and 87 per cent for child occupant protection. Vulnerable road users fared slightly worse with an 80 per cent ranking, while its safety assist technology was given a 76 per cent pass mark.

These ratings stands until December 2025 according to ANCAP’s six-year validity rule.

Both variants of the Skoda Kamiq – the Select and Monte Carlo – come with active safety measures such as autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-departure warning.

However, the top-spec Monte Carlo goes further with additions such as adaptive cruise control, parking assistance, and Travel Assist lane-centring for the adaptive cruise-control system.

In my time with the car, these systems operated without fault.

As of late 2022, Skodas come with a strong seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia. This is an impressive offering, matching rivals like Kia and GWM. Even Volkswagen itself falls behind the Skoda subsidiary in this regard.

Servicing is offered as part of prepaid packages or pay-as-you-go; however, the former is substantially less expensive.

According to Skoda’s pricing plan, the first five maintenance visits back to the dealer will cost $2350, and seven years costs $2650. This is $757 and $1604 cheaper than pay-as-you-go servicing, respectively.

The Skoda Kamiq Select will cost $1501 per annum to comprehensively insure based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

This compares with $1442 for a Toyota Corolla Cross GX or $1866 for a GWM Haval Jolion Hybrid Lux.

Despite a lack of hybridisation, Skoda quotes a low fuel economy figure of just 5.5 litres per 100 kilometres on a mixed driving cycle.

That’s a frugal claim, but it was one that I was able to get relatively close to. In my time with the car I returned a 6.3L/100km rating. My time with the car was spent on country roads, inner-city suburbia, and freeways.

Unfortunately, the trade-off is the fact that you’ll have to refuel its petrol tank with 95-octane premium unleaded fuel.

The 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine of the Kamiq Select is the only engine available at the entry level. If you want more power than its 85kW/200Nm outputs provide, you’ll have to step up to the Monte Carlo and pay a whopping $11,000 extra.

Unfortunately, this is a tricky prospect, because the 85kW/200Nm outputs of the Select feel lacklustre in a car of this size. Even though the Kamiq is a small SUV, its 1310kg (tare) weight means it feels lethargic off the line and it can struggle to gain speed on the move, up higher in the rev range.

It’s a fine engine under the bonnet of a Skoda Fabia or Volkswagen Polo, but I wanted more oomph behind the wheel of the Skoda Kamiq.

Add into that, the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is cumbersome at low speeds and takes time to engage the right gear. The start-stop system can exacerbate this lack of action too.

Overall, you feel like it takes a frustrating amount of time for the car to pick up speed and there’s a distinct lack of low-down torque.

The 1.0-litre engine isn’t overtly noisy doing service around town, though there’s a fair amount of tyre noise to contend with on the open road.

It was easy to appreciate the Kamiq’s soft ride composure – it dispatches speedhumps easily and large undulations in the road don’t unsettle this car mid-corner. There are vibrations felt throughout the cabin over pockmarked roads, though it’s not uncomfortable.

I do like the fact the Kamiq comes with a leather-lined steering wheel and gear selector. It makes the experience of manoeuvring the car that much nicer. It’s also easy to place the car within lane markings or perform three-point turns.

The Skoda Kamiq is only rated to tow light loads – up to 1200kg using a braked trailer or 610kg for an unbraked trailer.

Buyers will have to weigh up the pros and cons personally with the Skoda Kamiq Select. Yes, it’s very affordable, and yes, it's filled with neat features, but its driving experience leaves some to be desired.

Progress in the entry-level variant is slow going and the dual-clutch transmission had some hiccups that some of the more expensive members of the Skoda range had addressed years ago. The slow stop-start system does not blend in well either.

Practically, the Kamiq makes a lot of sense – it might be tight in the second row, but the boot is spacious and the front row contains a good amount of room. It's also impressively efficient on petrol, even though you'll be paying for 95-octane premium unleaded.

At $33,990 drive-away, the entry-level Skoda Kamiq Select is an attractive prospect, but definitely one that should be test-driven first before signing on the dotted line.

The next step on the purchase journey is to check the Skoda website for stock of your preferred Kamiq variant. You can also find Skodas for sale at Drive Marketplace.

We strongly recommend taking a test drive at a dealership before committing because personal needs and tastes can differ. Find your nearest Skoda dealer via this link. We’d also recommend test-driving the Kia Seltos S or Hyundai Kona to test their similarities and differences in both performance and styling.

If you want to stay updated with everything that's happened to this car since our review, you'll find all the latest news here.