We like
Charming to drive, Monte Carlo is a refined option, Select is big value, great interior design and space, big boot, space-saver spare, usable tech, no annoying safety nannies, long warranty

Room for improvement
The $11,000 gap between grades, no adaptive cruise in Select, some road noise, no leather (or fake leather) upholstery option, no wireless phone charging pad

MODEST? The changes may appear to be exactly that at a glance, but there is a bit more to it than what meets the eye for the updated Skoda Kamiq small SUV.

 

There are a few small design adjustments at the front end, but now all models come with better lighting tech including LEDs all-around, plus the top-spec model has a new Matrix LED system with auto high-beam, too.

 

There are new wheels and minor adjustments to the bumpers, while inside there has been an important improvement – there are now physical dials and buttons for the climate control system, whereas previously some of the controls were managed through the touchscreen.

 

Meanwhile there is wireless smartphone mirroring but no wireless phone charger, which is a miss. But there are USB-C ports, and even the base model gets an 8.0-inch touchscreen and an 8.5-inch digital driver info display, where the high-grade version has a 9.2-inch multimedia unit with sat nav, and a 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit display.

 

That grade also adds heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, but retains cloth trim – no leather or fake leather for any model – which might disappoint parents with grubby kids. Even the base car still gets dual-zone climate control and a leather steering wheel, though.

 

It remains superbly packaged, with 400 litres of cargo capacity and enough room to fit a family of four, or four grown-ups. There are ISOFIX points in the second row and three top-tethers but be mindful the rear seat has a large transmission tunnel intrusion.

 

Thankfully, all grades get rear USB-C ports and directional air-vents.

 

Safety spec is largely mirrored between the two models, with autonomous emergency braking incorporating pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors with Manoeuvre Braking (slow speed auto braking) standard, not to mention a new driver drowsiness detection system that isn’t operated by a camera, thankfully.

 

But annoyingly, you must either option the Pack or buy the top-spec model to get adaptive cruise control, though it also incorporates traffic jam assistance and lane centring assistance tech.

 

The brand has trimmed back the model range, with just two variants available: the 85TSI Select, from $33,990 drive-away, and the flagship 110TSI Monte Carlo, at $44,990 drive-away.

 

That’s a large gap between grades, but in keeping with the simplification mindset, Skoda has just one optional package available - the Signature Pack, which is only offered in the 85TSI Select, and adds a few things you get standard in the high-grade version.

 

Really, there’s a profound difference between the way the two are made up.

 

The Select has a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol with 85kW/200Nm, whereas the Monte Carlo has a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol with 110kW/250Nm. As you’d expect, the latter is faster, smoother and has a smoother relationship with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that the base car also has.

 

Both are front-wheel drive only.

 

Official fuel consumption is 5.5 litres per 100km for the 85TSI, and just 5.6L/100km for the 110TSI. Both run on 95RON premium unleaded petrol, with a 50-litre fuel tank.

 

Skoda remains the only European brand with a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia, and the brand also offers a seven-year prepaid service plan option for $2650 (or $379 per service, the intervals of which are 12 months/15,000km).

 

There’s also roadside assistance included if you maintain your Skoda with the brand.

 

Driving impressions

 

For the Australian launch of the updated Kamiq, I was lucky enough to steer both vehicles across the same roads, which made it clear to me that these will appeal to different buyers.

 

The 85TSI Select is a more characterful if raucous little thing, with a charming rumble from its three-pot engine making for a more involving experience. It’s not perfect – the transmission and idle-stop system can cause some hesitation at times in traffic, but there is no doubt it has enough poke to get along well once things are moving.

 

It also has a slightly bumpier ride character to it, despite being lighter and having smaller 17-inch wheels with higher profile tyres, but it steers predictably and is a little sweetie of a thing to pilot around town or through a series of bends.

 

The other end of the spectrum is the Monte Carlo, which adds Sport Chassis Control to the mix – a bi-modal adaptive suspension system with ride comfort considerations as part of that. In Sport, it feels better resolved but firm, and in Normal it is supple, even on 18s, and even with a torsion-beam rear suspension that is typically considered less sophisticated.

 

With about 30 per cent more power and 25 per cent more torque, the engine is a lot more eager to offer you what you need in the Monte Carlo, too, and not only that, but it’s also considerably smoother and silkier in its application of power.

 

But is it as characterful? Not really. But if you’re shelling out an extra $11,000 you probably want to feel like you’re getting a smoother and more effortless drive experience, right?

 

On test, the fuel consumption I saw displayed on the trip computer suggested that the three-cylinder has to work a bit harder, too. Across similar scenarios, it used a smidge more than the four-cylinder version: 6.1L/100km versus 6.0L/100km in the Monte Carlo.