2019 Skoda Kamiq previewed with new sketches
Small SUV looks surprisingly sporty on first glance but real Skoda Kamiq expected to get toned-down design for productionSkoda has released new design sketches of its forthcoming Skoda Kamiq.
Not to be confused with the China-only small Skoda SUV of the same name, the new images suggest the Skoda Kamiq set for Australia will be surprisingly sporty and come with the same split LED headlamp design feature as the Karoq and Kodiaq.
Unlike those two, the Skoda Kamiq positions its daytime running lamps above the main headlamps.
Featuring a rakish rear C-pillar and a low roofline at the rear, the Kamiq gets neat angular C-shaped tail lamps and, even, a rear diffuser.
That said, to truly picture the production Kamiq, you have to ignore the comically large rims, lack of door handles and slimline mirrors. But in any case, it looks like the small Skoda SUV is shaping up to be a formidable styling rival to cars like the Mazda CX-3.
Beneath the skin it should also have what it takes too beat them.
That's because it shares the same MQB platform as the Volkswagen Polo (and VW’s similar T-Roc SUV.)
The production Kamiq is almost certain to share the small VW’s petrol-only small turbocharged range of 1.0-litre and 1.4-litre TSI engines.
Expected to measure in at 4250mm long, 1500mm high and around 1800mm wide, with a wheelbase of around 2645mm, the small Skoda is actually 16mm longer than the T-Roc with a wheelbase elongated by 55mm.
Those traits will translate into class-leading levels of passenger and luggage space and an emphasis on interior comfort for the Czech SUV.
The Kamiq is also set to raise the bar for all future Skoda interiors, featuring a new virtual cockpit dash and a large centrally located infotainment system.
When Skoda revealed the Vision X concept that previewed the Kamiq at the Geneva motor show last year, it introduced an advanced compressed natural gas 48-volt mild hybrid powertrain that combined a 96kW/250Nm 1.5-litre turbo petrol with a rear-mounted electric motor (22kW/70Nm).
It’s understood the production version will not offer the advanced ‘G-TEC’ engine because of a lack of compressed gas infrastructure in markets like Australia, which favours LPG.
When it arrives, the baby Czech SUV will have all the hallmarks of the car-maker’s best-selling model.
On sale in Europe shortly after its Geneva unveiling, the Kamiq should arrive in Australia by Q3 of 2019, priced below $25,000.
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