When the Kamiq launched in Australia in late 2020, the line-up started with the entry-level 85TSI manual from $26,990 before on-road costs. Given how much safety and other standard gear was packed in, it was seen as incredible value for money.
That variant – powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine – was dropped in 2021 and now the most affordable Kamiq is the recently added Ambition manual from $34,690 before on-road costs.
Granted, it has a more powerful and responsive 110kW 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine – also found in a bunch of other VW Group products – but it's a big jump from the previous entry car.
We tested the Ambition automatic which is priced from $35,690 before on-roads and for that you get cloth seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, tinted windows, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a power tailgate, manually adjustable front seats, dual-zone air conditioning, keyless entry and start, and an umbrella in the driver's door – a clever Skoda signature.
Tech-wise it has a fully digital instrument cluster, wireless phone-charging, 8.0-inch multimedia display with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a lengthy list of standard safety gear (see safety section below).
But, it is missing some key features like a digital radio and satellite navigation. The former is not available on any Kamiq grade and the latter is standard on the flagship Signature, which is priced from $38,090, and it's part of an option pack on the mid-grade sports-focused Monte Carlo from $37,590.
We can maybe forgive the lack of sat nav, given an increasing number of people use phone-based maps, but the absence of digital radio is weird.
It's much less of a bargain than when it first launched.
In terms of rivals, the Mazda CX-30 starts at just under $30,000, the Kia Seltos starts from $27,290, while the Renault Arkana kicks off at $34,590.