The new ŠKODA KAMIQ is the third member of ŠKODA’s modern SUV family in China and continues the powerful design language of the ŠKODA KODIAQ and ŠKODA KAROQ. It is positioned below the compact SUV ŠKODA KAROQ, rounding off the current SUV model range in China. In addition to the new mainstream city SUV, the ŠKODA models KAROQ and KODIAQ, as well as the SUPERB, OCTAVIA and OCTAVIA COMBI, will be on show at SAIC ŠKODA’s ‘Auto China 2018’ stand in hall W4.
With compact dimensions, the new ŠKODA KAMIQ is presented with a spacious interior typical of the brand. The body is 4,390 mm long, 1,781 mm wide and 1,593 mm high; the wheelbase is 2,610 millimetres. The mainstream city SUV is powered by a newly developed 1.5-litre petrol engine with 81 kW and a torque of up to 150 Nm. The ŠKODA KAMIQ is coupled with an automatic transmission and rolls up on 17-inch alloy wheels.
In the interior, the infotainment display in the centre of the dashboard enables convenient and easy access to many vehicle functions. The front seats, featuring a chequered pattern with 3D effect, offer superior comfort and lateral support.
With its expressive design, generous space and new, modern connectivity solutions, the new ŠKODA KAMIQ is aimed primarily at young urban customers in China. One technological highlight is iFLYTEK, a leading Asian provider of speech recognition based on artificial intelligence. The software understands regional Chinese dialects and automatically learns an individual or local language style. Smartphones can be paired with the KAMIQ via Apple CarPlay, Baidu CarLife and MirrorLink, and compatible apps can be operated via the 8-inch screen with a resolution of 1280 × 720 pixels. Services including guidelines for license plate-related driving restrictions, real-time traffic information, weather information and interesting site notifications are examples of modern vehicle networking.
ŠKODA’s SUV strategy plays a crucial role in the growth of the brand. China, the largest car market in the world, is also ŠKODA’s strongest sales market. In 2017, the carmaker delivered 325,000 vehicles in China, growing 2.5% compared to 2016. This means that one in four of the brand’s vehicles is delivered to customers in China. Last year was also ŠKODA’s most successful year since re-entering the Chinese market in 2007. Since then, ŠKODA has delivered more than 2,350,000 vehicles to customers in China.
A Memorandum of Understanding, which includes a five-year investment plan of over two billion euros, was signed in 2016 during the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Czech Republic, underlining the importance of China for ŠKODA. The aim is to expand the series with several SUVs and vehicles with alternative drivetrains.
