The flagship edition of Skoda’s smallest crossover delivers strongly for specification and style.

Skoda Kamiq Monte Carlo

Price: $42,990

Powertrain and economy: 1.5-litre turbo-petrol inline-four, 110kW/250Nm, seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, 2WD, combined economy 5.8L/100km, CO2 131g/km.

Vital statistics: 4241mm long, 1988mm wide, 1553mm high, 2651mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 400 litres, 17-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Smartest-styled version, Active Cockpit display.

We don't like: Awkward phone integration.

IF you’re thinking the name is a link to Monaco’s famous casino and intends to suggest the top-flight version of Skoda’s smallest sports utility is some sort of dice-throw gamble? Wrong. 

The reason why the Kamiq takes the ‘Monte Carlo’ in its more fulsome format is entirely do with the brand’s exploits in motorsport.

Most obviously associating with rallying at World Championship level these days, Skoda’s roots in motorsport reach back more than 100 years.  

The first recognised stint was in 1901, when Narcis Podsednicek participated for the first time in the Paris–Berlin race riding a motorcycle from Laurent and Klement, Skoda’s forebear. 

So, it’s the current exploit and past tradition that provide a historic and sporty connotation that will progressively attach to other performance variants, perhaps even those versions that presently identify as RS cars.

Or perhaps not. There’s a distinct difference in temperature separating the Kodiaq RS – which, until the new Octavia arrives, registers as the only Skoda RS on the local distributor’s books - and the Kamiq Monte Carlo.

It’d be unfair to call the Kamiq tepid, yet it really doesn’t stand out as being as fightclub-ready as the special K version of the Kodiaq, just in smaller format.

A 1.5-litre petrol powertrain shared with the Kamiq Ambition Plus tested recently is peppy rather than outright power-packed, so just doesn’t have the visceral oomph that wallops in with the angriest Kodiaq – in which an against-trend turbodiesel really proves why an oiler engine can work very effectively as a performance SUV powerplant - and the suspension tuning being tailored more toward comfort means it won’t carry that dash as sharply through the bends.

Where the two cars do stand equally, though, is in how smartly they present at the kerbside. Regardless that it isn’t any different for performance than the Kamiq Ambition Plus tested recently, the Monte Carlo nonetheless very effectively imparts as looking as though it will be the king-hitter of its three-variant immediate family.

And it’s not just that it looks racier. It also has the air of a better-finished car, simply because the basic design is especially effectively detailed in its most expensive format.

That’s not to bag the Kamiq for its general shape and dimension. Skoda design is less flamboyant than you get from Volkswagen and Audi, true, and even SEAT tends to sneak in a touch more flair. Yet there’s a pleasing aesthetic with the Czech brand’s look. And as much as the Kamiq could be called a mini-me of the Karoq which, in turn, is just really a scaled down Kodiaq, the end result is that all three cars relate coherently and all have a tidy appearance. 

Even so, the fact that the Monte Carlo on test registered much more of a wow factor than the preceding Ambition Plus came down to two factors.

First, the arrival of a Monte Carlo in its hero hue, Corrida Red, really enforced how it’s among those cars that simply step up massively when meted a bold colour. The car straight away looked so much more interesting than the Ambition Plus’s homeware white. 

Influencing that thought, too, was impression that the Monte Carlo just looks better with the additional adornments that restrict to its trim level.

The black roof rails, stronger-styled alloys and LED headlamps are finishing touches that really lift its appearance.

The cabin also benefits from the red interior detailing, ambient interior lighting and a step up to the larger (at 9.2 inches) infotainment system with sat-nav that, along with digital instruments with variable display settings, present a classier look than the analogue dials in the cheaper cars. This is the least expensive model yet to achieve the ‘Active Cockpit’ familiar from others in the VW family and it really sets a nice tone; there’s a lot of benefit from having it and operability-wise, nothing’s too techy. 

The sunroof I could take or leave – it doesn’t inhibit headroom too much but just seems like a fixture that will never be of much benefit - but the privacy glass, power-folding door mirrors, even that it has a height-adjustable passenger seat and front-seat lumbar adjustment. All these model-specific features just make it a more appealing car. 

Unfortunately, yes, they also make it a more expensive one. The $6000 spacing between all three models sees this one sitting at $42,990. As much as this is still less than some others charge for their like-sized equivalents, it is nonetheless comfortably more than could be spent on a front-drive Karoq, albeit with a less flashy trim.

If your eyes are only for the Kamiq, though, and your intent is to achieve a well-equipped small crossover for personal use and don’t mind it only coming in front-wheel-drive, then it really has to resonate all the same.

On the equipment side, the Monte Carlo plays an ace-rich hand. It has all the stuff you might wish wasn’t absent from the mid-range model and a lot more.

Apart from everything else listed, this edition provisions front parking sensors, adaptive dampers and sports-styled, yet comfier, seats, in a cabin that’s far more enticingly trimmed overall, though as in the Ambition Plus I was bugged by the centre tray not being quite large enough to comfortably hold my iPhone (yes, there’s also a phone holder pocket, but in being set up for left hand drive, it sits on the ‘wrong’ side of the transmission tunnel, so just isn’t useful).  

Anyway, plugging in the phone raise an irk relating to the ports to enable phone integration to the screen. Skoda is bang on trend in provisioning USB-C ports (four in all, two in the back) and it’s a nice touch for it to include a standard USB adapter. However, the socket demands the cable plugs in vertically and that makes it an awkward and touchy connection; you need only a slight bump to cut out Apple CarPlay integration.

Those aren’t deal-breaker annoyances, though, and in general design and spaciousness the Kamiq sells itself very confidently. There’s lots of space in the back for two large adults, with good amounts of leg and headroom, and the boot is a good size too. Skoda has always been good at coming up with some nice touches to make life easier; you get the usual umbrella stored in the doors, a removable boot light that acts as a magnetic torch and an ice scraper in the fuel filler cap.

The drivetrain is fine, if short of fiery. This fuel-injected four-cylinder operates well enough with the seven-speed DSG automatic, yet performance is adequate, rather than pacey. Smooth from idle to redline and keen to slip into fuel-saving cylinder deactivation mode when it gets the chance, a sequence that you might not even twig to if it wasn’t signalled on the dash display, because the refinement barely erodes.

The Monte Carlo adds in Drive modes – Eco, Normal, Sport and Individual. Eco softens the throttle to encourage more efficient driving and Normal presents the in much the same feel that you get in the Ambition Plus. Sport adds a buzz to the exhaust and sharpens the throttle response, adds weight to the steering weight and firms up the suspension. Individual, as you’d expect, lets you tinker with each setting as you wish. Sport was the default for most of the test, simply because it made the car feel and sound more characterful.

 Driving-wise? The Kamiq is set up as a comfort-oriented driving experience, but in the Monte Carlo format it’s more vivacious, that’s for sure. It’s not outright zippy or taut-feeling, but is confident through the corners with minimal body roll, and the steering feels suitably weighty and accurate.

It’s an easy car to like and live with and, if you don’t require the additional benefits that a Karoq provisions – like superior towing, an all-wheel-drive option and a roomier cabin still – then you should be happy enough sticking with the family baby.