For those who lost it: the Kamiq is Skoda’s smallest crossover, the Scala a compact hatchback-like car just above the Fabia. You immediately know that the Scala in particular is difficult to categorize, although it may well be the ultimate Skoda. After all, this brand claims to stand for ‘value for money’, and the Scala actually scores like no other there. With 467 liters of luggage space, it easily trumps the Volkswagen Golf, for example, while technically and in terms of price it is very similar to the Polo-like Fabia. The Kamiq is also a strange case to a slightly lesser extent. With its relatively low body, it is less SUV-like than the Volkswagen T-Cross and Renault Captur, but this car also offers a relatively large amount of interior space – albeit less than the Scala.

Yet both models enjoy only a limited amount of success in the Netherlands. In total, Skoda has sold about 10,000 copies so far, with the Kamiq providing the largest share with more than 5,500 copies. If the design of the front is keeping buyers away from the Scala and the Kamiq, there’s good news today. Both cars get an update in which the front in particular is firmly, but also subtly under the knife. Headlights, grille and front bumper have a different shape in both cases, but at the same time Skoda does not throw the entire layout of these noses upside down.

Skoda Kamiq.

Kamiq

The Kamiq therefore retains its two-layer front, with daytime running lights and indicators housed one floor higher than the actual headlights. The larger Karoq and Kodiaq also have two layers, but because the dipped beam is located in the higher part, it is less noticeable. The Kamiq’s headlights are getting narrower and now also offer Matrix LED headlights as an option. Regular LED headlights are now standard. The grille of the Kamiq is somewhat wider and has a different shape and layout, while the lower part of the bumper has also been given a different layout. In most versions, the trim element here is silver-coloured, in the sporty Monte Carlo it is black. Skoda says that the new design should make the Kamiq look a bit tougher, more SUV-like. As far as we are concerned, this is mainly reflected at the rear, where a piece of plastic embosses a bottom protection plate. The still somewhat L-shaped taillights got a ‘clip’ in the corner of that L. Fog lights and reflectors are now more in line with those rear lights, although there is still a considerable distance between the two units.

Skoda Scala.

Scala

Where the Kamiq may now be a bit more SUV-like, the renewed Scala is given a sportier appearance. In doing so, Skoda looked closely at the Vision RS, a concept car that acted as a harbinger of the Scala in 2018 and, looking back, was actually just a Scala. We see, among other things, the front bumper of that Vision RS on the facelift Scala. The headlights are cut at an angle at the bottom, in a way that we think looks very natural. Here we also welcome optional Matrix LED lights, so headlights that can shine around oncoming and preceding vehicles with the high beam switched on. Just like the Kamiq, the Monte Carlo has more high-gloss black elements, but unlike the Kamiq, it gets two extra spoiler edges under the front bumper. The rear bumper has been cleaned up a bit due to a lower placement of reflectors and fog lights and received a subtly different design here and there. The rear lights are ‘cut through’ in the same way as on the Kamiq. Skoda continues to offer two tailgates with the Scala. Simpler versions keep their piece of sheet metal between the rear window and taillights, while glass bridges this area on the more expensive versions. Here we find the brand name ‘Skoda’ as usual, but in the new font. Both cars still ‘just’ feature the familiar Skoda logo on the nose, because the implementation of the new typography is being done step by step.

Skoda Kamiq

More buttons

A refreshing news from Skoda: the Kamiq and the Scala do not get fewer, but more buttons in the interior. Two, to be exact. They are used to increase or decrease the fan of the optional automatic climate control, a function that was previously hidden in the menu. Nevertheless, digitalization has indeed been done nicely, because a digital set of instruments is now standard. It measures 8 inches as standard, with more expensive versions it is 10.25 inches. At the same time, the touchscreen is now larger in size. The previously smallest 8-inch model is now the entry-level version, a 9.2-inch screen is new. For the rest, Skoda takes it easy in the interior of the Kamiq and the Scala. There are new colors and materials, but that’s it. Incidentally, this decoration is captured in ‘interior themes’ such as Loft, Suite and Lodge, each with different colours. That is an extra on top of the three versions that Skoda will deliver: Essense, Selection and Monte Carlo. The latter is the sporty top version and will most likely return to the Netherlands, the first two are completely new.

The safety equipment has been tinkered with. Front Assist with pedestrian recognition, lane assist, traffic sign recognition and a few more are now standard, while a more active lane assist and adaptive cruise control are on the option list. For convenience, Skoda adds a ‘Virtual Pedal’, with which you can open the electric tailgate with a kick under the bumper.

Technology

The technique remains unchanged. The Scala remains available with a 1.0 with 95 or 110 hp or a four-cylinder 1.5 with 150 hp. The Kamiq starts one step higher, at 110 horsepower. The choice between a manual gearbox or a DSG automatic transmission also remains, of course. Prices are not there yet, but we do know that so far they are awfully close for these models. For the same amount, the Scala already offers considerably more luggage space than the Kamiq, 467 instead of 400 liters. The space in the back seat is quite comparable and well arranged in both models. We will know in a while what the Scala and the Kamiq will cost in a new form. We can expect the market introduction in March 2024.