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What's the difference?
In just a few years, Skoda's SUV line-up has increased from zero models to three. And with the Enyaq EV expected in the next year, that will soon rise to four.
Sitting at the bottom of the line-up is the Kamiq small SUV that, in just over a year, has developed a reputation as a solid, capable offering in a crowded segment.
The Volkswagen Group-owned Czech brand has repositioned the Kamiq line-up more than once since launch and last year Skoda lobbed a new entry variant, dubbed the Ambition.
But has the likeable model lost some of its sheen now it's no longer a circa-$25k bargain? Or is it still one of the top small SUV picks in Australia?
Mahindra. It isn’t exactly a household name in Australia. Not like the Toyotas or Nissans or Mitsubishis of the world. But in India it outranks those storied automakers easily with its range of SUVs, like the one we’re looking at for this review.
Those who do know the brand in Australia will probably know it for the long-running and decidedly agricultural Pik Up ute, a favourite of those who need a low-cost farm-ready work tool.
But Mahindra wants to turn its image around in Australia, and break into the mainstream with this latest offering, the XUV700.
The good news is, Mahindra is maintaining the low-cost entry point, as its rivals from Japan and Korea work their way up the price-scale, but does it have what it takes to hold its own in one of Australia’s most hotly contested new car segments? Let’s find out.
The Kamiq's entry price is much higher than when Skoda Australia launched the small SUV, and it is missing key features - some of which are a result of the semiconductor crisis and beyond the company's control.
It also proved a little thirstier than expected too, but for the most part, the Kamiq is a solid pick.
It is one of the most enjoyable small SUVs, of any price, to drive, with sharp dynamics and a willing turbocharged engine.
A spacious-for-the-segment cabin and top-notch tech add to the Kamiq's appeal.
We love a car which subverts expectations, and for the most part, the XUV700 has managed to. It feels like the brand has leapt over a few steps when it comes to design, quality, and particularly drivability, which bodes well when you combine it with a bargain price, a good equipment list and solid packaging.
The question is: Does the Australian market have room for yet another value player in a space already so well occupied by Chinese newcomers? Only time will tell.
The Kamiq is something of a contradiction in that it is visually appealing, yet conservative at the same time.
The standard Candy White paint of our test car probably didn't help the staid vibe.
But, there are elements – such as the split headlights with a crystal-like pattern of the daytime running lights, and the well-crafted rear end – that set the Kamiq apart.
These features and the signature grille leave no doubt that you're driving a Skoda.
If you're after a more visually arresting Kamiq, check out the sporty looking Monte Carlo.
Inside, the design is again on the conservative European side. In fact, in Ambition grade at least, the Kamiq's cabin looks a little drab.
The cream headliner and a metal-look insert running the width of the dash breaks up the grey, and there are some interesting angles to the dash and door panels, but it all looks a bit generic.
The XUV700 is a clean-sheet design on an all-new platform and it shows. There are still echoes of the past in this SUVs bodywork, with the raised rear haunches and traditional Mahindra-shaped grille, but it feels like it’s taken a massive leap into the 21st century this time around.
It has a strong modern flavour and presence on the road, which doesn’t feel more than a generation behind like previous Mahindra offerings. Gone are the awkward curves and frumpy edges of its predecessors, and instead we’re welcomed by a more refined face, nipped and tucked rear with sporty touches, tough haunches and a contemporary overall look.
Inside the most dramatic upgrades have been deployed, including the impressive digital suite, seemingly decent software with a quick, responsive, and customisable instrument cluster, a new more attractive steering wheel, and a much smoother flow and coherency to design which we haven’t seen before from the Indian giant.
There are only a handful of areas, like the dorky elongated shifter, some hard plastics in the doors and atop the shapely dash, and the manual handbrake in the base car to remind you of its bargain price-point and origins.
It’s nice these attributes unite for an uncontroversial and modern overall feel, and quality is feeling on-par, but it’s also hardly original.
The headlights and steering wheel look like they could be worn by any Renault, the tail-lights look like they belong on a Nissan, and the dual-screen dash and door-mounted electric seat controls are clearly meant to emulate Mercedes.
Actually, one for the switchgear nerds, the function stalks are from the SsangYong parts bin, a holdover from when Mahindra owned the Korean automaker. Still, if you’re going to take inspiration, I can think of worse places to take it from, and it’s frankly remarkable all these pieces of inspiration fall together so well.
The cabin might look a little drab, but you'd be hard-pressed to fault the overall quality of the interior.
There are some hard plastics on the lower part of the dash but soft-touch materials on top. The Kamiq features a lovely flat-bottom, perforated leather steering wheel that feels nice to touch and has simple controls. However, the cruise control buttons are housed on a stalk on the left side of the steering column. It can be hard to see the controls on these secondary stalks which are often hidden behind the steering wheel and we don't know why carmakers insist on using them. Keep cruise controls on the steering wheel, please.
Tall folk will love the headroom in the Kamiq, and it's easy to find a good seating position but the front seats aren't super supportive. They could do with a little more thigh padding.
The Kamiq's design ensures it is one of the best models in its class when it comes to visibility; there's plenty of glass and narrow pillars, meaning no obvious blind spots.
It features a small but deep central storage bin, a decent glove box, good space for big bottles (1.5L bottles, according to Skoda) and more in the front doors.
The configurable ‘Virtual Cockpit' digital instrument cluster is hard to fault. Although the system asks to hit the ‘OK' button to reset the trip computer, we could not locate an OK button anywhere on the steering wheel.
The 8.0-inch multimedia system has a logical menu and it houses functions for the driver-assist features and other vehicle functions.
Annoyingly, the air conditioning controls are split between analogue switches and digital controls via the touchscreen. You can only adjust fan speed on the screen. Surely it makes more sense for this function to be either digital or analogue, not both?
There's a surprising amount of occupant space in the rear, with plenty of legroom behind my 183cm (six foot) frame, and acres of headroom.
As well as the two USB-C ports up front there's a further two in the rear, as well as lower air vents, map pockets, grab handles and coat hooks. Door storage is narrow and will only fit tiny bottles.
The rear seats fold 60/40 and there's no centre armrest.
At 400 litres (1395L with the rear seats folded), it's a decent-sized boot, but it can't match the Kia Seltos (468L).
Being a Skoda, it has handy touches like a storage nook on the side of the cargo area, rubber mats, hooks for a luggage net and a solid cargo blind for added security.
The Kamiq's 16-inch space-saver spare wheel is housed under the boot floor.
Low-cost options in the mid-size SUV space usually get a bunch of basic stuff wrong. Laggy, ugly software, for example, is prevalent in the MG HS, while clumsy switchgear takes away from the Haval H6, and a particularly awkward driving position is notable in the LDV D90.
Mahindra’s XUV700 does not fall into these traps. The front seat feels spacious and airy, the seating position is high but not unsettling, and the thing which took me aback the most is the way everything works.
It’s a little annoying the base car gets no telescopic adjust and misses out on a second bottle holder because of the manual handbrake, but other than this, the ergonomics in the cabin are solid. A centre dial, for example, can be switched from navigation controls to function as a volume dial if desired, and there are plenty of shortcut buttons for the multimedia and the dual-zone climate making it a breeze to adjust things on the move.
For storage there is a large bottle holder and map pocket in each door, a large bottle holder (two in the case of the AX7L) in the centre, a bay under the climate unit good for phones and wallets (it is a wireless charging pad in the AX7L), and there’s a deep armrest console box between the front occupants.
The second row is also airy and spacious, with a nearly flat floor making even the centre position seemingly suitable for an adult. Behind my own seating position I had plenty of space at 182cm tall, and there are a set of adjustable air vents plus a slot for a phone, a USB-C charging outlet, and large bottle holders in the doors.
The third row? It’s not bad, but I’ve sat in better. The left-hand side second-row seat folds up and rolls forward, making access better than some of its rivals, but behind the second row my knees are hard up against the seat in front, and my head is touching the roof. There’s decent amenity; a bottle holder on each side and an adjustable air vent with a fan controller, but this is a space best left for kids.
Mahindra doesn’t have an official boot capacity number to give us yet, but predicts it will be over 700 litres given the dimensions. With the third-row folded it looks cavernous, but with it deployed you’ll be lucky to get a day bag in behind.
For those interested in towing, the XUV700 can tow a 1500kg braked trailer (750kg unbraked) and there’s halfway decent ground clearance, at 196mm.
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.
This car has its work cut out for it because the precedent for Mahindra SUVs in Australia isn’t great.
Back in 2018, this car’s predecessor, the XUV500 arrived to lacklustre reviews despite its similar market positioning. Back then, low-cost alone wasn’t enough to crack Australia’s heated mid-size SUV market, but now Mahindra is promising its all-new generation product is different and ready for a more global audience.
The pricing for the XUV700 is immediately impressive. Starting at $36,990 drive-away for the entry-point AX7, this car is now officially Australia’s cheapest seven-seat SUV, and this hasn’t come at the expense of standard equipment.
The price includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, dual 10.25-inch screens for the multimedia and digital instruments, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, synthetic leather interior trim, a six-way power adjustable driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, push-start ignition, and even a panoramic sunroof.
Stepping up to the top-spec AX7L which commands a $3000 premium ($39,990 drive-away) adds some missing safety equipment like a blind spot view monitor, a more advanced adaptive cruise system (able to come to a full stop and re-start), as well as a 360-degree parking camera.
This version also scores electronically retracting door handles, a premium audio system, and a wireless phone charger.
Bizarrely, it also adds a seventh airbag for the driver’s knee and a telescopically adjustable steering column, and swaps out the manual lever handbrake for a digital switch.
These are things which would normally be expected as standard on many of its rivals, and it’s a shame to see safety items, particularly airbags, behind a paywall.
Regardless, the fact this car manages to significantly undercut established rivals like the entry-level seven-seat Nissan X-Trail, Mitsubishi Outlander, Honda CR-V and even the cut-price LDV D90, while providing similar equipment levels is pretty impressive.
There are no options for now bar several accessories. All five colour options are free, and Mahindra says there’s more to come in terms of spec levels and interior options if all goes well.
As mentioned, the Kamiq is no longer offered with an entry-level 1.0-litre three-pot unit. Instead, all variants are powered by VW Group's 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine delivering 110kW of power at 6000rpm and 250Nm of torque at 1500-3500rpm.
The Kamiq is front-wheel drive only and the Ambition is available with a six-speed manual gearbox and the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission offered as standard on all other grades.
There’s just one engine for the XUV700 for now, a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder designed in-house at Mahindra.
Power outputs are comparatively impressive at 147kW/380Nm, especially when lined up against the old 2.5-litre non-turbo units powering some rivals.
The power is channelled to the front wheels via a six-speed Aisin-sourced traditional torque converter automatic. For a keen driver this is preferable to a CVT or a dual-clutch, so this sits well with us.
Overseas there is also the option of a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel (136kW/450Nm) with all-wheel drive, but this is yet to materialise for the Australian market.
According to Skoda, the official combined fuel-use figure for the automatic Kamiq is 5.6 litres per 100 kilometres. The manual is more frugal at 4.9L.
After a week of mixed but mostly urban driving, we recorded 8.5L/100km in the Ambition. That's quite a difference from the official figure.
In terms of CO2 emissions, the figure is 128g/km.
Efficiency is officially rated at 8.3L/100km for both XUV700 grades, which is not bad but not great. Understandable for an SUV which weighs in excess of 1800kg powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine.
We didn’t pull an as-tested fuel number this time around as we were hopping in and out of different vehicles, so standby for a more detailed analysis when we have one for a week-long follow-up test.
The fuel tank comes in at 60 litres, for a theoretical range of roughly 723km.
Hoping to hold out for a hybrid? Don’t. Mahindra isn’t working on one. Look to its incoming fully-electric BE sub-brand instead.
Prior to getting behind the wheel of the Kamiq Ambition, I was impressed by the former base Kamiq with the 1.0-litre engine, which I sampled shortly after it launched.
Now having driven the 1.5-litre version, I'm even more enamoured with the Kamiq.
It is quick off the mark, with the responsive 110kW engine providing a lot of urge. Previous-generation VW Group models with the brand's dual-clutch transmission (they call it a DSG) have a tendency to lag on take-off - a combination of the jolty transmission and the turbocharger.
These days the lag is much more subtle and doesn't impact the responsiveness, certainly when it comes to the Kamiq. Even the idle-stop function lacks the delay found in older VW Group product.
There is a bit of low-speed jerkiness caused by the transmission, but it's not a deal-breaker.
The Kamiq is a star performer among its rivals when it comes to dynamics. as well as super-sharp steering - typical of Skoda and VW models - it impresses when cornering, planting itself thanks to a balanced chassis, well-calibrated traction control and good tyres.
Road manners on loose surfaces are also hard to fault, and the Kamiq's cabin is relatively well insulated from outside noise.
The Kamiq's ride is mostly settled, particularly on urban streets, but the low-profile tyres and slightly firm suspension tune mean you will feel potholes and speed bumps. But again, not to the point of being a deal-breaker.
It’s good. Surprised? Me too.
The XUV700 is good to drive in a fundamental way which is not the case for its Chinese rivals. There’s no impending feel of understeer or clumsy dynamics on show. The XUV700 is controlled and solid on the road, with a surprising level of refinement in the cabin.
Visibility is plentiful, and while power from the turbo engine isn’t quite as urgent as the figures initially suggest, it’s more than enough for a family commuter. Even the six-speed transmission is smooth and unobtrusive, unlike many dual-clutch or CVT options in this space. There isn’t even any noisy engine surging, with the unit here feeling refined and distant.
It’s almost ready to duke it out with more established rivals, but there are still flaws. The steering, for example, is very light. This will make it easy to control in low-speed parking situations, but it lacks any kind of feel or feedback at speed.
The ride is comfortable, perfect for its family intentions. Mahindra utilises a multi-chamber system here to achieve unusually competent response over a host of different surfaces, especially rare for a vehicle at this price or in this category. Everything comes at a cost, though, and the cost of this system is a fair bit of body roll in the corners, and a bouncy nature over undulations.
Fundamentally, though, this car is solid. Nothing proved this more than the brand letting us drive its family SUV on a track at speed. What seems like a silly stunt is an important vote of confidence in the way this car handles, because it’s at track speeds and conditions where all the ugly characteristics will come to the fore.
While it’s certainly no track hero, what was most impressive is despite its rolly suspension and ultra-light steering, there were no major red flags about this car which stood out. It’s solid, and Mahindra knows it. I’d dare MG or GWM to do the same with the HS or H6.
What does all this mean for you? The car has safe road holding and confident dynamics, as well as the comfort for your family. It’s not as razor-sharp as the Japanese or Korean competition, but it’s better than all of its low-cost rivals.
The Kamiq is offered with a solid range of safety gear as standard.
Features like front and rear autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, multi-collision braking, a rain braking feature, reversing camera, rear parking sensors, automatic flashing brake lights in the case of an emergency, adaptive cruise control, tyre pressure monitor, driver attention alert, lane assist and more.
Blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert are usually standard on the Monte Carlo Signature, but Skoda says these two features are not currently available as they are impacted by the global semiconductor shortage. These two items are not offered at all on the Ambition grade.
The Kamiq has a five-star ANCAP rating that was awarded in 2019. It has seven airbags but does not include a front centre airbag that is designed to reduce the risk of injury during a side impact.
On the road, the adaptive cruise control is a bit slow to respond when you pull out to overtake on a freeway, for example.
The lane keeping aid functions well for the most part but can sometimes tug on the wheel.
At least on paper, the XUV700 does well. Standard active equipment includes auto emergency braking (a first for the brand, which we were given the opportunity to test on a dummy - it definitely works), lane keep assist with lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and traffic sign recognition.
Only the top-spec AX7L gets stop and go function for the adaptive cruise, a 360-degree parking camera suite, and a laggy low-framerate blind spot camera in place of an actual blind spot sensor system, the latter being the standard throughout the industry.
The side curtains extend all the way to the third row, although, oddly, the AX7L is the only one to get a seventh airbag (for the driver’s knee).
The verdict is out on this car’s actual crash performance until it secures an ANCAP rating, which it is yet to do.
Skoda offers a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty for the Kamiq.
The servicing schedule is every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.
The Czech brand offers customers two service packs for the Kamiq Ambition, including a five-year/75,000km term for $1500, or a seven-year/105,000km for $2100.
Seven years of warranty is a good start, and has Mahindra joining an increasingly large club of challenger brands which are following in the footsteps of Kia by offering above-average coverage in this department. Mahindra’s version only covers the first 150,000km of distance, but there’s seven-years of roadside assist, too.
At the time of writing, Mahindra was yet to land on service pricing. This could be the last piece of the puzzle for some buyers. The XUV700 needs to be serviced once every 12 months or 10,000km.