Kiero1

My experience is that the measurement of the door aperture vs the position of the seat is one of the poorest areas of design with nearly all mainstream manufacturers, particularly relevant is the measurement between the top of the seat squab and the roof line in the door aperture, additionally all manufacturers seem to have pushed forward the rear pillar of front doors with most now removing three door hatch back from their line up. Smacking the side of head as you try to enter the car is unforgivable on a "family" car when you're under 6 foot, it was for this reason I ruled out getting an Audi A3 (last model not the latest version just out). I care little about the obsession with a raised driving position, which leads to a higher centre of gravity raising everything up to accommodate this - worsens handling and fuel economy. However, most hatch backs now have low driving positions low roof lines, the Scala I had as a courtesy car felt like you were falling down into the diver's seat. However, just raising the seat for that SUV experience is not the answer, I found getting into the passenger seat of friend's Volvo XC60 a ridiculous challenge given the size and height of the car, as IMO the seat is way too high up vs the roofline. Given that the Kamiq is significantly cheaper than a lot of standard hatchbacks on the market let alone other crossovers the argument about paying £'000s more is a moot point. This is a much better argument against the Ford Puma - if a sporty ride is you top priority buy a Fiesta ST! I find the Kamiq a perfect companion, easy to get in and out of, a slightly raised driving position in a car with loads of space, good handling, great fuel economy and decent performance. It's refined, quiet, and has great levels of tech as standard, yes it no sports car but that is not what I bought it for.

To balance out comments I have posted elsewhere about my experience picking up the car and it not working, I thought I would write about my first few days with the car now it's on the road Let's start with the ride and comfort, on the SE it's very good indeed, firm but well damped over bumps, ruts and drains, but I would probably suggest it's worth avoiding going for the bigger wheels on the SEL. Handling and grip - I haven't pushed the car too hard through the corners as yet but as i am getting more accustomed to the steering and handling I have been pleasantly surprised how well planted it seems. bumps and ruts mid corner don't cause issues like the did with my UP GTI and therefore it is very confidence inspiring behind they wheel. DSG Gearbox - in normal mode it runs most of the time at 1000-1500 rpm just ticking over and requires a firm prod to kick down. This is presumably due to WLTP emissions tests. However, in sport mode it does transform the performance so don't let idiots in the motor press put you off getting an auto version it's brilliant. The performance is ok, with 113 hp it was never going to set the world on fire but as with the identically engined UP Gti keep the revs up and the performance will whisk you along at a surprising pace given the tiny engine but fuel economy does suffer as a result. Interior - I love the interior it feels really good quality and miles better than the T-Cross I sat in when taking a look at that as an alternative. The analogue instruments are very clear and once the novelty of a digital dash has worn off I would struggle to justify the extra for it but understand anyone that wants the digital dash but it's hardly a must have option so I didn't go for it. The 8" Bolero screen is brilliant, the apple CarPlay works really well and connect through each time, although I have yet to use the apple maps for navigation on the go. The stereo sound is a little disappointing and has left me turning the bass up to max to improve the sound quality. It is ok but nothing more. The standard sound system in the UP Gti was better. Space is excellent I can't fault the cabin space, however, If there is one criticism from me (and it's only a small one!) it is that I would have preferred a little less rear leg room and a little more boot space - although the boot is a decent enough size and shape, it's just the amount rear legroom is so generous that at 5'8" I doubt anyone will ever really need that much leg room behind me. Comfort, the automatic gearbox keeps the revs low so the engine is virtually silent most of the time and the cabin very hushed, it's a lovely tranquil place to be. But I have yet to take it out on a long motorway trip so can't comment on motor way refinement yet. One of the best parts is the visibility which is excellent, the thin C pillars make manoeuvring very simple and unstressful compared to its VW and SEAT counterparts. Overall I am hugely impressed how good this car is but it's not just me my wife (who loves our Audi Q3 quattro 2 litre diesel) drove it at the weekend and was surprised how good a drive it really is. Would thoroughly recommend a 1.0 petrol Kamiq SE.