Skoda Plans Compact Crossover for Europe

Volkswagen AG’s Skoda unit is repurposing the Kamiq name it introduced last year on a China-market crossover on an all-new crossover that will bow this year in Europe.

The European Kamiq will be built on a different platform than its Chinese namesake and sport unique styling. Skoda released design sketches of the Euro Kamiq this week ahead of the vehicle’s planned public unveiling at the Geneva auto show in March.

Riding on VW’s MQB A0 platform, the new Kamiq will be positioned below the Karoq and larger Kodiaq in Skoda’s European crossover lineup. The architecture also carries the VW T-Roc crossover and SEAT Arona small car.

The Kamiq will be the first Skoda with a split lighting configuration in which the daytime running lights are positioned above the headlights. The design was previewed with last year’s Vision X concept. Other design cues mirror those of the Karoq and Kodiaq.

Powertrain options haven’t been announced. But it is unlikely the production model will offer the compressed natural gas hybrid-electric system used in the Vision X.