56 April 2020 whatcar.com
fi rmer than the Kamiq, fi dgeting
more over imperfect asphalt, even
though it lollops around far more
over undulating road surfaces. As
a result, the Puma gets the silver
medal for comfort, even though it
has the fi rmest suspension here.
That’s because it quickly recovers
its composure after negotiating a
bump, whereas the Captur wobbles
around for a second or two after.
The Puma is also the best
through corners, with plenty of
grip balanced evenly front to rear,
not much body lean and a real
feeling of agility. Impresively,
the fi rmer ST-Line models handle
even more sharply with little
impact on ride comfort.
The Kamiq leans a little more
than the Puma but has plenty
of grip and good balance, so it
handles tidily. While the Puma’s
steering gives you a slightly better
sense of connection to the front
tyres, the Kamiq’s is far better than
the Captur’s, which is overly light
and vague. The Captur also has
the least front-end grip and the
most lean, discouraging you from
trying to drive it quickly.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
Driving position, visibility,
build quality
The Kamiq feels rather vertically
challenged from behind the wheel,
with the seat placing you barely
any higher off the ground than
you’d be in a regular hatchback.
Jump into the Puma and you
certainly sit higher, even with the
seat in its lowest position, but it’s
the Captur that feels the loftiest.
All of our contenders have
steering wheels that adjust up and
down as well as in and out, plus
height-adjustable driver’s seats.
Although the Puma and Kamiq
come with adjustable lumbar
support, this isn’t available at all
in the Captur. All said, the Puma
edges the Kamiq for the best
driving position, with the Captur a
distant third.
The Kamiq’s huge windows
give it by far the best visibility.
Factor in standard rear parking
sensors and bright LED headlights
(matched by the Captur) and it’s
a clear winner here. The Puma
and Captur suffer from windows
that narrow towards the rear of
the car and a much smaller rear
screen. At least both have rear
parking sensors as standard, while
all three have the option of front
sensors and a reversing camera.
In terms of quality, the Kamiq
comes out on top, with lots
of squishy plastics and a few
attractive trims. Its interior is by
no means fl ashy, but it’s solidly
built and very grown-up.
The Captur looks far glitzier
COMPARISON
FORD PUMA
RENAULTCAPTUR
SKODAKAMIQ
Although the 8.0in touchscreen’s
graphics look a bit crude, this is
actually a pretty good system.
Sat-nav plus Apple CarPlay
and Android Auto smartphone
mirroring are standard, while
the screen is mounted high, so
you don’t have to look too far
away from the road when you’re
operating it. It’s responsive to
inputs and has big icons that are
easy to hit on the move. Physical
shortcut buttons are handy, too.
Although you get a 9.3in screen
on top-spec Capturs, Iconic
trim makes do with a relatively
small, 7.0in one. The graphics
aren’t particularly sharp and
it can be sluggish to respond
to commands. Sat-nav, Apple
CarPlay and Android Auto are
all standard, but there are no
physical shortcut buttons, so
jumping between functions is
tricky on the move, not helped
by some small icons.
Standard 8.0in touchscreen is
the best of the bunch when it
comes to usability, with big, clear
icons, clear graphics and logical
menus. Android Auto and Apple
CarPlay are standard – handy,
because sat-nav isn’t, unless
you upgrade to a 9.2in screen
(£1230, combined with a digital
instrument panel). Physical
shortcut and volume buttons
would be better than the touch-
sensitive ones, though.
INFOTAINMENT
INFOTAINMENT
INFOTAINMENT
2 You can control a lot
from the steering wheel,
but there are too many
small buttons
2 Our test car had
the optional 9.2in
touchscreen and fully
digital dials tted
2 Dials look like they’re
from the 1990s and
the central information
screen is rather small
3 Titanium doesn’t get
digital instruments, but
the analogue ones with
an info screen are clear
3 Metal-effect trims lift
what could have been
a drab interior. Ambient
lighting is available
3 Audio controls are
hidden behind the
wheel, so you have to
operate them by feel
2
2
2
3
3
3
1
1
1
1 This is a great gearbox,
but we’d prefer the lever
to be mounted a little
higher for swift changes
1 Leather on handbrake,
gearknob and steering
wheel feels the highest
quality here by far
1 Gearknob is too
bulky, plus it feels a
bit cheap, with its faux
leather and metal trim
BEST
DRIVING
POSITION
BEST
SYSTEM