IN the small to medium sized SUV sector the Skoda Kamiq is a car with plenty of flair.

Good looks and fair performance make it a keen choice for those after something that looks the part but does not cost a small fortune.

As Skoda's smallest SUV the Kamiq range starts from £17,700 with the model line up topping out at £25,150 for a diesel-powered automatic SE-L model.

The top specification SE-L trim can be had on the Kamiq from £21,180 and that's for a version with a !.0-litre three cylinder engine under the bonnet developing 95ps.

That's the version in which we have just covered more than 5,000 miles and over that distance the car clocked up a credible average fuel return of 45.2mpg.

On a good run it was possible to average more than 55 to the gallon such is the economy of the little TSI engine but at low revs and around town it showed its lack of power for such a vehicle.

Give it some legs and out on the open road it performed without issue and took motorway work in its stride once worked through the gears.

The 95ps engine is available only with a five-speed manual transmission and like all versions of the Kamiq is front-wheel-drive. Four-wheel-drive set ups are available only on Skoda's larger SUVs, the Karoq and the Kodiaq.

Performance for the 1.0-litre Kamiq is 0 to 60 acceleration in 11.1 seconds and a top speed of 112mph. Officially it is rated at 48.7mpg at best with emissions of 116g/km - not too far from what we saw.

The car we sampled came with some £3,000 of extras including a panoramic sunroof, wireless phone charge and an electronic tailgate - all of which added to its appeal.

At 4.24 metres long, the Kamiq is some 14cm shorter than Skoda's medium sized Karoq SUV and more similar in size to the Volkswagen T-Roc.

But space is plentiful for a car of such proportions and ranges from 400 litres with all five seats in play to a maximum of 1,395 litres with all the back seats folded - and there's an underfloor storage area beneath the boot floor for added security.

Interior space is equally generous and SE-L models come well loaded on the kit front with the likes of a 9.2-inch display screen, sat nav and full smartphone connectivity.

There is also a digital instrument panel which can be switched through a number of displays according to driver preference - and the choice of arrays is impressive.

If there was an annoyance with the technology it was with Skoda's warning systems and gear prompt alerts which can be intrusive at times - and out of sync with real world conditions of what is going on with the car.

Drive it over a long distance and the Kamiq is nicely comfortable and makes for easy motoring.

For £24,135 - which is what this Kamiq actually cost all in - it's a bargain SUV and made to the highest quality with design features which set it apart such as Skoda's headlight arrangement which incorporate crystal-look daytime running lights separated from the main lamps.

Many rivals will not only cost more and lack the overall refinement that the Skoda offers - not to mention features like an ice scraper, an umbrella and a magnetic torch cleverly concealed with the vehicle.

In the world of little SUVs where cars have to look the part more than actually play it, the Kamiq lacks little. It performs well enough for almost all everyday needs, is big enough for the average family - and it looks delightful.