Skoda Epiq: new baby EV has 248-mile range
March 15, 2024 by Tom Wiltshire
Car changing is a big deal
Skoda has announced its new ‘city SUV’, with an electric powertrain, plenty of practicality, and a price tag of less than £22,000
- Skoda Epiq compact electric SUV announced, alongside design study
- Will join Enyaq in Skoda’s EV range, as well as forthcoming Elroq
- Promises range of more than 248 miles
- Minimalist interior with loads of space
- Skoda’s first car without classic emblem
- Will cost from ‘around 25,000 Euros (£21,300)’
Skoda has announced a new compact EV to sit underneath the Enyaq in its range. Named the Epiq, it’s a small SUV that promises some solid numbers.
It will join the upcoming Elroq, which was announced last year and should split the size difference between the Epiq and the Enyaq. The brand has previously promised to unveil six new EVs by 2026.
While Skoda hasn’t revealed the final version of the Epiq, it has announced it alongside photos of a design study that should preview pretty closely how the new SUV will look.
Skoda Epiq design and styling
While the images released aren’t of a production Epiq, it’s fair to assume that the eventual model that hits dealers will look fairly similar to this design study. It shows a new look for Skoda – the so-called ‘Modern Solid’ design language, which includes classic Skoda details on a minimalist body.
The Epiq name continues Skoda’s recent nomenclature trend – beginning with ‘E’ to signify it’s electric, and ending in ‘Q’ to indicate that it’s an SUV.
So the Epiq retains an interpretation of Skoda’s ‘mustache’ grille, as well as the central bulge in the bonnet. However, there’s very little chrome embellishment, and the Epiq looks like it might become the first production Skoda to do away with the brand’s well-known ‘flying arrow’ emblem – instead just opting for the ‘SKODA’ name writ large on the leading edge of the bonnet and the tailgate.
At 4.1m in length, the Epiq is similar in dimensions to the recently announced Volkswagen ID2 with which we assume it shares most of its mechanicals. However, Skoda has a history of taking Volkswagen Group platforms and stretching them out to the extreme in order to liberate more interior space.
Skoda Epiq interior and practicality
The design study’s interior looks fairly close to production spec, and has some neat touches. A floating centre console includes an open storage compartment plus a wireless smartphone charger, and a new two-spoke steering wheel uses a combination of haptic touch buttons and physical switches.
The dashboard is dominated by a large central touchscreen which appears to have the same touch-sensitive slide bar underneath it as current Skoda infotainment. Sadly, conspicuous by their absence are the configurable physical dials you get in the new Kodiaq and Superb – instead, the only switchgear on the dash is a line of shortcut keys under the central screen.
Skoda promises an ‘epic’ (get it?) digital experience, with a digital key and bi-directional charging available.
The design is fairly minimalist, and Skoda says it focuses on practical and sustainable materials. It also claims a very practical 490-litre boot, as well as some of the ‘Simply Clever’ design touches we’ve come to appreciate – bag hooks and a hidden underfloor compartment among others.
New Skoda Epiq range and performance
The Epiq seems likely to be Skoda’s own version of the upcoming Volkswagen ID2. Assuming that’s the case, Skoda will offer the Epiq with a choice of two battery packs – a 38kWh and a 56kWh version.
The brand promises a range of ‘over 248 miles/400km’ from the Epiq, which would tally with the ID2’s expected range of around 280 miles from the larger battery pack.
No performance figures have been noted but again, we can extrapolate from the ID2 which has a 226hp electric motor driving the front wheels and giving a 0-62mph time of less than seven seconds. The Epiq is likely to be larger and a little heavier than the Volkswagen, so expect slightly blunted performance – but it should still be rapid enough.
Skoda Epiq: how much is it?
No exact price has been given, but Skoda has said it’s targeting a start price of ‘around 25,000 Euros’. That’s about £21,300 (March 2024) and is similar to the £22,000 price tag Volkswagen is expecting to charge for the ID2.
The Epiq’s final design and official unveiling will take place later in 2024, and we expect orders to open before the end of the year. It’s one of six new Skoda EVs to be launched over the coming months and years – the next will be the Elroq before the end of the year, followed by facelifted models of the Enyaq SUV and Coupe.
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