Battery size: 37 - 52 kWh
E-Rating™: A
Max charge rate: 50 - 125 kW
WLTP Range: 193 - 267 miles
Introduction and model history
The Skoda Epiq is the new, baby electric Skoda that’s here to take on the small electric hatchback and SUV class. I can’t tell you all that much about how it looks until the car is revealed later this year, but I have had a drive in a prototype, and a chat with the bosses behind the car, to find out what we can expect from the new Epiq.
Underneath is the company’s new MEB+ platform, which means that you’re getting the same chassis and electrical gubbins as the new VW ID.Polo. You can check out our full review and vid of the Polo right here, but the Skoda gets the same 37kWh LFP and 52kWh NMC battery options.
It’ll be front wheel drive only, with three different powertrains offering models offering different power outputs ranging from ‘ooh, that’s quite fast!’ to ‘yeah, that’ll do.’
I’m not allowed to tell you a whole lot about the styling of the car, but you can check out the full video walkaround that Ginny did with the concept car last year – and I’d also add that Skoda does tend to produce concept cars that are quite close to its production vehicles…
I’ll stop there, other than to say that the Epiq is chunky but compact, and you can see distinctive elements on the disguised car that I drove - like the butch-looking lower grille design - that hints at the SUV styling. That’s a very deliberate thing, as the Epiq is intended to be an electric equivalent of the popular Skoda Kamiq, rather than a conventional hatchback like the Fabia. Do you like the camo that Skoda has used? It looks like a kids ball pit, to me, which is fun. I love a ball pit.
Anyway, the Epiq is even likely to be priced very similarly to the Kamiq, from around £25,000 when it arrives here in UK showrooms at the end of 2026, with deliveries due to start in the first few months of 2027.
Range, battery and charging
The Skoda Epiq will be offered with a couple of battery options. A 37kWh usable (38.5kWh total) LFP battery will give it a WLTP range of 193 miles, while the 52kWh usable (56kWh total) NMC battery manages up to 267 miles, which is close – if not a bit longer range with that bigger battery - to rivals like the Renault 4. The VW ID.Polo is more efficient in official tests, though, as it manages up to 230- to 280 miles from the same battery options, and the Kia EV2 also goes a bit further. We haven’t spent enough time with the Epiq to get a good idea of real-world range, so come back to us when we’ve driven the finished production car.
For a bit of clarification on those battery sizes, ever EV battery keeps a few cells dormant in the battery pack, as it helps with battery performance and longevity. So even though there is a 56kWh battery in the long range Epiq, you can only actually charge 52 of those kilowatt-hours (kWh). The other four kilowatt-hours are just there to give the functioning cells a massage and a snack, to keep them in good condition so that your battery lasts as long as possible. Geddit?
At Electrifying we always state usable because that’s the actual, functioning size of the battery that you’ll be charging, which is the more useful figure.
Anyway, having cleared that up, let’s talk charging! This baby electric Skoda will be offered as the Epiq 35 or Epiq 40 models, both of which get the smaller LFP battery and a range of 193 miles, but the 35 makes do with less power and rapid charging of only 50kW. The 40 gets more power from its electric motor, and steps that DC rapid charging up to 90kW, making it usefully faster to drive and to charge! We’d expect a 100 mile top-up to take around 25 minutes in the Epiq 40, which is very close to what you get in the Renault 4, Ford Puma Gen-E and Peugeot E-2008. The same top-up in the Epiq 30 will take more like 45- to 60 minutes, so it’s one to avoid if you think you’ll have to rapid charge regularly.
The big battery Skoda Epiq 55 gets DC rapid charging of up to 133kW, which is really competitive with everything else in the class and will deliver a 100 mile top-up in more like 15- to 20 minutes.
The Skoda Epiq will also be capable of vehicle-to-load charging (so that you can charge your electric devices from the car’s battery), but it’s likely to be an option. In the longer term, Skoda told me at the super-secret early prototype drive that it will also be capable of vehicle-to-home charging, meaning that you can power your home from the car’s battery provided you have a compatible home charger. That could be really useful, so I’m excited to see this tech becoming more attainable.
Practicality and boot space
Being a chunky yet compact SUV, the Epiq needs to be practical, and I was really impressed when I had a look round. Unfortunately, Skoda is being very cagey about the final details of the dashboard and some other details regards the Epiq's interior, so they put stickers all over my phone and told me not to be naughty and take any photos when I was allowed to prod around the car’s undisguised interior.
That's also why there aren't any interior photos, I'm afraid - you'll have to wait a few months before Skoda takes the final wraps off the Epiq - inside and out!
For a relatively small car, the Epiq gets a pretty huge boot space of 475-litres. That’s more than you get in the Renault 4 or Jeep Avenger – only the Ford Puma Gen-E with its enormous underfloor storage can beat that. You’ll also be able to add a small, 18-litre frunk to the Epiq, although that’ll be optional.
It’s a really nice place to sit, too. Even in the rear seats there’s decent head- and legroom, so you’ll be able to get a couple of average height adults back there very comfortably, especially if you’ve got the centre rear armrest for added comfort. The floor feels a touch high, so very long-legged adults might feel like their knees are bent up towards their chin, but I’d say that this is less of an issue than in some rivals. I’m 5ft 7in tall and I was very comfortable sat behind a taller driver.
There’s lots of space up front, too, and while you sit slightly higher than you would in a ‘normal’ hatchback, the Epiq has a nice balance of offering a lofty view over the bonnet, it still feels low and nimble. Car like the MGS5 offer a more SUV-ish feel, while the Epiq is closer to the Renault 4 and Ford Puma in its not-quite-an-SUV stance.
Interior, design/styling and technology
The Epiq will be offered with three different interior ‘Design Selections’ called Studio, Loft and Suite. Entry-level Studio gets upholstery made entirely from recycled plastics, while Loft steps it up with a few more colourful finishes including a mint green option and part leatherette. Suite is the range-topper gets faux suede and leatherette including the option of a brown interior, and you’ll be able to add an optional panoramic glass roof (always a favourite with family buyers).
Every Skoda Epiq gets a 5.3-inch driver’s readout and a 13-inch infotainment touchscreen, complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. I can’t tell you a whole lot more at this point, but watch this space for when Skoda gives us the big reveal of the Epiq’s dashboard – and I’ll tell you all about my thoughts on it, then!
Motors, performance and handling
I spent an hour or so driving the Skoda Epiq prototype around Porto, which has some pretty terrible road surfaces and some absolutely gorgeous scenery and architecture. Anyway, this isn’t a travel website, so let’s talk about the car!
I had a go in the Skoda Epiq 55, which gets 210hp for a very decent 0-62mph time of 7.4 seconds. If you settle for the Epiq 40 or Epiq 30, you’re looking at 135- and 116hp, for 0-62mph times of 9.8- and 11.0 seconds respectively.
The 55 feels… Very grown-up. Just really mature and smooth, with predictable pedal responses, and an easy-going manner. All the control weights and responses feel predictable and confident, so it doesn’t feel like a small, urban car at all. It really does feel like a car you’d happily do a really long journey in.
It rides pretty well even over very rough surfaces, and while you notice suspension and tyres noise, the Epiq is also a refined and calm car. It’s got a decent turning circle for those moments when you want to squeeze into a tight space, and the steering feels reasonably hefty and direct, yet light enough for a satisfying easy swing through mini roundabouts and the like.
There’s a new brake regen system with three levels of regen, including two lighter levels and a one-pedal mode for driving around town without even needing to touch the brake pedal; the car will come to a complete stop if you just lift off the accelerator.
Running costs and pricing
Skoda wouldn’t tell me any details about the Epiq’s pricing, but company sources did mutter over dinner that it’ll likely cost a very similar amount to the Skoda Kamiq. Which is great news, because it’s further evidence that electric cars are now costing almost the same to buy as their petrol equivalents.
Off the back of that tip-off, I’d say that the Epiq will start at around £25,000 and go up to around £33,000 when orders open at the end of 2026. Expect customer deliveries to start in early 2027.
Verdict
I really enjoyed the Skoda Epiq! It’s not exciting, but it really does feel hugely accomplished for a compact car. There’s all of that Skoda goodness that has already made the bigger Skoda EVs perennial favourites with us at Electrifying (Ginny’s still obsessed with the Enyaq), only in a small-but-still-practical package.
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