Skoda Epiq review

Exterior & design of the 2027 Skoda Epiq

• Embodies 'Modern Solid' design philosophy
• Has evolved version of 'Tech Deck Face'
• 17- to 19-inch alloys available

Although this could only ever be a Skoda, even if you removed all the badges from its body - including the one on the SUV's C-pillar - the Epiq demonstrates an evolution of the Modern Solid design language.

This means it has an update of the so-called Tech Deck Face, a feature which debuted on the Skoda Elroq and was subsequently adopted by the larger Enyaq.

The key aspect of the Epiq's mask, which it shares with the Peaq at the other end of Skoda's electric SUV range, is that the grille-like panel separating its upper light units is complemented by a lower styling element forming a continuous loop across the front of the Skoda.

It's a neat appearance, as is the rest of the car's design, where black plastic trim strips and cladding help to break up the Epiq's flanks and reduce the risk of it looking hefty and slabby.

At the back, the T-shaped light clusters originated on the Skoda Vision O concept, and are also used on the Peaq.

Short, at less than 4.2 metres long, and crisply penned, the Skoda Epiq is a handsome machine. It sits on alloy wheels which range in size from 17 to 19 inches in diameter.

Dimensions of the 2027 Skoda Epiq

Length:

4,171mm

Width:

1,798mm (excluding mirrors)

Height:

1,581mm

Wheelbase:

2,601mm

Paint colours for the 2027 Skoda Epiq

There are six colours available for the Skoda Epiq, comprising two solid finishes, three metallic shades and an exclusive paint.

The standard hue is Marble Grey, while the other solid colour - Timiano Green - and the three metallics (Platinum White, Mystery Black and Pebble Silver) are all €781 apiece.

The exclusive Jasper Red finish costs €1,182.

Interior, practicality, tech & comfort of the 2027 Skoda Epiq

• Plenty of 'Simply Clever' touches
• Good room for rear-seat passengers
• Big boot, but it lacks features

Although the Skoda Epiq has a screen-centric cabin and relatively few physical buttons, much like many Chinese competitors, it is less irritating to use because the Czech company has made its menu layouts and systems straightforward to operate.

Material quality is also highly commendable throughout the Epiq's cabin, while there's a generous amount of passenger space and a huge boot behind, as you'd expect of a Skoda.

Getting comfortable in the driver's seat

It's manual adjustment for both the driver's seat and the steering column in all models of the Skoda Epiq, but a suitable driving position shouldn't be hard for anybody to attain, given the range of movement available with each.

Visibility to the rear is marginally restricted by the head restraints, but in all other respects the Epiq's driving position is excellent.

Infotainment and technology

The 13-inch Android-based touchscreen contains all the climate controls, including those for the heated seats, but quick-access graphics remain visible at the edges of the display.

A row of shortcut buttons on the dashboard also provides rapid access to menus such as driver assistance, climate control and drive modes.

Graphically, the infotainment display is attractive and responds keenly with little lag. The same can be said of the smaller digital driver's instrument cluster, which is only 5.3 inches across the diagonal but presents the information you need with commendable clarity.

Wireless smartphone charging, keyless entry and go, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel are all part of the standard specification of Selection.

Options include a panoramic sunroof, the 'Laura' voice control assistant, Matrix LED headlights, a 360-degree camera array and a ten-speaker premium Canton sound system, among others.

Practicality around the cabin

Skoda's Simply Clever features abound in the Epiq, including an umbrella in the driver's door and an ice scraper in the boot.

There are plentiful stowage solutions, too, including front door bins that can take 1.5-litre drinks bottles, a sizeable glovebox, an under-dash storage area with two USB-C sockets, two cupholders and a large cubby beneath the central armrest.

Rear-seat passenger space

Measured against other small B-segment crossovers, space in the second row of the Epiq is impressive. By Skoda's own standards, though, it doesn't have the 'wow' level of rear-seat roominess you get in bigger cars such as the Kodiaq and Superb.

It's understandable that the Epiq isn't limo-like in the back, given its 2.6-metre wheelbase, but Skoda has made effective use of the available space for leg-, knee- and headroom.

Bear in mind that, on versions fitted with the panoramic roof, the housing for the electrically retractable blind forms a hump in the ceiling that limits headroom, while particularly tall passengers may find rear-seat space tight on longer journeys.

It's also best to think of the Epiq more as a four-seater than a five-seater. The centre-rear squab is quite high and narrow, so no one will want to perch there for long, even if the footwell is completely flat across its width.

Rear-seat passengers get two air vents, two USB-C sockets and a moulded smartphone slot on the back of the front centre console. There are also door bins that can take a one-litre drinks bottle, coat hooks on the trailing faces of the B-pillars, a fold-down centre armrest with three cupholders and elasticated map pockets.

The map pockets also have smaller dedicated pouches for smartphones, which is a particularly useful touch.

Fitting child seats to the Skoda Epiq

Parents have three ISOFIX points to work with in the Skoda Epiq, one on the front-passenger seat and the other two in the outer positions of row two.

All the doors are large enough that loading even bigger child seats should be a fairly painless process, though there's not likely to be space in the middle rear seat for a booster for a larger child.

Boot space in the Skoda Epiq

In terms of pure volume, the Skoda Epiq has a large boot. It measures 475 litres with all five seats in use, which is huge by the standards of this class, and specifically for crossovers less than 4.2 metres long.

A lot of that capacity comes from a deep well beneath the boot floor, so you can stash charging cables and other items there if you don't want them on show.

A moulded plastic tray serving as a 25-litre 'frunk' can also be specified.

Fold the 60:40 split rear bench down and up to 1,345 litres of space is available, but if we have one complaint about the Epiq's boot, it's that there's not much to it besides volume.

Aside from the underfloor stowage area, the one concession to versatility behind the passenger compartment is a pair of moulded bag hooks in the plastic side trims of the cargo bay.

Safety in the Skoda Epiq

The Skoda Epiq had not been subjected to Euro NCAP safety testing when this review was published. Standard advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) include side assist (blind spot monitoring), lane assist, a driver monitoring system, front assist, automatic high-beam control, rear parking sensors with a reversing camera and adaptive cruise control, among others.

Performance of the 2027 Skoda Epiq

• Three power levels available
• All Epiqs are front-wheel drive
• Impressive ride and handling balance

Skoda offers the Epiq with three power outputs, all using front-wheel-drive, single-motor drivetrains. They are linked to battery size, with the first two using the smaller battery and the flagship getting the larger one.

The opening model is the Epiq 35. This is powered by an 85kW motor for peak outputs of 116hp and 267Nm. Weighing 1,542kg, the Epiq can do 0-100km/h in exactly 11 seconds.

Moving up to the Epiq 40, the motor's output rises to 99kW, with the other key figures remaining the same as the 35. The increase to 135hp trims the 0-100km/h time to 9.8 seconds.

Lastly, there's the Epiq 55. This increases motor power to 155kW, resulting in up to 210hp and 290Nm. The larger battery increases kerb weight to a specification-dependent 1,618-1,712kg. Nevertheless, this is the fastest Epiq of the lot, achieving 0-100km/h in 7.1 seconds.

Driving the Skoda Epiq 55 on the roads of Germany and Austria

Words by Matt Robinson on 13 September, 2026

The most surprising part of the Skoda Epiq 55's dynamic showing is how enjoyable it is to drive for a small, affordable electric SUV. That comes in part from the development work that went into the Epiq's MEB+ chassis, led by Spanish brand Cupra, which is known for making cars for driving enthusiasts.

This is not to denigrate Skoda's own chassis engineers, who have long known how to create comfortable and relaxing set-ups. But unless you picked something with an RS badge on it, few Skodas have been the sort of cars you'd recommend to keener motorists who enjoy the occasional back-road drive.

All things are relative and we're certainly not saying the Epiq 55 is some kind of RS model in electric-crossover clothing. It's not revelatory in corners, but it is well-sorted, with positive steering, splendid body control and enough grip and front-axle traction to get the 210hp Skoda into an effortless groove on the right roads. It's not thrilling, but it is amenable and flowing.

Where it really deserves praise in these driving scenarios is the brakes. The Cupra Raval uses the same underpinnings and rear disc brakes rather than drums, and the Epiq gets the same setup.

The result is an electric vehicle with a sharp, progressive brake pedal, without obvious sponginess or an awkward transition between regenerative and friction braking. That makes it easy to control the Epiq's speed precisely on a twisting road.

Opening with how the Epiq handles might seem counter-intuitive to what this car is supposed to do day in, day out. Better still, though, the Epiq is a delight when it comes to ride comfort and rolling refinement.

Our test vehicle on the Austro-German border was on the optional 19-inch wheels, the largest rims available for Skoda's small electric SUV, yet it soaked up road imperfections and undulations with unruffled grace.

Both wind and suspension noise in the cabin are suppressed impressively and, aside from a little too much tyre rumble at higher speeds, the Epiq feels like a bigger, grander car to travel in than it is. The simplest way of putting it is this: it rides every bit as well as an Enyaq. That's high praise indeed.

The Epiq is equally refined and dignified around town, on open roads and at motorway speeds of 110km/h and more. It rarely feels rough around the edges.

Range, battery, charging and running costs of the 2027 Skoda Epiq

• Two battery pack options
• Up to 441km of range
• DC charging speeds aren't amazing

As with the motor outputs, there are differences between the three Skoda Epiq models (35, 40 and 55) in their peak DC-charging speeds. This is because the first two use a smaller battery with one cell chemistry, while the 55 has a battery with 40 per cent greater capacity and a different chemistry.

The range between charging stops is competitive across all three, although anyone with lingering range anxiety may want to avoid the Epiq 35 and 40, as their real-world maximums are likely to be below 300km.

Battery options and official range

Both the Epiq 35 and Epiq 40 use a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery pack measuring 38.5kWh gross, of which 37kWh is usable energy. Despite the 40 having more power, both have an official range of 310km.

The Epiq 55, however, has a nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery of 55kWh gross, with 52kWh usable energy capacity. Its official range is 441km.

Real-world range and efficiency of the Skoda Epiq

During our test drive in the Austrian Alps and southern Germany, the Skoda Epiq 55 Selection put on an at-times impressive display of real-world electrical efficiency.

Leaving our Tyrolean hotel on the final day to head back to Munich, the first 15km of the route included a substantial downhill element. Over that stretch, the trip computer showed a negative kWh/100km figure, indicating that regeneration had returned more energy to the battery than propulsion had used, and the state of charge remained at 89 per cent until after the 15km mark.

Even after 50km, including careful driving through villages and on faster-flowing 100km/h two-lane roads, the indicated consumption stood at just 6.0kWh/100km once we had descended to the valley floor. That figure is clearly helped by the route profile and should not be treated as representative of normal driving.

By the time we arrived at Munich airport, around 180km after leaving the hotel and following sustained 130km/h-plus Autobahn running, the Epiq 55 returned an indicated 13.5kWh/100km.

That's 0.2kWh/100km better than its official figure, achieved with the climate control running throughout and the lights and wipers in use. If replicated over a full charge, that consumption equates to roughly 385km of range.

Taken together, the test suggests the Epiq 55 can approach 400km between charges in favourable mixed driving, although temperature, speed, route and climate-control use will all affect real-world range.

Charging up the Skoda Epiq

All three versions of the Skoda Epiq can manage 11kW on three-phase AC charging. With such an electrical connection, a 10-100 per cent charge should take about four hours in the 35 and 40, and 5.5 hours in the 55 with its larger battery.

Those times rise to around six and 7.5 hours, respectively, on a typical 7.4kW domestic AC wallbox.

For DC charging, the maximum rate depends on the version. The 35 peaks at 50kW, the 40 at 90kW and the 55 at 105kW. The industry-standard 10-80 per cent rapid-charge cycle takes 33, 25 and 24 minutes, respectively.

Servicing the Skoda Epiq

Typically, Skoda's EVs have a longer service interval than its petrol cars, so that means the maintenance schedule stands at every two years or 30,000km, whichever comes sooner.

Skoda Epiq warranty

The Skoda Ireland warranty lasts for three years. There is no distance limit for the first 24 months, while a 150,000km cap applies in the final year. The Epiq's high-voltage battery has separate cover for eight years or 160,000km, whichever comes sooner.

Irish pricing & rivals to the 2027 Skoda Epiq

• Starts at about €24,500 after incentives
• Healthy equipment levels
• Growing number of electric rivals

The Skoda Epiq combines sleek styling, a high-quality cabin, satisfying driving manners and impressive real-world electrical efficiency with aggressive pricing once VRT relief and the SEAI grant are factored in.

With these rebates included, only one of the four launch versions of the Epiq is below €30,000: the €29,704 40 Selection. The same powertrain in Sportline trim costs €33,915, while the 55 tested here is €32,979 in Selection trim and €37,189 as a Sportline.

Following those four versions are the 35 Choice and another grade of 40 called Essence. These are the two that catch the eye for pricing: the former starts at €24,559 and the latter at €26,989.

The equipment specifications for these versions are yet to be confirmed, and they will obviously to be less well equipped than Selection models. Even so, for a car as inherently talented as the Epiq, a starting price of less than €25,000 is highly competitive.

Verdict - should you buy the 2027 Skoda Epiq?

Among the most likeable cars in this compact electric class, the Skoda Epiq is an excellent addition to the company's electric portfolio. Its main weaknesses are the plain boot (which is, admittedly, vast), the slightly snug second-row passenger accommodation and the relative lack of physical buttons in the cabin. Otherwise, it nearly lives up to its name.