Behold, the all-new Skoda Peaq: the biggest, boldest and priciest model the company has ever made. It’s a seven-seat electric SUV, but this is not merely a Kodiaq without an engine, because the new peak of the Skoda range embraces what we expect from this much-loved brand and takes it up another level. We’ve been waiting four years for the arrival of the Peaq because Skoda previewed its new flagship model back in 2022 with the bold Vision 7S concept. It also introduced us to the brand’s latest design language, Modern Solid, which has since shaped its three other electric SUVs: the Enyaq, Elroq and Epiq. Amazingly, the design hasn’t changed too much during the Peaq’s long gestation from concept to production. The ‘Tech-Deck Face’ mask is that sleeker interpretation of Skoda’s traditional grille shape we’re familiar with from the Elroq, and is used to hide all the car’s sensors. The blanked-off grille is framed by T-shape running lights, with the main headlight units tidily concealed underneath, and a black loop – both elements carried over from the Vision 7S, and similar to those seen on the £25k Epiq. Skoda’s lead exterior designer, Romain Bucaille, told Auto Express that simplicity was one of the guiding principles with the Peaq. “When you look at the side section, it's really simple, it's really clean. We wanted everything to be as flush as possible, so the car would really be clean and a little bit timeless.” Being Skoda’s new flagship SUV, the Peaq had to have a more premium look than the rest of the range. Hence why all the trim around the car is gloss black, never matte, while the tall glasshouse helps to make it look as long as possible, as well as provide plenty of light even for those in the rearmost seats. Obviously space was the top priority when it came to designing the Peaq and Skoda didn’t want to compromise that, but at the same time it didn’t want to create another big, heavy box on wheels. Bucaille told us the idea was to create something elegant and more dynamic-looking, which the team has achieved with a very gently sloping roofline, flush door handles (a first for Skoda), and a single character line running from the nose of the car, across the rear haunches, to the back. Meanwhile, wheel sizes range from 19 to 21 inches. To our eyes, there are hints of the Lucid Gravity and the Rivian R1S – two incredibly futuristic, more premium electric cars – in places, but it’s instantly recognisable as a Skoda. If you can't wait for the new Skoda Peaq to arrive, you can get your hands on another large Skoda through our Buy a Car service. A new Skoda Kodiaq is currently available with almost £10,000 off. 34While the Epiq, Elroq and Enyaq all have fairly similar interiors, the Peaq gets a brand-new layout, befitting a flagship model. Essentially it’s been designed to feel like a living room on wheels. At the centre is a 13.6-inch portrait touchscreen – another first for Skoda – which runs a brand-new Android-based infotainment system that’s highly customisable and allows owners to add third-party apps such as YouTube, Spotify and Google Maps. Meanwhile, behind the steering wheel is a big and very sharp 10-inch digital driver’s display – about twice the size as the new Epiq’s. From next year, an augmented-reality head-up display will be available as well. Every Peaq will also feature an enormous 2.1-metre long panoramic glass roof. This is electrochromic, meaning you can use the opacity so it acts like a virtual sunshade on especially sunny days. Skoda says it will offer a range of optional features with the Peaq, leaning into the flagship SUV’s more premium appeal. Among them will be what it calls the ‘Relax Package’, which includes massaging seats that can recline and have footrests hidden underneath, plus pillow-soft headrests – just like a Mercedes S-Class limo. Also included in the pack is a SONOS sound system, a little foldable table that slots in the centre console’s cup-holders and ‘wellness’ apps in the infotainment system that adjust the climate control, ambient lighting and other functions to provide a calming environment. Ideal for taking a nap while the car charges, or if the kids are stressing you out on a road trip. Possibly better than all that though, is the fact the Peaq features proper, physical climate controls – something that, annoyingly, none of the brand’s other electric SUVs have. There’s no novelties with them either; as with the Smart Dials in the Kodiaq, you just get two toggle switches for the temperature and one for fan speed, plus a large rocker switch for volume. That said, apart from those and some buttons on the steering wheel, everything is controlled via the touchscreen. Below them is a pair of wireless charging pads with MagSafe built-in, which is something we only saw for the first time recently in Audi’s new Q7 and Range Rover-rivalling Q9. This means that, when you plonk your phone down onto the charging pad, you’ll know it’s in the right spot every time, and there’s no risk of a device flying out while you’re trying to set a new personal best on the school run. These pads are just one example of the ‘Simply Clever’ features that Skoda has scattered throughout the Peaq to make life easier. Others include a handy display cleaner, a ticket holder in the windscreen, an extra USB port in the rear-view mirror and wiper blades with integrated washers, which are apparently better at cleaning and more efficient. Like all of Skoda’s EVs, the Peaq will be available with a selection of interior design themes that alter the materials featured. Certain ones use more sustainable materials, and can incorporate more than 50kg of recycled content. 34Measuring nearly 4.9 metres from nose to tail, the Peaq is about 12cm longer than the already sizable Kodiaq. Compared with other seven-seat electric SUVs, the Skoda is bigger than the Peugeot E-5008 and the Mercedes GLB Electric, but not quite as colossal as the Kia EV9 or Hyundai Ioniq 9. The Peaq also has an almost three-metre-long wheelbase, which helps to make this the most spacious Skoda ever – and we certainly got that impression when we poked around the Peaq in a studio before its world debut. Even six-foot tall adults will find they have a huge amount of headroom, plus lots of legroom, so they can stretch out. Taller individuals won’t be quite as happy sitting in the rearmost seats. We found a six-foot tall adult will have a bit of headroom to spare and a little bit of room for their feet, but not much in the way of legroom. You can slide the middle row forward though, if you do need to squeeze adults into the third row. Small children and teenagers will be fine though, and they get a set of USB-C charging ports so there’ll be no squabbling over who gets to top up their devices. The large rear doors will help if you need to install a child seat, and there are three sets of Isofix mounting points in the Peaq – two in the middle bench, and one on the front passenger seat. Sliding and tilting the middle-row seats forward is a very easy process too. No surprise, the boot space is impressive. In the UK, every Peaq will come with seven seats and with all of those in place, there’s 299 litres available – about the same as in a Vauxhall Corsa – rising to 890 litres when the third-row is folded down. With just the front seats up, there’s a gigantic 2,075 litres at your disposal, which is more than the Mercedes can offer, but not quite as much as the Peugeot, Kia or Hyundai. The Peaq also has a 37-litre frunk which, very handily, is wide enough to house the parcel shelf when it’s not needed, or you can stow that under the boot floor if you want to chuck the charging cables or other stuff under the bonnet. In case you’re wondering, the Peaq’s towing capacity is two tonnes, which is pretty good for an EV. 34Underneath, the Skoda Peaq is based on the same MEB platform that the Elroq and Enyaq use, as well as about a dozen other EVs across the VW Group family including the Volkswagen ID. Buzz and Audi Q4 e-tron, not to mention the Ford Capri. The standard Peaq 90 features a 86kWh battery that, according to Skoda, provides up to 390 miles of range, while its 282bhp rear-mounted e-motor allows for 0-62mph in a brisk seven seconds. The Peaq 90x uses the same battery pack, but adds a second electric motor up front to provide all-wheel drive and a combined 295bhp, cutting 0.2 seconds off the sprint time. The Peaq can’t be topped up as quickly as the GLB Electric, EV9 or Ioniq 9 because it doesn’t have an 800-volt electrical architecture like they do. Even so, with a maximum charging speed of 199kW, a 10 to 80 per cent top-up should take less than half an hour. The Skoda Peaq will go on sale in September, with prices starting from £51,980, so it will be considerably more expensive than a Peugeot E-5008, which starts from around £39k. Even a top-of-the-range version, featuring the long-range battery, costs less than £48k. More surprising is this Skoda is more expensive than the Mercedes GLB Electric, which currently starts at just over £46k. However, the Peaq does manage to undercut the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Kia EV9, which both cost upwards of £65k. There will be three trim levels to choose from: SE L, Edition and SportLine. Standard kit across the range will include the 13.6-inch portrait touchscreen, 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit and Qi 2 wireless charging pad, 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a foot-operated electric tailgate, plus heated front and rear seats. Upgrading to Edition trim (from £55,130) will unlock not only the option of all-wheel drive, but also add black leather and artificial leather upholstery, matrix LED headlights and a surround-view camera system. Remote Park Assist will be thrown in as well. SportLine models (available from £58,280) get a more athletic look courtesy of 20-inch rims, additional black trim and accents, plus an illuminated Tech-Deck Face. Meanwhile, the interior features sports seats, aluminium pedals and a three-spoke heated steering wheel. Adaptive dampers, or ‘Dynamic Chassis Control’ as Skoda calls it, are also included. Skoda Enyaq Launched in 2020, the Skoda Enyaq was the brand’s first bespoke electric car and since then it’s become one of the best-selling EVs in Europe. Even after all this time and so many fresh-faced competitors have come on the scene, we still regard it as a fantastic all-rounder and hard to beat when it comes to zero-emissions family SUVs. Skoda Elroq The reigning Auto Express Car of the Year, the Skoda Elroq has been yet another smash hit across the continent. It’s not hard to see why because it took everything we liked about the Enyaq and crammed it into a smaller and more affordable package, but added an extra dash of style thanks to the brand’s sleek new Modern Solid styling cues. Skoda Epiq The Epiq is the most affordable member of Skoda’s electric SUV line-up, with prices set to start from just £24,950. That’s already impressive, but even more so when you realise that it costs less than its petrol-powered counterpart, the Kamiq. Plus the EV offers more space, more striking looks, the brand’s latest tech and still gets those signature ‘Simply Clever’ features. Don't miss out! See more of Auto Express in your Google Top Stories. Click here...
+61 others
