Skoda Epiq SUV (2026 - ) Electric review

The Epiq is Skoda’s most affordable electric car yet and it qualifies for the lower-level £1,500 Electric Car Grant which helps to make it even more appealing. However, it’s not quite as keenly priced than rivals like the Renault 4 or EV2 which get the full £3,750 grant. All is not lost, though, because the Epiq should be very cost-effective to run if you can charge at home on a dedicated EV energy tariff. Charging on the public network will be considerably more expensive mind you, but our Epiq 55 test car averaged around 4.6 miles/kWh during our test drive on the German autobahn suggesting you could get around 240 miles of motorway driving in the real world and it will be even more efficient around town. When you do need to stop, you should be able to top up from 10 to 80 per cent in around 24 minutes.

Skoda has an average reputation for reliability and electric cars have fewer mechanical parts than an equivalent petrol or diesel car so in theory they should be more dependable. The Epiq is built on new foundations shared by the closely related Cupra Raval, VW ID. Polo and ID. Cross and although we don’t yet know how reliable they will be in the long term, these models all have a lower number of components than previous Volkswagen Group electric cars which means there’s even less to potentially go wrong. For peace of mind Skoda offers an industry standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty, though this is not as generous as the seven-year cover you’ll get from Kia, or the five-year warranty offered by Cupra. The battery does get a separate eight years of cover, though, and for further reassurance Skoda will sell you an extended warranty for the main car.

The Epiq may be a small car, but Skoda has still packed it with the same level of safety systems you’ll get in the larger Elroq. All cars get seven airbags, emergency braking, lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, rear parking sensors and blind spot monitoring – one of our favourite safety features. Higher grade cars gain front parking sensors and a reversing camera which provides a top-down view of the car and your surroundings. Skoda has also added some new features such as Emergency Assist which will move the car into a slower lane and bring the car to a stop if the driver loses consciousness and Crossroad Assist which is designed to prevent collisions at junctions. There’s also a Reversing Assist which allows the car to retrace your path should you need to reverse out of a tight spot. As an overall package we were impressed by the assistance systems which weren’t too intrusive so we didn’t feel the need to turn them off in the touch-screen.

The Epiq is offered with three trim levels – SE L, Edition and First Edition – and whichever option you choose the chunky design is appealing inside and out. All cars come with a decent amount of kit including a compact digital driver display and a large 13-inch central touch-screen. The infotainment is relatively intuitive to use, and we appreciate the row of physical toggles which shortcut to menus for things like temperature controls. You’ll need to step up to Edition trim to get built-in Sat Nav, but you’ll probably just mirror your phone using wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay anyway. Edition trim cars do gain other nice to haves like a wireless phone charging pad, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, though, while First Edition cars get orange seatbelts, wingmirrors and window trim along with their own bespoke wheel design. As this is a Skoda you get a whole host of ‘Simply Clever’ touches like the umbrella in the door, an ice scraper hidden in the boot lid and a pop-up funnel on the windscreen washer fluid bottle. Plus, if you happen to have access to a 3D printer, Skoda has come up with patterns for an array of accessories you can print yourself.

All Epiqs are front-wheel drive and initially they will be offered in the UK with a choice of two power and battery options. The 40 version has and official range of around 190 miles, while 55 models have a larger battery providing approximately 270 miles of range and more power. We tried the latter and which felt light and nimble around town while also being confident and composed on the motorway. The steering was well-weighted while the brakes had a reassuring amount of feel. Our car had a choice of drive modes, but they didn’t make all that much different to how the car felt to drive. However, there are two levels of regenerative braking which can be selected in the touch-screen and then activated via B-mode on the drive selector. These noticeably change how quickly the car slows down when you take your foot off the accelerator with the stronger level providing ‘one-pedal’ driving perfect for city traffic. While the it may not be as fun or engaging as the Cupra Raval or Renault 4, the Epiq is easy to get on with and has a relaxing demeanour which will be reassuring familiar if you’ve owned a Skoda previously.