Skoda Peaq SUV (2026 - ) Electric review

Skoda has always been the most budget-focused brand in the Volkswagen Group, so the Peaq’s price tag requires an adjustment of expectations – it doesn’t come cheap! Still, it costs less than a seven-seat ID. Buzz or a Kia EV9 and while the Peugeot E-5008 is cheaper, the Peaq’s more conventional driving position will have a broader appeal. However, Skoda has priced the Peaq in line with the Mercedes-Benz GLB, which is a very bold move. If you can charge at home on a dedicated off-peak energy tariff then the Peaq should be very cost effective to run, though we are dubious you’ll really manage up to 390 miles on a single charge. This means on longer journeys you’ll need to top up using expensive public chargers where recharging from 10 to 80 per cent should take around half an hour.

Skoda has an average reputation for reliability but electric cars have fewer mechanical parts than an equivalent petrol or diesel car so in theory they should be more dependable. The Peaq is built on tried and tested foundations which are shared across the Volkswagen Group and underpin popular models like the Skoda Enyaq, ID. Buzz and Cupra Tavascan. 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 rest of the car.

All models come with an extensive range of safety features. These include mandated systems like emergency braking and traffic sign recognition, along with the really useful nice-to-haves like blind spot monitoring and a reversing camera. Higher level grades also come with an Assist package with a more sophisticated lane keeping assistance system and the ability for the car to park itself, retrace your path in reverse and to learn specific manoeuvres. Clever stuff, though despite being a large car, the Peaq doesn’t feel intimidatingly huge, so it shouldn’t be too challenging to park anyway. During our test drive we didn’t find the safety aids to be overly intrusive but if you do find them annoying, they can be turned off in the central screen. While there are a few physical toggles for basic temperature controls, we did find the large touch-screen distracting to use on the move, and for this reason we have docked a point from our total safety score.

The Peaq looks just as smart on the inside as it does on the outside and it makes good use of the space available. It is slightly longer than the Kodiaq and, while the rearmost seats are still best reserved for small children, you can slide the middle row forward which just about creates enough room for adults to squeeze in for shorter journeys. With all seven seats in place there’s enough space for a weekly shop and folding the third row down creates a large, practical space with a split floor height adding flexibility. All cars come with electric front seats and heated seats front and back. In its five-seat layout there should be no cause for complaint wherever you are sitting with ample head- and legroom for all. If you do need extra storage there’s even a compartment under the bonnet (AKA a frunk) with capacity to store your cables or the rear parcel shelf when not in use. You will find some scratchy plastics if you go digging around but the quality is generally very good and the Peaq feels very solidly put together. On the road it does lean a bit in the corners, but it doesn’t wobble too much and overall, the interior is a comfortable and cocooning place to be.

This is the fanciest Skoda yet and it is noticeably more upmarket than other models in the range. If you delve into the options list, you’ll even find a Relax package which adds fully reclining front seats with integrated footrests, massage function and plump headrest pillows – close your eyes and you could almost image you are in a Maybach! Despite all this, it is still a Skoda at heart so the more down to Earth ‘Simply Clever’ features like the built-in umbrella and ice scraper are both present and correct. There are three trim levels – SE L, Edition and SportLine – and all cars come with a large vertical central touch-screen with a widget-based layout like the Polestar 3’s. The array of submenus takes some getting used to and the screen wasn’t as responsive as we would have hoped. However, you do get some physical toggles to control the temperature and Laura, Skoda’s AI assistant, is on hand to help you out. However, she seemed to have selective hearing and for some functions she’ll only carry out the driver’s requests. It’s also a shame the nifty panoramic sunroof which can turn from clear to opaque at your command and the addition of a heat pump to improve efficiency in colder weather are cost options, even on the range-topping models. For those looking for an electric car with towing capabilities the Peaq can haul up to two tonnes, though this will have a significant impact on your maximum range.

This is not an electric car with acceleration to rival a Porsche 911; this is a large family SUV set up for comfort. It’s also a heavy car which takes some stopping once you get going so anticipating the road ahead is key, especially given the brake pedal is on the spongy side. All cars come with the same large battery pack and there’s a choice of rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. The former has an official range of around 390 miles and this drops to 370 miles for the all-wheel drive version. Based on our experience of the rear-wheel drive version these figures seem rather optimistic as in favourable warm conditions our test car was only suggesting a maximum range of about 280 miles and that’s without being heavily loaded with people and luggage. To help you eke out the miles we’d suggest you don’t bother with Sport mode and instead stick to Normal or Eco mode most of the time. Meanwhile for town driving there are two levels of regenerative braking with the strongest setting allowing for full ‘one-pedal’ driving. Once you’ve settled in for the ride, though, the Peaq is a very relaxing car to drive and it’s a very comfortable place to rack up the miles.