Skoda Epiq Review: VW Group’s Antidote to Chinese EVs Is a Smart, Urban SUV with Spanish Flair

Skoda continues expanding its electric family, this time with an urban SUV that becomes its smallest electric car… and also the cheapest.

It is called Skoda Epiq and it is also the first car from the Czech brand to be manufactured in Spain, specifically at the Landaben plant in Navarra.

Small, but very practical

For some time now Skoda has been taking electrification seriously and launched its first fully electric models, but it is now stepping up its game and shaping a comprehensive zero-emissions family. After the Enyaq and Enyaq Coupé, the Elroq arrived to sit a notch below those two midsize SUVs and to cover one of the market’s most popular segments, that of compact SUVs.

Now, the Czech brand’s electric lineup grows again, both downward with the Epiq and upward with the Peaq. The former directly enters another weighty category, that of urban SUVs, with a length of 4.17 meters, and it is particularly important for our country because it is the first Skoda manufactured in Spain, specifically at the Volkswagen Group plant in Navarra, where it shares space with its German cousin, the Volkswagen ID. Polo.

It is Skoda’s smallest electric car. Essentially, the new Epiq is an Elroq in a smaller size. It is an interesting move by Skoda because the Elroq is a good electric car, but its size (and its price) do not fit everyone.

There are people who need less interior space and prefer to buy a smaller and more manageable model to move around daily, but large enough for weekend getaways and even occasional trips. And, of course, with a more affordable price.

That is precisely what the Epiq offers compared to the Elroq, which measures 4.49 meters in length. The 32 centimeters less length are noticeable (for the better) when weaving through urban traffic and parking in the city, but be aware, it is large enough to serve as the sole car for a couple and even a small family.

Skoda Epiq: interior

Only the rear seats are visible; there isn’t as much room as in the Elroq, but two average-sized adults can ride comfortably. What stands out most in terms of space is the boot: it has 475 liters of capacity, a volume more typical of a compact SUV than of an urban SUV.

This spaciousness is one of the keys of the new MEB+ platform on which it sits. It is the same one used by other Group Volkswagen models, such as the CUPRA Raval, the Volkswagen ID. Polo, and the Volkswagen ID. Cross.

It is 100% designed for electric cars and it really makes good use of the space, leaving a lot of room for passengers and for the boot in a package with very compact exterior dimensions. In this regard, the Epiq fares better than a combustion Kamiq in the same segment. It is one of the advantages of full electrification, and the Volkswagen Group is taking better advantage of it than ever.

Beyond how spacious the Epiq is inside, it features a clean design that is fully usable, and Skoda’s “Simply Clever” solutions are not missing, such as hooks, rings, spaces to separate cargo, and a practical two-level floor.

Inside there are also many compartments to store items, including a hidden one in the driver’s door for an umbrella (one of Skoda’s trademarks). It’s always welcome to keep pockets clear, just as it’s welcome that Skoda hasn’t gone overly modern and has paired the digital instrument cluster and the central touchscreen with practical physical buttons to quickly—and simply—access key functions.

Less practical is the tactile sliding control below the central screen for increasing and decreasing the audio volume. The classic rotary knob is more intuitive and effective.

If you had to ask for one thing, a larger instrument cluster would not go amiss. The information shown on this panel is correct and easy to read thanks to the well-thought-out design that allows you to see all data at a glance, but it would look much better with a larger display that could present those data with bigger lettering.

With the size of the central touchscreen there is no issue, nor with the multimedia: it has a clear and intuitive interface, easy for anyone to use, it connects well and responds quickly.

I must make a special mention to the navigation; I know most of us rely on Google Maps or Waze via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but during the test I used the car’s native navigation to move around Austria and Germany and I found it among the best available today because the map is easy to understand, the directions are clear, and it works perfectly, with nothing to envy Google Maps or Waze. It also tells you how much battery you will have when you arrive, and it nails it.

Otherwise, it is easy to find a good driving position, you can sit quite low and visibility is very good. When it comes to build quality, it meets expectations; it is not the segment benchmark, but it has many padded surfaces, the adjustments are solid, and in general it gives the impression of being well put together, of withstanding the test of time, and that the value for money is good.

How the Skoda Epiq goes

And what about the technical side? Well, there are three versions that shape the Epiq lineup: 35, 40, and 55. The first is the entry model, it features a 116 hp electric motor and a 37.5 kWh LFP battery to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 11 seconds, reach a top speed of 150 km/h, and certify a WLTP combined range of 310 km. For charging, it can do DC up to a maximum of 50 kW and needs 33 minutes to go from 10% to 80% on a fast charger.

The 40 is the intermediate option and makes a leap in two key aspects: performance and charging speed. It reaches up to 135 hp, enough to go from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.8 seconds, and although it also uses the 37.5 kWh battery from the 35, it can charge at a maximum of 90 kW, so the improvement in this respect is significant because, instead of needing 33 minutes to recover from 10% to 80% of charge, only 23 minutes are required.

So far, Skoda has not been able to confirm whether the 35 will reach the Spanish market for private customers or only for fleets, but the 40 and 55 will arrive this month and in October.

This latter is the top of the range and is the version I was able to drive in the first test. I also find it the most interesting option in the lineup, not only for its power but also for its battery and charging capability.

Like the 35 and 40, it is front-wheel drive, but the electric motor used reaches up to 210 hp and allows a 0-100 km/h sprint in 7.1 seconds, and a top speed of 160 km/h.

In city, that acceleration capability comes in handy, but it also shines on the highway because there is no problem when overtaking or joining the motorway: it is as simple as pressing hard on the right pedal. It is not a missile, nor is that its aim, but it moves with a lot of agility in any scenario and is easy to drive.

The tuning is very Skoda, which means there is a good balance between dynamism and comfort. The suspension, while not stiff, is firm, and the steering has the weight that is lacking in almost all Chinese cars.

In this sense, it is a car that is very much tailored to European tastes, and that, in the current context where Chinese brands keep arriving, is becoming a distinct advantage because, with few exceptions, manufacturers from that country have not yet been able to “read the room” of Europeans and understand how we like our cars to feel.

And that also means being comfortable, both on the highway and in the city, where the one-pedal driving function is appreciated because it makes everything easier and avoids having to use the left pedal.

Regarding the battery, the Epiq 55 uses a 52 kWh NMC pack to certify 440 km of range. The maximum charging power is 105 kW in DC, so it goes from 10% to 80% in 24 minutes.

The first test did not allow me to verify how close this range figure is to reality, but it should not be far, because the average consumption, combining city, secondary roads, and highway segments (including unlimited-speed stretches on the German Autobahn while traveling at the car’s top speed), was only 13 kWh/100 km.

With that average, theoretically it could travel 400 km on a single charge, but it is easy to reduce consumption, so the 440 km announced by Skoda seems perfectly plausible.

Price of the Skoda Epiq

The 55 also seems the most interesting in terms of price. At the moment, Skoda has not been able to confirm whether the 35 will be available to private customers or limited to fleets, and we do not yet know the price of the 40, which will be available in our country this month, but we know that the 55 is already on sale with a starting price of 33,100 euros with the Urban finish. With the mid-tier Selection trim it starts at 36,100 euros and the First Edition begins at 38,600 euros.

Viewed this way, these prices aren’t extremely compelling (or competitive) for an urban SUV, but there is a trick, as is often the case with listed prices. With the Auto+ Plan subsidies and Skoda discounts, the Epiq 55 Urban drops to 25,850 euros cash and 22,800 euros financed, the Epiq 55 Selection goes to 28,250 euros cash and 25,200 euros with financing, while the Epiq 55 First Edition starts from 30,650 euros cash and 27,600 euros with financing.