SCOOP NEW SKODA EPIQ

REVEALED Baby EV is due in 2026, and will sit below the Elroq and Enyaq in Czech brand's ever-expanding SUV range

- Richard Ingram

THIS is the all-new Skoda Epiq, a baby electric SUV that will sit underneath the larger Elroq and Enyaq, and later the seven-seat Eviatiq, when it arrives in 2026. We've known the Epiq is coming for some time, having seen it previewed by a concept last year, but the pictures on Page 8 represent first time the car has been caught testing on public roads.

Although the Epiq is still wearing extensive cladding and a heavy disguise, we can see from these first spy shots that the new SUV will inherit a family look and further progress Skoda's current 'Modern Solid' design language, with stacked headlights and daytime running lights, illustrated here by our exclusive images. As with the brand's other EVs, the lights will be connected via the now-familiar ‘Tech Deck’ face — a gloss-black panel housing many of the car’s sensors and radars for its suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

Last year, when the Epiq was announced, Skoda boss Klaus Zellmer said: “We have listened to our customers and understand they are looking for attractive options, which is why we are expanding our e-mobility portfolio into this popular segment”.

The slashes and vents in the test mule’s bodywork and the Jeep-style slotted section in the lower part of the bumper will make production, and set the Epiq apart from its larger siblings. As with the Elroq and Enyaq, the Epiq will have a clamshell bonnet that wraps around the car’s side to the A-pillars.