This is the all-new Skoda Epiq, a baby electric SUV designed to sit underneath the larger Elroq and Enyaq – and later the seven-seat Eviatiq – when it arrives in 2026. We’ve known the car is coming for some time, having been previewed by a concept last year, but this is the first time the model has been caught testing on public roads.
While still wearing extensive cladding and heavy disguise, we can see from these first images that the Epiq will inherit a family look with stacked head and daytime running lights, connected via the brand’s 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) and features.
New Skoda ‘Eviatiq’ seven-seat SUV ready to bring Vision 7S design to showrooms
The slashes and vents in the bodywork and lower part of the bumper will set the Epiq apart from its larger siblings, though the intricacies of the design remain under lock and key for now. Like the Elroq and Enyaq, the smallest Epiq will feature a clamshell bonnet that wraps around the side of the car to the A-pillar.
From the side, we can see the Epiq will utilise a shorter wheelbase, plus cut-down front and rear overhangs. Its stubbier overall proportions should allow it to slip into the segment currently occupied by budget alternatives such as the Citroen e-C3 and forthcoming BYD Atto 2. The Epiq concept measured 4.1 metres long – significantly shorter than the 4.5-metre Elroq.
At the rear, the upright tailgate should help preserve bootspace – Skoda surely won’t want to sacrifice its reputation for offering clever, practical cars. Design-wise, there’s a good chance we’ll see the concept’s T-shaped rear light clusters make the cut, alongside the usual SKODA lettering and a numberplate fixed to the bootlid rather than the bumper. The car in our pictures is labelled ‘Bremsen Test’, which translates from German as ‘Brake Test’.
