2027 Skoda Epiq review: Quick drive

Czech auto brand Skoda is in a healthy position right now, having got through the first reporting period of the Australian Government's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) without accruing any emissions liabilities.

That means it can continue to sell combustion-powered cars to customers eager to stick with traditional propulsion – but nevertheless it will strengthen its position by doubling its electric vehicle (EV) range from two model lines to four.

So, joining the Elroq and Enyaq electric SUVs, hopefully before 2027 is out, will be a large, seven-seat, zero-emissions SUV flagship known as the Peaq , and the car you see here: the Skoda Epiq .

The compact electric SUV promises to be one of the smallest and most affordable cars you can buy from Skoda, sharing its underpinnings with the likes of the Volkswagens ID. Polo and ID. Cross, and the Cupra Raval.

And despite its SUV body and EV status, the only Skoda model the Epiq is bigger than is the Fabia hatch – and even then, there’s not a lot in it.

Available with two battery pack sizes and a choice of electric motor outputs, the Epiq is designed to offer the Skoda brand's long-held corporate traits of sector-leading practicality and civilised driving manners, in an EV marketplace awash with aggressively priced Chinese competitors.

To find out if the Epiq can stand tall among these rivals, we headed to the Austro-German border to sample the Skoda in the Alps.

Skoda Australia has not yet confirmed pricing, but you can expect the Epiq to come in below the Elroq’s opening ticket of $48,990 before on-road costs.

Whether it will be as cheap as the entry-level Kamiq , the 85kW 1.0 TSI Select at $31,990 plus on-roads, remains to be seen, but it should certainly be in the $30-40k bracket.

Skoda hopes the Epiq, along with the Peaq at the other end of the brand's EV lineup, will drive its zero-emission vehicle sales to new heights next year.

In the first half of 2026, the Elroq and Enyaq accounted for around 700 units in our market, and Skoda is on target to achieve another 1300 sales in the third and fourth quarters.

After that, the Epiq should play a crucial role in driving Skoda to 2500 EV sales in 2027 and beyond.

High-quality materials, an endless array of Skoda’s proprietary ‘Simply Clever’ features and interior storage solutions, plus healthy amounts of space and neatly integrated, none-too-infuriating tech are the main talking points of the cabin in the Epiq EV.

The main interface is handled by a 13-inch Android-based touchscreen infotainment system, supplemented by a tidy and effective 5.3-inch digital instrument cluster.