Skoda’s new flagship electric Peaq unveiled

Skoda has officially unveiled its largest electric vehicle, the Skoda Peaq. This large vehicle is the brand's new flagship model. It applies everything the Czech automaker learned from its traditional gas-powered Kodiaq SUV and transfers those lessons into the world of electric cars. The new SUV targets families who need plenty of space and the latest technology without paying luxury prices. As the international market for seven-seat electric cars expands, this model enters a highly competitive field.

The vehicle measures 191.9 inches long and has a wheelbase of 116.7 inches, creating more room for passengers inside. The exterior design introduces what the company calls a minimalist style with clean lines. Designers managed to lower the drag coefficient to 0.249 - the rival Hyundai Ioniq 9 has a drag coefficient of 0.259, even when buyers pay extra for digital side mirrors - lower aerodynamic resistance helps EVs to travel farther.

Peaq stands out with T-shaped headlights and taillights, alongside a glossy black panel on the nose instead of a traditional grille. It is also the first time a Skoda vehicle uses flush door handles that sit flat against the body panels. Some car buyers worry about those handles sticking during freezing winter weather, but the company added a backup system. The handles have an electrical charge capacitor that keeps them operational during an emergency, and users can press the front part to open them manually.

Inside the cabin, the long wheelbase means easy access to the third row of seats (in the seven-seater version). Passengers in the middle row also get extra legroom. Even when all seven seats are occupied, the trunk still holds 10.6 ft³ of luggage. Folding the third row opens up 31.4 ft³ to 33 ft³ of storage space, depending on the specific market configuration. If you fold down both rear rows, total cargo capacity grows to 73.3 ft³. Under the hood, a 1.31 ft³ front trunk, or frunk, offers enough space to store the charging cables and the rear cargo cover. The cabin uses entirely vegan upholstery materials at launch, though traditional leather options will arrive later.

Technology dominates the dashboard, which gets a vertically oriented 13.6-inch touchscreen running on an Android operating system. This allows drivers to download a variety of third-party apps directly to the vehicle. A smaller 10.0-inch screen acts as the digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, and an augmented reality head-up display will join the options list in 2027. Skoda kept physical buttons for basic tasks like climate control, volume adjustment, and door locks, saving drivers from digging through screen menus. The 2.1-square-meter panoramic glass roof uses electronic shade control, meaning passengers can adjust the tint level with a button instead of using a physical fabric roller blind.

The new Peaq has a few small but practical features perfect for daily usability. Engineers built the windshield washer nozzles directly into the wiper blades to avoid spraying fluid all over the place. There is a magnetic 25W wireless phone charger, a folding table in the middle console, and a USB port right behind the rearview mirror specifically to power a dashcam. Buyers can upgrade to a Relax Package that adds massaging front seats and ergonomic leg rests. A premium 16-speaker, 755W Sonos audio system also appears on the options list, though early buyers should note that this sound system will not arrive immediately at launch.

There are multiple battery and motor options. The entry-level European model, named the Peaq 60, uses a smaller 63 kWh battery pack and a 150 kW electric motor driving the rear wheels. It can drive up to 273 miles on a charge and reaches 62 mph in 8.6 seconds. The larger variants, the Peaq 90 and Peaq 90x, use an 86 kWh usable battery pack. The rear-wheel-drive Peaq 90 has 210 kW of power and covers more than 391 miles on a full charge. The all-wheel-drive Peaq 90x adds a second motor to the front axle, generating a combined 220 kW. It accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 6.7 seconds and provides a 376 miles range.

Charging the large battery from 10% to 80% takes about 28 minutes under perfect conditions, using a maximum charging speed of 200 kW. Peaq supports bidirectional charging, including vehicle-to-load (V2L), vehicle-to-home (V2H), and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities. A standard heat pump keeps the cabin warm efficiently during winter months to preserve driving range. For towing duties, the rear-wheel-drive versions can pull a braked trailer weighing up to 1.8 metric tons, and the all-wheel-drive models increase that limit to 2.0 metric tons. Drivers can also select a "one-pedal" driving mode that slows the vehicle to a complete stop using regenerative braking alone.

Safety equipment includes ten standard airbags and driver-assistance features like predictive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic emergency braking. In the UK market, the SUV comes in three trim levels: SE L, Edition, and Sportline. The base SE L trim starts at $71,380 (European pricing will start around $59,000) and includes 19-inch wheels, heated seats, and an electric tailgate. The Edition trim starts at $75,710 and adds matrix LED headlights and a 360-degree camera. The Sportline costs $80,040 and gets 20-inch black alloy wheels, sporty interior styling, and an adaptive suspension system. Upgrading either of the higher trims to the all-wheel-drive system costs an extra $2,900.

The one obvious rival is the Hyundai Ioniq 9 (and its sibling Kia EV9)- it offers slightly more interior volume, but it has a much higher starting price of $89,258 in the UK. On the cheaper side, the Mercedes GLB Electric costs $63,300, but its third-row seats provide less practical space for regular use. Skoda will open order books for the new electric SUV in September 2026, and we should have the European prices confirmed before then.

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