With the new Epiq, Skoda is showing its variant of the future VW ID.2: The company’s next small – and electric – SUV is announced with a few teasers. These are still just computer illustrations, but they are useful for getting an initial idea of the styling of the production model, which will come onto the market in 2025 and cost around 25,000 euros.
The concept is also an anticipation of the new “Modern Solid” design language that will characterize all future Skoda models. This look was first seen on the Vision 7S study. But back to the future Epiq, whose name is based on the Enyaq.
18 Pictures
Since this is a design study, it is not certain that all elements will be incorporated into the production models, but the general look in the minimalist design is likely to go into production very similar.
The front section of the 4.10 meter long Skoda Epiq (the format of a Skoda Fabia) shows the so-called “Tech-Deck Face” in glossy black, a modern implementation of the classic Skoda radiator grille, behind which the hardware for the driver assistance systems is hidden.
The T-shaped units for the daytime running lights are completely new, while the headlights (LED matrix) are almost hidden in the lowered position. The flanks are muscular and characterized by what Skoda describes as “innovative” paneling along the profiles. This could be some kind of recycled material.
At the rear we find the “T” theme again in the lights, which are not connected by the increasingly classic light line. Instead, the illuminated Skoda logo can be found in the middle of the tailgate.
The interior of Skoda’s new small SUV, which was already seen in a teaser, echoes the minimalist lines of the body. The digital instruments are displayed on a small monitor (similar to the Enyaq), while the infotainment is via a large central monitor.
Directly below are the only physical buttons on the dashboard. The steering wheel is a reinterpretation of the steering wheel already found in many Skoda models, with two spokes (the lower one is “broken” and not connected in the middle) and large control rollers, accompanied by some controls for ADAS, multimedia and more .
Despite its dimensions in the B segment, the Epiq promises generous values with a trunk of 490 liters plus (according to the manufacturer) space like in the luxury class. For comparison with the Fabia, the Czech small car has a more than respectable 380 liters, like a VW Golf.
The press release says nothing about the platform the Skoda Epiq will use, but it’s no secret. It is MEB Entry, the same front-wheel drive platform as the production version of the Volkswagen ID.2 and its Cupra counterpart called Raval. The Czech SUV will be equipped with batteries with a range of around 400 km. All models will be assembled at the Volkswagen factory in Pamplona (Spain) from 2025.
Skoda is aiming for a starting price of around 25,000 euros, a threshold that may of course vary depending on the target market and the various taxes that apply.
The relationship with the ID.2 raises a question: Will there also be a “normal” counterpart of the Epiq without an SUV touch, the electric version of the Fabia, so to speak? The company has talked about launching six new electric models over the next few years, and a small battery-powered model could be part of that group, but nothing has been decided yet.