Skoda Epiq Concept Foreshadows Entry-Level BEV Crossover Slotted Below Enyaq and Elroq

In fact, if we look at the company's current roster, the only ones making a dissonance are Fabia and Octavia. At the same time, the other passenger cars are named Scala, Slavia, and Superb. The latter is one of the most important releases this year because the VW AG subsidiary just introduced the liftback and station wagon's fourth generation in Europe as the counterpart to the equally all-new VW Passat, which is now sold only as an estate model.

However, Skoda remains fully committed to its electrification strategy as six new EVs are set to be introduced by 2026, the first of which is the entry-level companion to the compact Enyaq iV. It's called Epiq in keeping with the new tradition for crossovers and represents the company's base option when it comes to market as a series-production model starting next year.

For now, the Epiq is presented as a design study that we certainly hope is very close to its real counterpart because Skoda really needs an adrenaline shot in the arm in terms of design. If you don't believe us, just look at the dated styling of the Superb and the way its designers integrated the digital instrument cluster into the dashboard's atmosphere. Anyway, let us get back to the little BEV.

Skoda believes the subcompact segment will be very important for EVs but doesn't want to fight Renault's 5 E-Tech (a Renault 4 E-Tech crossover will be unavoidable, though) and instead opts for a little crossover that's still big and practical on the inside – Epiq is touted with a trunk space of 490 liters (17.3 cu. ft.) and will also arrive with "a wide array of new technologies, connectivity, and assistance features" for an affordable price.

That's an increasingly important factor in this day and age of inflation, shrinkflation, and all those other types of inflation that, to you and me, translate into 'new ways of increasing profit without giving anything in return.' As such, Skoda – which has been living on large MSRPs for some time already – is back to the core with a promise of a starting price of around 25k euros, which is a little over $27k at the current exchange rate.

The series-production Skoda Epiq, not this design study, will be unveiled to the public next year with a length of 4.1 meters, the Modern Solid design language, and a maximum electric range of more than 400 km, or around 249 miles, on a single charge. The city-oriented battery-powered crossover will be manufactured in Pamplona, Spain. Still, before that happens, we will also get to see the Skoda Elroq battery-powered compact crossover SUV, which will be unveiled first to the public later this year.