Skoda's New Flagship SUV Was Built For Maximum Space
The three-row electric SUV is the first Skoda to have a massive vertical touchscreen.
THE BREAKDOWN
- The largest Skoda in the lineup is the company's first model with flush door handles.
- Peaq comes in five- and seven-seat configurations.
- Customers can choose from rear- and all-wheel-drive versions.
- It can do more than 373 miles on a single charge with the bigger battery.
We rarely get the chance to talk about Skodas because the Volkswagen Group still has no intention of bringing the Czech brand to North America. However, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to highlight a new addition to the company’s sprawling lineup. Remember the Vision 7S concept? It’s been nearly four years since Skoda signaled its plans to enter the electric three-row SUV segment. The production model is now finally ready for prime time.
At 4874 millimeters (almost 192 inches) long, it’s the longest model in the lineup. Since it rides on a dedicated EV platform, Skoda stretched the wheelbase to maximize interior space. It measures 2965 mm (116.7 in) between the axles, leaving plenty of room for passengers in the rear. If you don’t need the third row, the five-seat version offers the largest cargo area of any Skoda, with an enormous 1,010 liters (35.6 cubic feet) of space.
Even the three-row model can still accommodate 299 liters (10.5 cubic feet) without folding any seats. For smaller items such as charging cables, there’s an additional 37 liters (1.3 cubic feet) of storage in the front trunk. At this point, you'll probably need a van to haul even more stuff.
The Peaq Has Many Skoda Firsts
Skoda’s answer to the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Kia EV9 introduces a host of firsts for the brand. Never before has a model from Mladá Boleslav featured flush door handles. The Peaq also debuts a huge electrochromic roof spanning 2.12 square meters (22.8 square feet) with nine switchable segments. It’s the first Skoda to integrate windshield washers into the wiper blades, improving cleaning performance and more efficient use of washer fluid.
However, the most important novelty is the vertical touchscreen. Skoda is rolling out a new Android-based infotainment system with a 13.6-inch display that sticks out from the dashboard like a sore thumb. There’s a good chance we’ll see it in future models as well, considering the electric Octavia wagon concept featured it too.
Circling back to the Peaq, it at least retains a handful of physical controls on the center console for adjusting temperature and fan speed. However, we can’t help but notice that it misses out on the three customizable knobs with built-in screens found in the company’s largest combustion-engine models: the Superb and Kodiaq. Skoda thankfully hasn’t eliminated the dedicated driver’s display, as there’s still a 10-inch digital instrument cluster that can be optionally paired with a head-up display featuring augmented reality technology.
The Interior Borders On Premium
It may come from a mainstream brand, but the Peaq offers more than a few high-end niceties through the Relax Package. Tick that box, and the electric SUV comes with massaging and ventilated seats, electrically adjustable footrests, front cushions, a folding table, and even a Sonos sound system. You'll also spot wood trim to elevate the cabin further.
We haven’t touched on styling yet because the Peaq adopts a familiar design derived from the Vision 7S concept and the smaller Epiq electric crossover revealed earlier this year. We’re not entirely sold on the Skoda lettering on the rear pillar or the illuminated grille, but the overall styling certainly won’t offend anyone. The “Modern Solid” design language plays it safe, much like all Skodas of the Volkswagen Group era. Buyers can choose from 10 body colors and several aerodynamic wheel designs ranging from 19 to 21 inches.
Skoda Peaq: RWD And AWD, Two Batteries
The electric SUV comes with two battery options, offering gross capacities of 63 kWh and 91 kWh. The smaller pack delivers more than 286 miles (460 kilometers) of range on a single charge, while the larger battery extends that figure to over 373 miles (600 kilometers). When the battery runs low, DC fast charging from 10 to 80 percent takes about 28 minutes.
Single-motor, rear-wheel-drive variants will be available with 201 hp and 282 hp. Upgrade to the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive configuration, and Skoda rewards you with 295 hp. The AWD model is predictably the quickest of the bunch, taking 6.7 seconds to reach 62 mph (100 km/h). The more powerful of the two RWD versions, along with the AWD model, top out at an electronically limited 112 mph (180 km/h). The entry-level version won’t go any faster than 100 mph (160 km/h).
The new Skoda Peaq goes on sale in Europe later this year as one of the Volkswagen Group’s largest mainstream electric vehicles based on the bespoke MEB platform, joining the ID.7/ID.7 Tourer from the core VW brand.
2026 Skoda Peaq
Motor1's Take: The Peaq does what Skoda does best: provide a cavernous cabin, now more than ever before. It’s aimed at buyers who need an even roomier alternative to the Kodiaq and are willing to switch to an EV to take advantage of the packaging benefits that come from eliminating the combustion engine.
The Peaq isn’t replacing the Kodiaq in the lineup because Skoda understands that the winning formula is giving customers what they want: combustion engines, plug-in hybrids, and full EVs. It has the numbers to back up the strategy. In the first quarter of 2026, it became Europe’s second-best-selling brand for the first time after delivering 222,500 vehicles across the 27 EU countries, plus the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
New Skoda Models That Don't Actually Exist:
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