Skoda Pushes Upmarket With Peaq, Its Biggest and Priciest Car Yet

Skoda is preparing to open order books on the Peaq, a seven-seat electric SUV that becomes the most expensive model in the Czech brand's history, in a deliberate step upmarket that tests how far a marque built on value can stretch its pricing as it doubles its electric range.

The Peaq is Skoda's new flagship and its largest car to date, measuring 4.87 metres in length, some 12 centimetres longer than the combustion-engined Kodiaq. Built on the Volkswagen Group's MEB platform, it slots above the Enyaq at the top of a battery-electric line-up that the brand is expanding sharply this year, with the smaller Epiq bookending the other end. UK order books open in September, with first customer deliveries due in early 2027, and pricing starts at £51,980, rising toward £60,000 for range-topping trims.

The specification aims squarely at established rivals. All UK cars pair an 86 kilowatt-hour usable battery with a range of around 390 miles, positioning the Peaq against the Kia EV9, Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Peugeot e-5008. Buyers choose between the rear-wheel-drive Peaq 90 and the all-wheel-drive 90x, with charging at up to 199 kilowatts allowing a 10 to 80 per cent top-up in roughly 28 minutes. The interior leans on features once reserved for luxury brands, including reclining massage seats, a Sonos sound system, a segmented panoramic roof and a new 13.6-inch vertical touchscreen, while retaining physical controls for climate functions.

The car carries wider significance for the brand's identity. It is the full flag-bearer for Skoda's new Modern Solid design language, with a closed Tech Deck front panel replacing the traditional grille and flush door handles appearing for the first time. It also arrives as parent Volkswagen presses ahead with a broad electric offensive across its brands, even as the group contends with weak demand in China and heavy restructuring at home.

For Skoda, the Peaq marks a calculated gamble that customers will follow it into pricier territory, trading its long-held budget positioning for a shot at the premium end of the family EV market.