Here is the future electric Skoda Epic at €25,000 which wants to compete with the Renault 5 E-Tech

Skoda has just revealed the first images of its future compact and affordable electric car, planned to be sold for around 25,000 euros. Here's everything we know about the Skoda Epic.

Updated article:  Skoda announces in its press release that the production version will have a range of more than 400 km, the integration of V2L bidirectional charging, the integration of a mobile key (to unlock and start the car with its smartphone), as well as a trunk volume of 490 liters and 5 seats on board.

On the occasion of the financial results for the year 2023, the car manufacturer Skoda (part of the Volkswagen group ) revealed the first sketches of its electric car named Skoda Epic.

This is the future affordable electric car from the Czech brand which should take the basis of the future Volkswagen ID.2 . On the program: a selling price of around 25,000 euros, an SUV style, and a length of around 4.1 meters.

Skoda Epic is smaller than the Elroq

Skoda had already announced some details in April 2023 by announcing the arrival of six new electric cars by 2026. The “Small” variant is therefore this Skoda Epic, the smallest of the manufacturer's future models. It will be placed under the Skoda Elroq, which should be revealed by the end of 2024. The latter will be based on the platform of the Volkswagen ID.3 but in a raised version. It is also rumored that Volkswagen is also planning an ID.3 SUV.

The Skoda Epic will be the brand's most affordable proposition in the electric car field. We don't yet know much about it, since the formalization should take place in 2025 for commercialization by 2026. Images released today by the Czech manufacturer show a concept that should be close to the production version.

An XXL chest

It is known that the Skoda Epic was to have a similar luggage capacity to the Skoda Scala, which is part of the higher segment (segments B and C respectively). Or around 450 liters. This is immense for the B segment, since for comparison, the Renault 5 E-Tech offers a trunk with a capacity of 326 liters.

This would be permitted by its length, announced at around 4.1 meters. Or 20 centimeters more than its French competitor. This could be made possible thanks to storage under the 2nd row of seats, as on the Volkswagen ID.2 concept.

For autonomy, we can expect a figure close to 450 km for the most high-end version, as on the Volkswagen ID.2 concept, with a battery with a capacity of 57 kWh. Recharging could be done in 20 minutes, to go from 10 to 80%. The most powerful engine could reach 166 kW (226 hp) to go from 0 to 100 km/h in 7 seconds. Data will deserve to be confirmed when the vehicle is made official in 2025.

A compact SUV

In terms of design, we find a particularly successful compact SUV, which does not at all give the impression of having a compact car in front of us. We find the new signature of the brand, particularly in terms of optics. The interior is refined and reminds us more of a Volkswagen ID.3 than the ID.2, with a large central infotainment screen and a small instrument cluster behind the steering wheel.

Good news for those allergic to touch screens: we see a bar of physical buttons under the central screen, to manage certain functionalities such as defogging, driving aids, or even parking aids.

We will have to wait for this electric car to become official to know what will be kept on the production version. The interior ambient lighting with large LED bars could pass the series stage, but we imagine that certain elements could disappear, like the LEDs on the steering wheel. Especially for such an affordable electric car.

Price and availability

If Skoda announces a starting price of around 25,000 euros, we must not forget that this will be for the simplest version. That is to say with a “small” battery, and an entry-level finish, with few options. A bit like with the new Renault 5 E-Tech available from 25,000 euros.