Epiq, Elroq, Enyaq, it’s pretty clear to see the nomenclature every electric Skoda SUVs follows, not so here though. You see this is Skoda’s new flagship or its peak as the company says, ergo we have the Peaq.
Skoda Peaq Exterior Design and Engineering -
Doubles down on minimalist style but looks premium, classy and has good presence.
While the entry level model, the Epiq, utilizes the front wheel driven MEB+ platform, the Elroq, Enyaq and the Peaq are all built on the MEB platform which is primarily rear wheel driven with the option of AWD, which the Peaq does offer. At 4.87 meters the Peaq is the largest Skoda SUV and sports Skoda’s largest boot, battery and sunroof, too.
Despite its size it doesn’t look brutish like most large SUVs seem to be leaning towards these days. Thanks to Skoda’s new ‘Modern Solid’ design language, which is all about minimalism the Peaq looks premium and classy and the bodywork is quite aero efficient too with a 0.249 drag coefficient.
At the front the lines are simple and clean. The fascia sports the company’s T-shaped DRL and headlight signature and the rather clever Tech Deck; the black panel which hides all the tech bits like the cameras, radars and lidar and mimics a grille thus avoiding that faceless look many EVs sport. Skoda has even hidden LED lights behind it that – to a small extent – mimic grille slots. Notably the Skoda emblem is missing, the company is in the process of moving away from it and the Peaq carries the new Skoda letter mark instead.
Over at the sides the clean lines continue with flush door handles, these can also be pressed in at the edge to manually operate them. The alloy wheels on our car were the 21 inchers and have a neatly balanced sporty and classy look. A defining styling element in profile is the C pillar which is body coloured and looks like a reversed fin and carries the Skoda lettering.
Like the headlights, the taillights too are T-shaped and are connected to each other via a stylistic loop running at the bottom of the tailgate. A roof integrated spoiler and a shark fin antenna complete the rear look and here too it’s just the Skoda lettering spelled out across the boot lid.
Skoda Peaq Interior Space and Comfort -
Minimalism carries on inside but cabin could do with a dash of flair.
With a near three-meter wheelbase there’s plenty of space inside, beginning with the boot which is the largest on a Skoda so far; 935 litres without the third row, but even in the 3-row version and with the third-row seats in place, there’s 299 litres which is more than enough for a few small bags. A handy little bit is a motorised cargo cover that rolls open or close with the boot opening and closing. At the front there’s also a 37-litre frunk.
Passengers are well catered too, especially at the front two rows. The front seats offer plenty of space and will suit broader frames quite nicely. They also offer a ‘zero-gravity’ position wherein at the touch of a button the seat base dips, the seat back reclines and an ottoman style leg rest extends upward. They also offer heating, ventilation and a massage function. There’s an app too – which new EV does not have one these days – and that can configure the cabin lighting, seats, climate and other elements in six modes from a relaxing to an energizing ambience. On our drive in the cold Austrian mountains, we had a lot of rain and the ‘warm feet’ HVAC setting proved to be very handy and welcome.
There’s plenty of space in the second row, legroom is good as is shoulder room. We did sit three abreast and didn’t have too much of shoulder overlap. Headroom is very generous and what’s nice is that you don’t sit in a knees-up position as is the case in some EVs. The third row is decent, there should have been more room given the length of the car, but on its own its quite useable and more than enough for kids or short journeys. Like the second row, headroom here is also good.
In terms of styling the cabin follows on with the exterior minimalist theme and all the lines are simple and clean, with very little flair about. A bit of panache would have been nice and in keeping with the flagship positioning of the Peaq.
Skoda Peaq Features and Safety -
Well equipped and with a healthy does of Skoda’s ‘Simply Clever’ details.
Sitting at the very top of the Skoda range the Peaq is well equipped. The dash carries a 13.6-inch, portrait-oriented touch screen – a first for Skoda – which runs a new UI. There’s a hard baked area for certain controls and thankfully physical controls are retained for main entertainment and HVAC functions, the latter being large toggle switches that are easy to use. These sit on top of an open charging box that has two illuminated magnetic Qi2 wireless charging disc with active cooling, and have a max speed of 25W. The rest of the center console is made up of many storage spaces and cubbies with a neat pass-through slot for charging cables from the lower to the upper console.
Ahead of the driver is a 10-inch digital instrument panel which sounds large but has a slim aspect ratio, and there’s also an HUD. The steering wheel is the familiar Skoda unit with the letter mark on the boss and the buttons and scroll wheels on the two wings and as expected the operate with a satisfying click feel.
Other features include a 360-degree camera with a transparent 3D body on the display that helps in positioning the car, a 16-speaker SONOS sound system, park assist, a full connectivity suite, 10-airbags and ADAS and of course a healthy dose of Skoda’s ‘Simply Clever’ details like a fold out table for the front passengers that’s tucked away in the center console and umbrella holders in the doors. And topping things off is a large panoramic glass roof, which does not have a sunscreen, instead there’s 9 electrochromic panels that can be darkened to keep out the light and heat says Skoda. We’ll reserve that judgement for when we test it here in our hot climate though.
Skoda Peaq Performance and Refinement -
Strong performance that does not feel characterless like most EVs
There are three powertrain versions on offer starting with the 60-variant, power for which comes from a 63kWH (gross) NMC battery that drives a 204 hp rear motor. Next is the 90 trim which has a 91kWh (gross) NMC battery – the largest on a Skoda –power is courtesy a 286hp rear motor, and the range topper is the 90X which is also powered by the same battery as the 90 but driving a dual motor AWD set up that puts out a combined 300hp. Either of the 90 series cars is what Skoda will bring to India and for our drive today we had the 90X version.
As expected, power delivery is strong and acceleration is brisk, the claimed 0 – 100kph time stands at 6.7 seconds which is plenty quick for a large seven seat family SUV. What’s nice though is that the delivery isn’t typically EV like, which is to say power dumped in an instant and then linear all through. On the Peaq, throttle response feels quite ICE like, it’s fed in progressively and build nicely as you explore deeper regions of the throttle pedal. Top speed is limited to 180kph which is very easy to get too, on the unrestricted section of the German autobahns we hit an indicated 185kph. Wind and tyre noise is well controlled especially over the smooth tarmac sections and even at high triple digit speeds the cabin was silent enough.
Skoda Peaq Ride Comfort and Handling -
Very stable at speeds, but Normal mode sees some body float over undulations.
The 90X comes with Skoda’s dynamic chassis control and the adjustable dampers do alter the ride character noticeably. In Normal mode is very comfy and could do well over potholes and ruts, however at highway speeds and over undulations that we did see on some section there is some body float. A switch to the Sport setting however tides this up quite nicely and was the default setting I used for most of the drive. Being an AWD, there’s also a few off-road modes though we didn’t get to try these out and I suspect most owners won’t either.
In terms of handling this isn’t what you would call light on its feet, you do know you are driving a large SUV but its never cumbersome and through the mountain passes we did have a bit of fun, not sporty then but enjoyable enough if how I’d describe the handling character.
Skoda Peaq Range and Efficiency -
Charging speeds and range are par for course
The Peaq 60 battery capacity stands at 63kWh (59kWh net) and that’s good for a range of 450kms says Skoda. Max charging speed is 160kW on a DC fast charger and that can take the battery from 10 to 80 percent in 27 minutes.
The 90 cars are powered by a larger 91kWh (86kWh net) battery, max charging speed stands at 199kW and a 10 to 80 percent charge on a DC fast charger takes 28 mins. On the 90X range stands at 610kms while the two wheel drive 90 version sees a slightly longer range at 640 kms. We’ll know the real-world range once we put it through our standard test cycle back home.
Skoda Peaq Expected price and Verdict -
Priced at Rs 60 lakh it would be a tempting option and it does more than enough to call this peak Skoda.
Skoda is really doing a fine job with its EVs, we liked the Enyaq, were superbly impressed with the Elroq and the flagship Peaq does not disappoint too. Yes, the ride does feel soft and the interiors do lack flair, something you would expect on a flagship and we’ll of course have to wait and see how Skoda price this when it comes to India some time mid next year. Skoda says it will arrive as a CBU and we expect it to be priced at around Rs 60 lakh ex-showroom where it will be able to compete with rivals like the Tesla Model Y L, above that though and Skoda will face some heat from premium brands like BMW and Mercedes that are also expanding their electric SUV portfolio.
The Peaq though does provide a very well-turned-out product, it looks classy and premium and that’s important at this price point, there’s a good amount of space inside, especially for the front two rows, it’s well equipped with typically Skoda clever bits and the drive experience is mature and enjoyable. All typical highlights that we’ve come to expect of the brand. All in all, then, the Skoda Peaq does more than enough to safely call this, peak Skoda.
