Big new Skoda 7-seat SUV on track to sit above the Kodiaq from 2026

Skoda has confirmed plans to unveil an all-new, all-electric seven-seat SUV in 2026, and provided us with a sneak peek at the zero-emissions alternative to its existing large family SUV, the Skoda Kodiaq.

We’ve known a range-topping SUV like this was on its way since 2022, when the brand unveiled the Vision 7S concept that also introduced us to a lot of the design characteristics that will be shared by all of Skoda’s EVs. Together, these elements are grouped under Skoda’s Modern Solid design philosophy.

We’ve already seen how this translates to production with the head-turning Skoda Elroq that should be hitting UK streets very soon, and the changes made to best-selling Skoda Enyaq during its recent, rather extensive facelift.

Vision 7S-inspired design

Based on the shadowy teaser images shared during Skoda’s 2024 financial results presentation, the design of the new 7-seat SUV is staying true to the Vision 7S and will be very close to the exclusive images we created earlier this year. 

Up front is the ‘Tech Deck Face’, which is a much slimmer interpretation of the traditional Skoda grille. As with the Elroq and facelifted Enyaq, the panel will be used to house the various sensors, radars and cameras for the car’s driver-assistance systems. The sleek nose also incorporates a segmented, pixel-like daytime running light design clearly visible in the teaser images, and extends onto the front wings. 

Other details that appear to have been carried over from the Vision 7S are the sculpted bonnet with Skoda lettering, a twin-fin roof spoiler and razor-thin, T-shaped tail-lights that wrap around from the rear wings onto the bootlid, and are connected by a black panel that encircles the tailgate. 

The overall shape will be close to the concept’s, too, with a very square front end and traditional SUV proportions. We’ve already spotted prototypes of the future Kia EV9 rival out and about testing, which confirm that Skoda’s seven-seat EV will have short overhangs at the rear which should help maximise interior space for passengers and their luggage.

Size, practicality and interior

Skoda has confirmed its seven-seat electric SUV will measure around 4.9 metres long. That will make it the biggest model in the brand’s line-up by some margin (the latest Kodiaq is 4,758mm from nose to tail), and longer than the Peugeot E-5008 it will be going up against. However, it won’t be quite as colossal as the Kia EV9 (5,015mm) or Hyundai Ioniq 9 (5,060mm).

Unsurprisingly, the Vision 7S’s coach doors won’t make it to production, given that we can see the pop-out rear door handles on the prototypes are where they’d normally be. The concept’s unconventional ‘six-plus-one’ seating arrangement has almost certainly been replaced by a more traditional choice of five or seven-seat options, although we have yet to get a look inside the production car.

The cabin layout is likely to be very similar to the Enyaq and Elroq, which both feature a huge central touchscreen paired with a much smaller driver’s display. The interior of the Vision 7S focused heavily on the use of recycled and sustainable materials, so we expect it will be the same for the production version. Of course, there will be plenty of the ‘Simply Clever’ touches that sets Skoda’s models apart. 

One of those could be the ‘Smart Dials’ that made their debut in the latest-generation Kodiaq and Superb, with an earlier version featuring in the Vision 7S. Each dial houses a small display, and pressing them toggles between the various functions they’re responsible for, such as cabin temperature, fan speed and drive modes. We’ve found they help create a clean, modern interior design without sacrificing functionality or forcing drivers to rely solely on touchscreens.

Range and price

Underneath is almost certainly the same MEB bespoke electric-car platform that’s used by the Enyaq and Elroq, as well as around a dozen other EVs, including the Cupra Born and Ford Capri. Another is the nearly five-metre-long Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB minibus, so we know the architecture can accommodate a vehicle this large. 

The seven-seat Skoda will probably get the same 86kWh battery and 200kW maximum charging speed as the ID. Buzz LWB, which we’d expect to provide a range of more than 370 miles and allow for a 10 to 80 per cent top-up in less than 30 minutes from a suitably fast ultra-rapid charger. Both figures are roughly on par with the Hyundai Ioniq 9, although the Peugeot E-5008 can boast up to 415 miles of range in the right guise. 

A choice of single-motor, rear-drive and dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrains are sure to be offered on the new Skoda, and we wouldn’t be surprised if there was a hot vRS version, too, considering that both generations of the Skoda Kodiaq have been given the sporty treatment. Plus there is an Enyaq vRS, and a peppier Elroq vRS is due later this year.

Hold on, what’s this thing called?

Of course, one key detail that remains firmly under wraps for the moment is this hugely important car’s name. Skoda has patented Eviatiq, which is at least one possibility because the brand’s naming conventions for its electric SUVs always start with E and end with Q. 

But the brand has plenty of time to settle on a name because as we mentioned, Skoda’s range-topping seven-seat EV will be unveiled in 2026, which also means it might not arrive in the UK until the year after. 

Also making its world debut in 2026 is the all-new, hugely important Skoda Epiq. We’ve already seen a concept model of the zero-emissions Kamiq alternative, which also employed the ‘Modern Solid’ design language, and should be a very close representation of the final production version that’s most likely going to be revealed early next year. 

The Epiq is set to cost around 25,000 Euros (approximately £21,000 at the current exchange rate). Unlike its aforementioned siblings, the Epiq will be based on a different platform, called MEB Entry, which will also be used by the Volkswagen ID.2 and Cupra Raval hatchbacks.

After the Epiq and the as-yet-unnamed seven-seater, Skoda will launch a pure-electric estate car that, at 4.6 metres long, will serve as the alternative to the trusty Octavia Estate. This particular model was also due in 2026, but the company has announced a concept version will be presented this September and the production version will launch in late 2027 at the earliest.

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