First glimpse at iconic carmaker’s 7-seat electric flagship boasting 435-mile range that will rival Kia family favourite
AN ICONIC carmaker has revealed the first look at its new 7-seater electric flagship that’s set to rival a Kia family favourite.
Skoda teased its new motor earlier this week, due in 2026, which will come with a whopping 435-mile range.
Aiming to rival other large battery-powered family crossovers like the Kia EV9, the new model was shown in a video at the Czech manufacturer’s annual company results meeting.
The stunning motor appeared with slimline headlights and LED-enabled lighting graphics, echoing the newer modern designs seen across EVs today.
An illuminated grille and Skoda branding spelled out in letters adorn the front of the car, indicating a new step forward in the carmaker’s branding, reports magazine Car.
The seven-seater EV is expected to top Skoda’s electric car range and will likely undercut a number of its rivals, according to insiders.
Skoda’s electric models are being rolled out alongside its existing combustion models – for example its 2025 Elroq EV acts as an electric substitute to the 2025 Kaoq compact crossover.
The automaker has confirmed its new EV will be “around 4.9 metres” in length, will offer “flexibility and enormous space”, and is predicted to top out at around 340bhp.
Families wanting to go electric will likely be attracted to the new model, given its ability to pack three rows of seating into a more environmentally sustainable motor than its combustion competitors.
This will place it as a battery-electric alternative to the Skoda Kodiaq, and it’s expected to have a battery size of up to 86kWh, with both single and dual-motor options.
While official designs have not yet been released, the closest ideas we have come from the Vision 7S Concept, seen in 2022.
Both this, and the concept sculpture “space”, depict Skoda’s new “Modern Solid” design style that the company is aiming to roll out across all of its range.
Similarities in design are also expected between the new EV and Skoda’s Elroq as well as its upcoming Epiq battery-electric SUV crossover.
It’s also understood that “almost all” of Skoda’s new EVs released before the end of 2026 will run on the MEB+ platform which is utilised by many of the Volkswagen group’s latest EVs.
While Skoda is planning to launch an electric Octavia using the group’s newer SSP architecture, the manufacturer is likely preferring to use MEB+ due to its lower costs.
Since it’s already used in a number of vehicles, Skoda will be able to keep its prices down by using the slightly older system.
Lucky attendees caught a brief glimpse of the motor as CEO Klaus Zellmer announced the company’s 2024 annual results.
In good news for the automaker, Skoda saw sales rise by nearly 7 per cent last year, up to 926,600 cars sold globally.
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This gives the manufacturer a 5.9 per cent market share in Europe, making it the continents fourth biggest brand.
In other electric vehicle news, Citroen is reportedly planning to revive its iconic 2CV three decades after it went out of production.
The classic motor is set to take on a new look as an electric car and could be ready within the next two years.
A senior source told Autocar in January that designs had begun on another version of the “Deux Chevaux”.
The original 2CV was designed before WW2 and was made to enable a farmer and family to cross a freshly ploughed field with a basket full of eggs without breaking them.
Citroen design boss Pierre Leclercq would not be drawn into publicly confirming the new 2CV, but he said the brand is “not closing the door” on retro designs.