Skoda Auto has announced the launch of four new all-electric vehicles by 2026, with each one from a different segment — “small”, “compact”, “estate”, and “Space” or SUV, that will take its pure-EV range to six, as part of its €5.6 billion investment in electric vehicles.
The four new models will include the entry-level crossover “Small” and the mid-sized “Compact”. There will also be a spacious estate car as well as a seven-seater SUV “Space”, effectively expanding and diversifying Skoda’s all-electric portfolio at the same time.
Chairman of the Board of Skoda Auto, Klaus Zellmer, said: “With six new all-electric models across all segments by 2026, Skoda Auto is moving even faster towards sustainable, electric, individual mobility. Together with our new and highly efficient conventional and hybrid-powered models, we are offering the best of both worlds – meeting our existing and new customers’ needs around the globe in this time of transition.”
The first one to show up from this line-up will be the Compact, officially called Skoda Elroq and set to release in 2024, replacing the 2022 petrol-engine model Karoq. It will measure around 4.5 metres in length and boast a similar combination of compact dimensions and a spacious, practical interior.
The Elroq will be built on Modular Electrification Platform (MEB), sharing much of its front structure and general proportions with the Enyaq iV. To reduce its size, length will be taken out of the rear overhang, giving the new model a footprint of around 4.5 metres – positioning it between the Enyaq and Skoda’s combustion-powered Karoq.
The Enyaq, launched in 2020 was the first Skoda product to be based on MEB, and since then the iV and the Coupé iV, launched in 2022 have been emblematic of the brand’s new era of electric mobility.
When we reviewed the former at ev.tips, we were pleasantly surprised that how Enyaq, developed alongside Skoda’s parent Volkswagen Group’s ID.4, managed to outshine its German cousin and prove itself as one of the best in its category. So to say that pressure on Elroq to match Enyaq’s drivability, comfort, space, and value for money will be high might be an understatement, but that’s a discussion for a later day.
Now at the entry-level side of the things will be the crossover Small, a sub-compact car offering a similar luggage capacity as Skoda’s Scala and coming in around 4.1 metres in lentgth. It is expected to cost €25,000, or a little more than £22,000, making it a much more affordable car than most available pure-EV options. For perspective, MG’s similar small-segment ZS is priced around £30,000, while its hatchback MG4 comes in just shy of £27,000.
The addition of an electric estate car will also be a welcome news to many, especially families, as so far there have been few pure-electric models to launch with the practical bodystyle, the MG5 EV and Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo being the first of their type to hit the market. Skoda’s entry will be 4.7 metres in length and introduced in 2026.
And finally, the long-awaited seven-seater SUV, measuring 4.9 metres, will round off upper end of the portfolio. It will be the production model of the almost Range Rover-esque Vision 7S concept which was revealed last year, announced with a massive 370 mile range, and will provide Skoda’s EV family a really complete and practical feel, with something to choose from for everyone.
But that’s not all. Besides the four new models, the existing Enyaq iV and Enyaq Coupé iV will both receive a refresh in 2025. Updates will include an updated infotainment system, improved battery management for increased range, and battery preconditioning, allowing speedier rapid charging when the location is set via the sat nav system.
The refreshed Enyaq models will take on a new design language called “Modern Solid” that will characterise the additional electric models.
Skoda Auto Board Member for Sales and Marketing, Martin Jahn, added: “By 2026, our new battery-electric models will cover all vehicle segments that are relevant to our customers. We’ll be providing customers with the means to explore the world in style – sustainably, safely and confidently with products that feature our new Modern Solid design.”
This follows a relaunch of Skoda’s corporate identity in 2022 and will include some additional tweaks to the badging on future models, including switching from the Skoda flying arrow logo on to bonnet and steering wheel to “Skoda” lettering on pure-electric models.
Skoda’s model launch is part of a new strategy to target customers it calls “Contemporary Explorers”; those who uphold traditional values and beliefs but are curious for new experiences and have a strong desire to explore.
The news of new cars from the Czech manufacturer comes just a week after we reported that Skoda’s owner Volkswagen Group delivered 42 per cent more EVs in the first quarter of this year, with Skoda as the third best-selling car brand in the group, after Volkswagen and Audi respectively.
Besides the pure EVs, Skoda also said that new generations of the flagship Superb and the range-topping Kodiaq SUV were also on their way, both available in plug-in hybrid format.
The manufacturer said: “Over the course of the transition phase to e-mobility, models with modern and highly efficient internal combustion engines and plug-in hybrid powertrains will continue to be a mainstay of Skoda’s model portfolio. With the new generations of the Superb and Kodiaq, the refreshed Octavia, Kamiq and Scala as well as the new BEV models, Skoda will soon offer the most diverse portfolio in its history: combining the best of both worlds and offering customers in different markets the right Skoda for every taste and requirement.”
