New Skoda Epiq baby SUV could be a Tardis on wheels
This is the all-new Skoda Epiq, a baby electric SUV designed to sit underneath the larger Elroq and Enyaq – and later the seven-seat Eviatiq – when it arrives in 2026. We've known the car is coming for some time, having seen it previewed by a concept last year, but this is the first time the model has been caught testing on public roads. Advertisement - Article continues below
Although the Epiq is still wearing extensive cladding and heavy disguise, we can see from these first images that the new SUV will inherit a family look and further progress Skoda's 'Modern Solid' design language with stacked headlights and daytime running lights – imagined here by our exclusive images. As on the brand's other electric cars, those lights will be connected via the now-familiar 'Tech Deck' face – a gloss-black panel housing many of the car's sensors and radars for its suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
Last year, when the Epiq was announced, Skoda boss Klaus Zellmer said: 'We have listened to our customers and understand they are looking for attractive options, which is why we are expanding our e-mobility portfolio into this popular segment'.
The slashes and vents in the test mule's bodywork and the Jeep-style slotted section in the lower part of the bumper will make production, and set the Epiq apart from its larger siblings. Like the Elroq and Enyaq, the smaller Epiq will feature a clamshell bonnet that wraps around the side of the car to the A-pillars. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
From the side, we can see the Epiq will have a shorter wheelbase than Skoda's other SUVs, plus cut-down front and rear overhangs. Its stubbier overall proportions should allow it to slip into the segment currently occupied by budget alternatives such as the Citroen e-C3 and forthcoming BYD Atto 2, as well as more premium offerings like the MINI Aceman and Volvo EX30. The Epiq concept measured 4.1 metres long – significantly shorter than the 4.5-metre Elroq.
At the rear, the upright tailgate should help preserve bootspace – Skoda won't want to sacrifice its reputation for offering clever, practical cars. Indeed, the maker mooted a 490-litre boot when it revealed the concept last year – significantly more than in those aforementioned rivals, and bigger even than the Elroq it's designed to sit beneath. Whether the designers can make this a reality for the production car remains to be seen, but fitting the car's electric motor to the front axle may help; the Epiq will share the VW Group's MEB-Small platform and electrical architecture with the forthcoming Volkswagen ID.2 and Cupra Raval. Advertisement - Article continues below
Design-wise, there's a good chance we'll see the Epiq concept's T-shaped rear light clusters make the cut, alongside the usual SKODA lettering and a number plate fixed to the bootlid rather than the bumper. The car in our pictures is labelled with 'Bremsen Test' stickers, which translates from German as 'Brake Test'. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
The prototype's overall proportions, plus its roof rails and sill cladding, lend it that baby-SUV look, although the ride height doesn't look much taller than your average supermini's – allowing minimal structural changes from its VW and Cupra stablemates. While it's not clear how quickly the car is travelling, it looks to be cornering relatively flat – standing it in good stead for any future vRS version.
While we've not yet been given a look inside the production car, Skoda has hinted that much of what was shown on the concept would be carried over. If this is true, we can expect a large central display with a row of shortcut buttons for things like the ADAS features and drive modes, plus a smaller digital instrument cluster directly ahead of the driver. The steering wheel should get physical switches too, in response to industry-wide negative feedback for capacitive touch-sensitive controls. Advertisement - Article continues below
This being a Skoda, there should be plenty of storage dotted around the cabin, and neat features that align with the brand's 'Simply Clever' marketing messaging. Skoda may also choose to use flashes of colour inside – just as it did on the Epiq concept – to mark this out as the smallest and most youthful of its SUV line-up.
As well as its MEB-Small platform, the Epiq will utilise the same choice of 38 and 56kWh batteries as the equivalent VW and Cupra, with the larger of the two units promising up to 280 miles of range. VW claims the ID.2 will charge from 10-80 per cent in around 20 minutes thanks to a peak charge rate of 125kW, and we expect similar numbers for the Skoda. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
A variety of motors will be offered, the most powerful of which will be offered with a vRS badge on the wings. Volkswagen has confirmed a 223bhp unit for the ID.2, capable of accelerating from 0-62mph in under seven seconds. More sedate models will make up the majority of the range, however; 150-180bhp seems sensible for a car of this type, and should allow for a decent balance of performance and efficiency.
At the time of Epiq concept's unveiling, Zellmer described it as 'offering a spacious interior within a compact exterior, all at an attractive price'. While still to be confirmed, we previously suggested a starting price of around 25,000 Euros, or £21,300.
The Epiq will likely join its VW and Cupra counterparts on the production line at the company's Pamplona site in Spain; the factory is currently being developed to help assemble the Group's next-generation EVs.
The Epiq is set to be revealed towards the second half of 2026, with the brand currently preparing to pull the covers off its new, Octavia-sized EV at the Munich Motor Show in a few months' time. However, UK sales for the small SUV should still commence before the end of next year, slightly behind the ID.2.
Can't wait for the Skoda Epiq? Check out the Auto Express Find A Car service to get best deals on a new Skoda Elroq or top prices on used Skoda Elroq models...
Find a car with the experts Toyota GR Corolla hot hatch is on the way to the UK
Toyota GR Corolla hot hatch is on the way to the UK
The success of the GR Yaris has persuaded Toyota that there's room in its UK range for the high performance Corolla Citroen recall sees owners told to stop driving 'immediately'
Citroen recall sees owners told to stop driving 'immediately'
A 'Stop-drive' order has been issued by Citroen following a fatality that may have been caused by a faulty Takata airbag Car Deal of the Day: a potent 335bhp Volkswagen ID.7 GTX for a rock bottom price
Car Deal of the Day: a potent 335bhp Volkswagen ID.7 GTX for a rock bottom price
GTX Plus gives some extra punch to an already excellent electric saloon. It's our Deal of the Day for 20 June.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Top Gear
35 minutes ago
- Top Gear
The VW Golf GTI Edition 50 is the most powerful production GTI ever made
The VW Golf GTI Edition 50 is the most powerful production GTI ever made Special edition celebrates 50 years of the Golf GTI and already has a 'Ring record to its name Skip 12 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 12 Meet the Golf GTI Edition 50. We already knew it was Volkswagen's fastest ever production car around the Nürburgring in the hands of, er, the extremely handy Benny Leuchter, and now we discover it's the most powerful production GTI in its 50-year history. So, let's have at those numbers. It gets a tuned version of VW's turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder EA888 petrol engine for 321bhp/310lb ft total outputs, up on the Golf GTI Clubsport's 296bhp/295lb ft and up even more on the standard Golf GTI's 261bhp/273lb ft. Advertisement - Page continues below Indeed, it's only slightly down on the all-wheel-drive Golf R's 328bhp, with which it shares the same torque figure. And it's already beaten that car around the 'Ring. All that power helps it see off the zero to 62mph sprint in five and a half seconds. Volkswagen has retuned the DCC adaptive dampers, adjusted the front differential lock and revised the steering, while the optional GTI Performance Package sees a tweaked suspension setup including 20 per cent stiffer springs, sitting 20mm lower than the GTI and 5mm lower the GTI Clubsport. There's also new shoes in the shape of lightweight 19in forged alloy wheels on semi-slick tyres – reportedly saving around 4kg per corner – plus an Akrapovič titanium exhaust that saves a further 11kg. Not bad for a summer shred. Looks the part too, with VW having given its 50-year anniversary special the glow up treatment in the form of a black roof, mirrors and exhaust pipes, plus GTI 50 decals on the mirrors and spoiler. Five colours are available, including Moss Green and Tornado Red, the latter worn by various Golf GTIs in the past. Advertisement - Page continues below No word on how many will be built, or how much it's going to cost, but expect a slight hike over the existing Golf GTI Clubsport's £43,215 starting price. Tempted? Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email*
Sky News
41 minutes ago
- Sky News
Industrial strategy targets short-term pain for long-term gain
The government's industrial strategy aims to harness the best of British business, from automotive to video gaming via the City and life sciences, in order to deliver the economic growth on which all else depends. A year in the planning with a 10-year horizon for delivery, in its final months it was hijacked by a very short-term issue; how to give industries battered by the highest electricity prices in the world a chance of competing now, never mind the 2030s. The answer, as reported by Sky News last week, is a significant cut to bills not just for "energy intensive users" such as concrete and chemicals that already enjoy support, but to 7,000 manufacturers for whom energy is a high proportion of costs. They will receive around 15% off their bills from 2027, at an estimated cost of £500m a year. Exactly who benefits will be decided after consultation but the mechanism for delivering discounts, and how they will be paid for, is already decided, and the answer tells us an awkward truth about the UK's energy market. To make industrial energy prices more competitive, qualifying businesses will be exempt from paying some of the taxes and levies added to bills to incentivise the building of renewable energy sources. These so-called "policy-costs", which make up around 15% of energy bills, have been fundamental to the massive expansion of wind and latterly solar power, supported by successive governments over the last two decades. This race for renewables is intended not just to lower emissions but to deliver more stable and, say Labour, cheaper bills by reducing our exposure to volatile gas prices. The UK has been hugely successful in the first part, and green technologies are one of the eight high-growth sectors favoured in this industrial strategy. Yet by choosing to discount "green levies", the government appears to be acknowledging that taxes intended to bring down bills tomorrow are driving prices up and making the UK uncompetitive today. It also raises the prospect that the heaviest energy users will pay less for the expansion of renewables intended to reduce emissions. Ministers say that, unlike previous industrial discounts, the cost of this one will not be passed on to other business or domestic customers. Instead, they say the funding will come from "headroom" created by extending price guarantees offered to renewable suppliers (known as Contracts for Difference) from 10 years to 15, and a "windfall" expected from linking UK carbon pricing to the EU system. If that sounds like the work of Treasury officials desperate to keep an unfunded £2bn off the books it may well be, but Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told Sky News the scheme is compatible with the country's long-term energy goals. He said: "You can do both things together, you can have ambition on climate and be competitive. These changes mean no one is going to have a higher bill to pay for this, no one will have to pay higher taxes to pay for this, but how those costs are represented in the system will change over time to make sure we have competitive industries. "There'll be no higher borrowing, no higher taxes and no higher bills from anyone else. And ultimately if we get the increase in investment and business activity I believe this could bring about, that produces a stronger economy overall."
Telegraph
44 minutes ago
- Telegraph
How AI could save the broken NHS
Illustrations by Andreion De Castro You might be frustrated by your recent run-in with a customer service bot but when it comes to healthcare, there's good reason to suggest that a wave of new AI tools could represent hope for our creaking health service, slashing backlogs and catching diseases years or even decades earlier, lengthening lives in the process. This doesn't mean that your GP or consultant will soon be replaced by a silicon droid; the human element of healthcare will still be very much present. But, behind the scenes, AI is slowly beginning to reveal its prowess. Last month, Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced that a new AI-powered blood test to detect cancer will be trialled on the NHS. Called miONCO-Dx, it can detect early warning signs of 12 of the most lethal cancers through identifying worrying traces of tiny molecules called microRNAs, which can change the activity of genes. Proponents of AI's uses in healthcare often describe these tools as either 'a second set of eyes' or 'augmenting what a human doctor can do,' with Colin Rees, Professor of Gastroenterology at Newcastle University saying that he's enormously optimistic about their potential to limit preventable deaths. 'I think AI is going to transform healthcare like almost nothing else ever,' he says. 'Just in diagnostics, it's able to spot new patterns, look at blood tests and scans with a fresh perspective and, of course, it doesn't get tired or make mistakes.' Already, AI is beginning to make a difference in disease-prevention for a broad range of conditions, from early detection of osteoporosis to helping overstretched radiologists prioritise which patients to examine first. Let's take a closer look at what's happening right now, how technology may affect different diseases and common conditions, and what's likely to come later down the line. Lungs Since early 2022, a growing number of NHS Trusts across the UK have been using tools developed by a company called to accelerate analysis of the many millions of chest X-rays taken every year. With the UK currently suffering from a chronic shortage of radiologists – the latest data suggests that the NHS has 30 per cent fewer radiologists than it requires – AI has been trying to pick up the slack. In particular, according to CEO and co-founder Dr Aengus Tran, one of the goals has been to slash the time taken to diagnose cases of lung cancer – one of the most common cancers in the UK. 'The NHS has procured our AI across 131 hospitals to essentially run our system over chest X-rays, to see if the AI can find signs of cancer; perhaps subtle signs which might have been missed,' says Dr Tran. 'And if that's the case, those patients will be escalated to the very top of the list.' The early signs are promising. Data collected from NHS Grampian, in Scotland, suggests that the tool has increased the proportion of lung cancers identified at earlier stages by nearly a third, and the technology is now taking on an even wider remit. Because tools are capable of diagnosing more than 130 different lung-related conditions, from rib fractures to pneumonia to an enlarged heart, some NHS hospitals are already using them to work through their backlog of uninterpreted scans and help prioritise the most urgent cases. 'It means that patients with life-threatening illness and critical conditions are being seen sooner,' says Dr Tran. 'So, for example, in [hospitals in] Manchester, we're seeing that cases of pneumothorax [a collapsed lung] get flagged within less than a day, whereas previously that would have taken five or more days to get to.' Heart More than 1.5 million people in the UK have atrial fibrillation, a condition characterised by sporadic bursts of an irregular heartbeat. This can have serious long-term consequences, as blood can begin to collect within the heart, forming clots which can then travel to the brain. As a result, people with atrial fibrillation are also more at risk of suffering a stroke. The problem, according to Rameen Shakur, a clinical cardiologist and Professor of Genomics & Precision Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Brighton, is that many of these cases go undetected (an estimated 270,000 people in the UK have undiagnosed atrial fibrillation) because patients do not always present with symptoms when being examined in hospital. To address this, Prof Shakur created a company called Cambridge Heartwear, which has designed a wearable monitor called Heartsense that records patient's heart rhythms to medical grade standard and checks for signs of atrial fibrillation using inbuilt AI algorithms. The device has since been tested in a clinical trial at a NHS hospital in Worthing, and Prof Shakur is hopeful that it can help to prevent some of the 100,000 strokes that occur each year in the UK alone. 'Once you find out that someone has atrial fibrillation, they can be prescribed anticoagulants [blood thinners] to reduce stroke risk, but that treatment is wholly dependent on catching it and getting a diagnosis,' he says. 'The advantage of this device is that it's discrete and malleable enough that you don't feel it. You can wear it while you're having a shower, when you're sleeping, when you're running to catch a bus – all times when an episode of atrial fibrillation might occur.' Gut Earlier this year, the NHS began offering biennial bowel screening to all people aged between 50 and 74, with the aim of detecting and preventing more cases of bowel cancer. According to Prof Rees, the health service now carries out around 700,000 colonoscopy examinations – where a person's bowel is examined using a small camera – every year. As well as scanning for tumours, one of the aims of this procedure is to identify tiny precancerous warts called polyps, and remove them before they develop into anything more sinister. However, spotting polyps is not always straightforward. 'It requires a lot of concentration,' says Prof Rees. 'The bowel has got lots of folds in it, the large bowel is about a metre long and it has lots of blind spots. And there's very good evidence that missing these things leads to more patients developing cancer.' To address this issue, Prof Rees recently led a pioneering trial in which gastroenterologists carrying out colonoscopies were given the additional assistance of an AI tool called GI Genius, which had been trained to spot abnormalities within the bowel using powerful neural networks. 'It scans the image which the specialist is looking at on a screen through their scope,' says Prof Rees. 'If it spots an abnormality, it flags it and puts a green box around it. I think of it as being a little bit like spellcheck in Microsoft Word.' The trial, which involved more than 2,000 patients across 10 NHS Trusts, was successful: 30 per cent more polyps were detected, particularly a form of polyp which is quite notoriously difficult to spot via the naked eye alone. 'We call them sessile serrated polyps,' says Prof Rees. 'They're smaller, flatter polyps but they account for 30 per cent of bowel cancers, so they're particularly dangerous, and we found a significant increase in the detection of these bad guys.' Bones For many people in their 50s, a twinge of back pain might be dismissed as a sign of encroaching old age, but, in some cases, it could be a spinal fracture, which represents an early warning sign of degenerative bone disease. When detected early, osteoporosis – a condition which causes the bones to become weaker and more fragile – is highly treatable. Now a new collaboration between academics, doctors, Royal Osteoporosis Society and the company is investigating whether the company's technology can pinpoint potentially tell-tale fracture signs. It could mean that, in future, whenever people in their 50s or 60s receive a CT scan, it will automatically be fed through AI technology to check for hints of osteoporosis. Eyes Can Google help prevent one of the most common causes of blindness? An ongoing partnership between Google Health, AI company DeepMind and Moorfields Eye Hospital is attempting to achieve just that through an AI system that aims to predict patients at particularly high risk of age-related macular degeneration – a condition caused by a progressive loss of cells in the retina – with the aim of identifying candidates for preventative treatment. Because the eye acts as a window to the brain, other AI tools are being developed with the aim of detecting early signs of brain tumours or neurological diseases like Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's. According to Dr Siegfried Wagner of the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital, AI can detect signs of multiple sclerosis through an asymmetry which only becomes apparent when scanning the left and right eyes. He predicts that in the future, such patients could be immediately referred for an MRI scan to investigate further. 'One eye might look completely normal, but AI can pick up a subtle thinning or thickening in the retinal nerve fibres of the other eye,' says Dr Wagner. 'It happens because in multiple sclerosis you get multiple small lesions in the brain, and they're more in one half of the brain than the other. So, you're seeing a reflection of what's happening in the brain, but in the eye.' Brain One of the biggest hopes for AI is that it could find a way to predict early warning signs for dementia many years before the onset of symptoms. Indeed, Will Whiteley, Professor of Neurology and Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, and a consultant neurologist in NHS Lothian, is leading a major new project to try to train an AI model to do just that, using a bank of CT and MRI scans collected through patients in Scotland over the course of 10 years. 'Right now, neurologists look for shrinkage in parts of the brain called the temporal lob, which are particularly responsible for memory, and a sign of Alzheimer's disease,' says Prof Whiteley. ' Vascular dementia affects the small vessels of the brain, and you can see that on a brain scan, too. But I hope that with these very powerful and flexible AI models, they'll be doing more, finding new things that we hadn't thought of as humans. We're not there yet, but wouldn't it be great if in future all 50-year-olds could take a test to tell you about your risk of dementia and whether you should or shouldn't take a medicine to prevent you getting it in later life?'
