2026 Skoda Kodiaq EV to get 640km-plus range

Skoda has released its first teaser of the all-new pure-electric replacement for its Skoda Kodiaq, announcing that its new flagship EV will cover more than 640km on a single charge.

Previewed at around the 11-minute mark in the Czech brand’s 2024 results presentation, the Skoda Kodiaq-replacing large family EV appears heavily inspired by the radical 2022 Vision 7S concept.

That means the large Kia EV9 or Volvo EX90 rival will represent the boldest expression yet of Skoda’s Modern Solid design language that has already led to the design of the latest Epiq and Elroq SUVs.

During the tease it’s easy to see the new Skoda EV’s striking T-shaped lamps and illuminated front grille that both appear borrowed from the show car.

Primed for an unveiling later this year, ahead of sales commencing in early next year, it’s been tipped the new seven-seat SUV will share the same footprint as the current 4760mm-long Kodiaq but offer more space within.

There’s no word if it will carry the Kodiaq nameplate, or if the new flagship EV will switch to a name beginning with an ‘E’ to join the current Epiq, Elroq and Enyaq that are on sale in Australia.

As well as the new family SUV, Skoda will also reveal a concept for an all-new battery-electric successor for the Octavia hatch this September at the Munich motor show. That EV should be on sale by 2028.

It’s not been confirmed but it’s almost guaranteed that the new Octavia EV will be based on the Volkswagen Group’s next-generation SSP platform, which it has created purely for electric cars.

The Kodiaq EV, meanwhile, is set to be one of the very last vehicles to be underpinned by the VW Group’s MEB platform, that’s already used for all Skoda EVs.

Set to use an 86kWh battery, the base versions of the Kodiaq EV should come with a 210kW e-motor that drives the rear wheels and provides for the headline 640km range.

Dual-motor all-wheel-drive versions will also be available that should produce around 250kW for a sprint to 100km/h in around 6.0 seconds.

While the exterior design is set to remain largely faithful to the original 7S concept, it’s been tipped the cabin design won’t be quite as daring, and will likely ditch the novel centrally mounted rear-facing child seat.

Instead, expect the new Skoda SUV to adopt an enlarged version of the next-gen cabin design introduced by the Elroq that was revealed last year, with a slim digital instrument cluster combined with a large free-standing infotainment system for a clean and minimal look.

Ensuring it scores the full five stars for safety in EuroNCAP, expect the new flagship Skoda EV to herald the return of physical buttons within the cabin, after the European safety body declared button-less cabins to be dangerous on the move.

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