The Czech Republic has done something we almost didn't expect from it anymore: it has built a car that makes you stop and stare for a little too long. The Peaq is the biggest Skoda yet, the brand's first seven-seat electric flagship – and the neatest piece of sheet metal that Mladá Boleslav has ever sent into the world.
Let's start with the obvious. The name is pronounced "pík", like the English peak – top. Škoda has been insisting for years, by tacit agreement, that the letter Q is pronounced as K, and it clearly has no intention of stopping. We can mock this, but in this case the naming is working. Peaq is actually the top of the range: with a length 4.87 meters It is a good 22 centimeters longer than the Enyaq and about 12 centimeters longer even than the petrol one. KodiaqIt is 1.87 meters wide, 1.66 meters high, and has a wheelbase of almost three meters (2.97 m). In other words: on the outside it is as big as a small apartment, but on the inside it behaves accordingly.
A design that makes even Scandinavians uncomfortable
This is usually where the car journalist starts exaggerating. I won't do it this time. Peaq is designed in a new language Modern Solid and is based on the 2023 Vision 7S study, which means calm, clean surfaces, almost no unnecessary features and that Nordic restraint that we have long believed was owned by a single Swedish manufacturer. Up front, you are greeted by an illuminated “Tech-Deck Face” grille with vertical ribs and a T-shaped matrix LED headlights, for the first time in a Škoda, folding handles are installed on the sides, and the whole thing is rounded off by aerodynamically designed rims from 19 to 21 inches.
The result is surprisingly mature and confident. In certain colors – especially rose gold – the Peaq is so neat that it would make many a Volvo owner think twice about their purpose in life. This is not provocation for provocation's sake. This is a car that is cleaner than you would expect for its price.
Peaq is proof that minimalism is not reserved for Scandinavia – it's just that the Czechs sell it cheaper.
Interior: a living room that can pull a trailer
If the exterior promises space, the interior delivers with gusto. The Peaq offers five or, at an additional cost, seven seats, and the trunk in the five-seat version measures as much as 935 liters – the most in the entire Škoda range. Up front, there’s a 37-litre boot under the bonnet, and with the third row in place, that leaves 299 litres, just enough for a few travel bags. Fold the third row down and you’ve got almost 890 litres of flat cargo space.
The center of the dashboard is occupied by a vertical 13.6-inch screen touch, in front of the driver there is a 10-inch digital display, and there is also an upgraded display on the windshield with augmented reality. The roof is the largest panoramic that ŠKODA has ever installed, with a smart dimming function in nine segments. The sound is provided by a 16-speaker Sonos system. And yes, Peaq is the first ŠKODA with a digital key via phone or smartwatch and the first with a one-pedal driving function.
Particularly commendable is the obsession with practicality, which is almost a philosophy at Škoda. You can literally order the Relax package with AGR-certified massage seats, electric footrests and a folding table - everything you need for a decent nap while charging. The towbar transfers from 1,800 to 2,000 kilograms, depending on the version, which means that the Peaq will happily tow a trailer or camper van to places where most electric family vehicles are only envious.
Battery, motors and that annoying number “400”
Now for the mechanics, where the story gets more interesting. The Peaq sits on the upgraded MEB+ platform and is powered by three versions.
Basic Peak 60 has a battery with a gross capacity of 63 kWh (59 kWh net), rear-wheel drive, power 150 kW (204 hp) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque. It accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 8.4 seconds, reaches 160 km/h (99 mph) and covers more than 450 kilometers (280 miles) according to the WLTP standard.
Medium Peak 90 gets the largest battery ever – 91 kWh gross (86 kWh net) – still rear-wheel drive, 210 kW (286 hp) and 545 Nm (402 lb-ft). Its range is one you'll quote to your friends: over 640 kilometers (398 miles) on charging.
Top notch Peak 90x has four-wheel drive, 220 kW (299 hp) and 540 Nm (398 lb-ft), it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds, reaches 180 km/h (112 mph), and the range drops to around 591 to 610 kilometers (367–379 miles) due to the additional engine and weight. The batteries are NMC chemistry and manufactured in Mlada Boleslav, which is a rare nice detail in an age when many people blindly import cells.
And now the part where I have to moan a little. Peaq is charging with the most 199 kW (base 60 with 160 kW), which means charging from 10 to 80 percent in about 28 minutes. This, to be clear, is quite decent. The problem is that the Peaq runs on a 400-volt architecture – more precisely, on a system with a nominal 350 volts – while Korean rivals Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9 already stand on an 800-volt basis and on a powerful charger well exceed 230 kW. Four hundred volts is not bad technology. It is technology that was cutting-edge – in 2021. For a flagship that is supposed to look to the future, this is the only move in which the Peaq smells slightly of yesterday.
Price and conclusion: wisdom wrapped in pretty paper
And yet. Let's come down from the high notes back to the ground where cars are bought. Peaq starts at about 49,900 euros for the 60 version, and the larger 90 version is around 57,900 euros. For comparison: the Hyundai Ioniq 9 with a similar range starts at well over 69,000 euros, the Kia EV9 is also not cheap, and the Volvo EX90 plays in a completely different price range. The Peaq therefore offers the size and equipment of a premium seven-seater for money that is almost outrageously reasonable in this class. Orders open in the fall of 2026, and the first deliveries are scheduled for early 2027.
So what's left in the end? A car that does exactly what Škoda does best – offers space, intelligence and value – but this time wraps it in a dress that we're not used to from the brand. The Peaq is beautiful. Not "beautiful for Škoda", but simply beautiful, to the point that the confidence of Scandinavian designers suddenly becomes questionable. Yes, the 800-volt train has slipped a bit and it won't break any records when charging. But if you're looking for a large, quiet, extremely practical and unexpectedly stylish electric family car that won't empty your child's education fund, the Peaq is the one that's hardest to ignore at the moment. The Czech Republic has done a very nice thing. And for a very fair price – which is almost revolutionary in today's world.