New electric Skoda SUV to cost less than £20,000

• Range of around 150 miles
• Will cost the same as a Fabia hatchback
• Due to arrive before the end of 2026

One of the main things that dissuades people from stepping into the world of electric motoring is the high price of EVs. However, we can now reveal that Skoda is working on a new electric SUV that will be priced similarly to the current Fabia supermini.

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While we do not know its name, the new car will sit on the MEB Entry platform, which is also set to underpin an upcoming Fabia-sized electric hatchback. This model will be even smaller and cheaper, however, and will instead be aimed at stealing sales away from the electric Dacia Spring, which is suspected to be coming to the UK in the near future.

Our images preview what the tiny electrified Skoda crossover could look like. The new car will likely get the Czech brand’s new ‘Tech Deck’ grille design, which debuted on the Vision 7S concept car. This is a modern interpretation of Skoda’s long-used hexagonal grille and will house several of the car’s safety and driver assistance technologies.

While an SUV doesn’t seem like the most obvious choice for the cheapest model in Skoda’s lineup, a boxy design will be necessary to house the batteries under the floor. One benefit of this will be a raised driving position – a desirable feature when driving around busy city streets.

Because of its compact dimensions, and to keep costs to a minimum, the baby electric Skoda will only offer enough battery capacity for a range of around 150 miles. While this falls short of the 200 miles offered by the electric Fiat 500, it's important to remember how much cheaper the Skoda will be; the Fiat starts from around £30,000. 

So when can we expect this new car? Skoda’s engineers have been scrambling to try and find a way into the affordable EV market, however it’s been difficult to balance the books thus far with such new technology. In an interview with our sister publication Auto Express, Skoda boss, Klaus Zellmer hinted at the idea of a slimmed down manufacturing process to save time and costs, with certain car features available to be unlocked via a paid, subscription-based service.

With this in mind, we don’t expect to see the baby Skoda EV populating our towns and cities before 2026. In the meantime, the brand has plans for two more value-focused electric cars to enter the market: the aforementioned Fabia-sized hatchback, plus a smaller version of the Enyaq iV, likely to be dubbed the Elroq.

Looking to electrify your commute? Check out our list of the top 10 best small electric cars