Buying the then-state-owned Skoda brand from the Czech government in 1990 looks more and more like one of the canniest moves the former head of Volkswagen, the legendary Ferdinand Piech, ever pulled off. While the VW Group’s premium brands – Audi and Porsche – have lately struggled to pull in the profits, Skoda has leapt ahead, and while its total cash contribution to the VW coffers isn’t massive, it is making a roughly 8 per cent profit margin on its supposedly humble cars, which is a premium-level margin. Then again, Skoda’s prices have crept steadily ever upward. It’s not that you can’t buy an affordable Skoda – the Fabia hatchback is still reasonably priced, and the new electric Epiq crossover starts at less than €25,000 – but there are now genuinely expensive Skodas.We’ve recently tested Enyaq and Kodiaq models whose options-in prices soared above €70,000, which is surely more comfortable territory for BMW or Mercedes?[ The Irish Times’ best new cars for under €40,000Opens in new window ]Prepare yourself for a higher peak of Skoda prices, because here comes the battery-powered Peaq. This is Skoda’s new flagship, a seven-seat electric SUV which is as much about luxury and comfort as it is about sensible, affordably family motoring. Skoda’s new Peaq: it will be January before the first customer cars arrive in Ireland It will be a direct rival to the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and the Kia EV9, and Skoda Ireland will preview it in August with a nationwide ‘road show’ showing off a new Peaq at its dealerships, while it will be January before the first customer cars arrive in Ireland.The Peaq also essays something of a new look for Skoda. Not entirely new – that ‘tech-deck’ face, as Skoda calls it, which looks as if the car has a very neat moustache, is lifted from the current Enyaq and Elroq, and the T-shaped LED daytime running lights at the outer edges of the front are lifted from the new, small Epiq. [ Skoda’s new Epiq majors on space and priceOpens in new window ]There is a sense of higher quality about the Peaq’s styling, though, which sounds silly until you look at the subtle way the metalwork of this car’s body panels is curved and the way the roof – tall enough to turn this into a roomy seven-seater – angles gently downward at the rear. This Peaq is a car that looks as expensive as it’s likely to be (Skoda hasn’t confirmed a price at the time of writing, but expect it to start with a seven). The flush-fit door handles pop out as you approach, and they include a clever ‘ice hammer’ function, whereby they can rapidly pulse against any heavy frost to free themselves up on a cold morning. Under that handsome bodywork there’s an updated version of the VW Group MEB electric car platform, so the Peaq will largely be a rear-wheel-drive car. There’s a basic Peaq 60, which gets a 63kWh (gross) capacity nickel-manganese-cobalt battery for a potential range of about 460km, with a 204hp rear-mounted electric motor.The more popular model will most likely be the Peaq 90, which gets a 91kWh battery, and a 286hp rear-mounted electric motor, giving it a range of more than 600km. There’s also a range-topping Peaq 90x, with two motors, giving it four-wheel drive and 300hp, which impressively also has a 600km-plus range, according to Skoda. That model will likely be of somewhat minority interest in the Irish market, though. Maximum charging power, on a DC fast charger, ranges from 150kW for the Peaq 60 to 210kW for the Peaq 90 and 220kW for the 90x, allowing a 10-80 per cent battery top-up in 27-28 minutes. The boot of the Peaq is simply massive The Peaq is a properly big car, 4.9 metres long, and very nearly three metres of that is in the wheelbase, making for a massively spacious interior. Certainly in the middle row, there’s lounging space for tall passengers, and Skoda has carved out enough foot space in the back so that you don’t feel as if your knees are up around your ears, which is usually something on which electric cars rather fall down. In the third row there is just about adequate space for adults In the third row there is just about adequate space for adults, but to fit seven fully grown people in the Peaq, you’ll have to use the sliding function of the middle row seats to juggle legroom between them and the folding third row. Third-row headroom is also a touch tight if you’re anything close to 185cm (six-foot) tall, so consider that a space largely destined for children, or just any short friends you might have. The boot of the Peaq is simply massive – there is a five-seat model, which makes for a maximum possible boot volume of 935 litres up to the luggage cover, and that’s augmented, for the first time in a Skoda EV, with a ‘frunk’ storage space in the nose, which is large enough to hold a couple of charging cables. That space in the nose is also the home for the electric retracting luggage blind when you don’t want to use it, such as when folding down the middle-row seats to unleash more than 2,000 litres of cargo space. Up front, the Peaq gets a new portrait-style 13.6-inch touchscreen, which uses software based on Google Android tech, so it’s considerably slicker and quicker than the systems we’ve been used to in electric VW Group cars. Better yet, the Peaq marks a return to common sense, as it sees the end of the annoying ‘slider’ volume and heating controls in favour of proper physical buttons. That’s true of the steering wheel as well, and you now get four proper electric window switches on the driver’s door. Being a Skoda, you’ll be expecting some useful, clever touches and you’ll not be disappointed. There’s still a handy ice scraper, which now lives in a slot in the boot lid rather than inside the charging flap. The Peaq gets a new portrait-style 13.6-inch touchscreen, which uses software based on Google Android tech The windscreen wipers now feature integrated washer jets, while there’s also a handy USB-C socket built into the rear-view mirror, which is handy if you want to install a dashcam. There are also two 25-watt wireless phone chargers, which get magnetic tips, so that they hold your phone in place and stop it skittering off the charger when you’re going around a roundabout. Finally, there’s a QR code inside the boot, which, when scanned, gives you a handy demonstration video of how to maximise the space on offer when you’re loading up lots of chattels.