Skoda Favorit returns as an electric hatchback

May 30, 2025 George East

Skoda has revived the famous Favorit name an all-electric concept as part of the Czech carmaker’s 130th birthday celebrations.

was penned by Skoda designer Ljudmil Slavov. The Bulgarian sought to retain the angular look of the Bertone-designed original of the 1980s and ’90s, but bring it up to date using the Modern Solid design language Skoda ushered in with its Elroq earlier this year.

Interestingly, Slavov has avoided using the new gloss black Tech-Deck face Skoda introduced with its Modern Solid design philosophy. Instead, his take on the Skoda Favorit features ultra-slim LED strips at the front and rear, which are set behind semi-transparent covers to reflect the distinctively large headlights of the original.

Skoda-Favorit-EV-rear-view — Would you like to see the Skoda Favorit return as a Renault 5-rivalling EV? (Skoda)

“I didn’t want to rely on current design elements like the Tech-Deck,” explained Slavov. This is a tribute to the Favorit, so I carefully studied the original details, aiming to evolve and elevate them. Simplifying an already minimalistic shape into the Modern Solid style was genuinely challenging.”

First produced from 1987 to 1994, the Skoda Favorit was a landmark car for the Mladà Boleslav-based manufacturer. Its Bertone design, practicality, and ‘Western’-style layout proved a success for Skoda. The Favorit’s transversely-mounted engine and front wheel-drive drivetrain won it international acclaim, and was pivotal in bringing the brand under Volkswagen ownership.

Moreover, this latest Favorit EV isn’t the first of its kind. During the 1990s, Skoda produced an all-electric version of the original car called the Eltra 151. This short-lived EV version of the Favorit curried significant favour with the Czech postal service, and bizarrely, with buyers in California.

The Favorit EV’s heritage is evident in its wedgy design (Image: Skoda)

Skoda began life as a bike and motorcycle company in 1895 called Laurin and Klement. In 2025, it is celebrating 130 years of operations by reinterpreting landmark models from its history for the 21st century. Along with the Favorit, the all-electric Voltavia, and several others, Skoda also revived its Slavia B motorcycle as an EV penned using the ‘Modern Solid’ aesthetic.

Skoda maintains, however, that these reimagined vehicles are just design showcases and will not make it into future production.