Mark Slack – Road Test

Skoda Enyaq Coupe – whisper quite EV comfort

If you’re in the market for an all-electric SUV then there’s a myriad of choice, however amongst the surfeit of choices one manufacturer that doesn’t crop up as often as it should is Skoda. The Czech company only produce one EV and it’s the Enyaq, with a full SUV or Coupe-SUV.

The range starts from £38,970 for the SUV and £46,440 for the Coupe-SUV, the latter being the focus of my attention. Standard fare across the line-up includes LED Matrix headlights, adaptive cruise control, heated front seats, wireless charging, Tri-zone climate control, auto dimming rear view mirror, panoramic glass roof and navigation. It’s an impressive list!

On the power front there are two outputs of 286PS and 346PS for the £54,820 vRS model, with four editions or trim levels. Range extends from 332 miles to 355 miles dependant on model. Performance, as you would expect from an EV, is all about acceleration with the most relaxed 62 mph benchmark speed attained in 6.7 seconds, and the quickest just 5.5 seconds.

It’s a spacious car even in Coupe form with space aplenty for occupants and luggage, not to mention storage for infinite amounts of in-car detritus. There’s a premium ambience and it feels a little bit special when you’re inside the Enyaq. There are also some nice detail touches such as the trademark Skoda umbrella in the driver’s door.

On the road the Enyaq is almost whisper quiet with little in the way of tyre and road noise and virtually nothing from wind noise. It handles extremely well for such a large machine and soaks up the very worst road surfaces you can find. It’s not perfect though!

With so many electric cars there’s an aversion to rear wipers, so few EVs have one. Why? There are no symbols on the instrument cluster for the lighting, just on the switch itself which is tucked away and hence not easy to view. The driver’s information screen is overly busy because it’s simply too small, so things aren’t that easily assimilated.

Overall though the Enyaq is an EV star, it’s supremely comfortable, well equipped and has a half decent range. It’s a mystery as to why we don’t see more of them on the road, but the fact that it’s Skoda’s only EV at the moment perhaps accounts for it.

Overall though the Enyaq is a very complete EV, lots of space, lots of standard equipment, a decent potential range and a comfortable and relaxed drive.