Skoda Enyaq iV Coupe review

You know the Skoda Enyaq, the Czech manufacturer’s five-seat electric SUV? Course you do. Well, this is that but with a coupeified body shape, as seems to be all the rage these days. For reasons mostly beyond our understanding.

Still, the standard Enyaq electric SUV has impressed us overall as an accessible electric option for families, especially next to its VW Group cousins, the Volkswagen ID.4 and Audi Q4 e-tron (and similarly coupeified Volkswagen ID.5 and Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback siblings), so it stands to reason that this one will too.

Skoda says that it doesn’t expect to sell too many of them compared with the SUV, but perhaps it feels the need to be able to show off something of a halo EV in its burgeoning range – hence the sporty vRS variant. More on that in a bit.

Remind me of my options...

The Enyaq Coupe comes in four flavours – 80, 80 SportLine Plus, 80x SportLine Plus, and vRS. All models get a 77kWh useable battery, with the 80-badged models getting a single motor, rear-wheel drive setup, and the 80x and vRS getting a more powerful dual-motor setup and four-wheel drive.

The 80 and 80 Sportline Plus get 201bhp and a range of 345 and 337 miles respectively (the latter's slightly reduced range due to its bigger alloys and increased weight), while the 80x gets 261bhp and a range of 322 miles. 

The flagship vRS, meanwhile, gets 295bhp and 339lb ft of torque, resulting in 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds and a top speed of 111mph; 12mph quicker than any of the other Enyaq models. Naturally it sacrifices some range in the name of performance, with Skoda quoting 324 miles.

What's it like to drive?

We've had a go in the rear-drive entry model and all-wheel-drive vRS so far, splitting the range nicely. The former is pretty conventional and doesn’t spring many surprises, with its nicely weighted steering, smooth acceleration, and generally pleasing road manners. Our only complaint really is the slightly firm ride.

The vRS, however, is curiously unsatisfying. Because despite the promise of the performance badge it's a car that just doesn't want to be pushed. Sure, it's got the usual electric car speediness that comes from having all that torque on tap, but in anything other than a straight line it's a fairly lame experience.

The tortured suspension fights it out with every one of the car's 2,200 or so kilos when you slug it through a corner, and mashing pedals is so antithetical to the EV experience. Dial it back a notch or five and it's back to being a perfectly civilised and refined family machine, but then why spend all that extra cash on the fast badge?

Has practicality been massively affected?

Skoda says that bootspace is only a squeak smaller, with 15 litres less of it available compared to the regular SUV (570 litres plays 585 litres). Likewise headroom in the back seats has surprisingly been only marginally impacted by the sloping roofline thanks to a panoramic glass roof as standard. As a clue to the lengths that Skoda has gone to be able to say that, the glass is thinner and they had to junk the blind that normally comes with the pano roof, so it’s been specially treated to reflect heat.

Otherwise it’s standard Enyaq, with Skoda having gone about the deranged VW Group craze for ridding cabins of buttons in a much more restrained way. It’s not perfect, but it’s far better than the ID.5. More over on the Interior tab.

How much does it cost?

Prices start from £44,825 for the regular entry-level 2WD variant, rising to £52,505 for the 4WD model and £54,370 for the vRS range topper. Head over to the Buying tab for the full lowdown.

The Enyaq Coupe doesn’t really have anything to recommend it over the standard SUV version. That’s not to say it’s a bad car per se, but as is the coupeified crossover way, it sacrifices a little headroom and bootspace in favour of style compared to its full-size SUV sibling. And demands a premium for the privilege.

Don't be fooled by the vRS, either – this 2.2-tonne beast is a long way from supplanting the Octavia vRS, even with its fun-sapping plug-in hybrid accoutrements. But if you want an electric SUV that’s fun to drive then you’re better off looking at the Ford Mustang Mach-E or Jaguar I-Pace.