Skoda Enyaq iV Coupe review

The vRS is certainly quick, but not raucously so. Rather in that torquey way that all electric cars are. You’d think that a performance EV would have to shift the paradigm a little, find a new way to engage the driver. Unfortunately Skoda just hasn’t quite nailed it here as the hot electric SUV we would want and it’s trying to promise. 

Hustling this 2.2-tonne SUV asks too much of what the Enyaq can deliver. The ride is firm in all models, and while the damping makes a good fist of filtering out bumps and potholes, ultimately the Enyaq is not able to overcome its sheer weight.

Though it's yet to go on sale here, we've had a go in the rear-drive entry Coupe abroad: it devolves into a flashing miasma of stability control lights if you hit the accelerator too enthusiastically mid-corner, power evaporating as the computer tries to keep things in check. Meh.

Is the vRS any better?

Ah, now the vRS is the one variant we have driven on UK soil: its twin motors make a better fist of things, and you can feel the front motor spooling up and pulling you through.

But (you sensed that was coming, didn't you?), although it feels better sorted overall, it’s just not a car that responds well to being pushed. Aim it at a corner and the lack of steering feel means you'll struggle to pick a consistent line, which doesn't exactly scream 'Monte Carlo Rally winner' does it?

This is a shame, because the benefit of a 'sports suspension' that lowers the ride height by 15/10mm front and rear has barely any impact on handling. And if it's handling you want from an electric car like this, you'll be better off looking at the Jaguar I-Pace.

What if I drive it like a normal EV?

Dial it all back to something a little more befitting of an EV you’d like to get 300 miles of range out of and the Enyaq is a calm ride. The regen is strong enough that you can spend most of your journey driving off the single pedal, which is good because the brakes lack feel and rob you of confidence in their stopping ability.

Got any numbers to throw my way?

Of course. The vRS car gets an extra splosh of top speed – at 111mph it’s 12mph quicker than any of the other Enyaq models – and 295bhp from its twin e-motors. The RWD Coupe will have to make do with rear-wheel drive and 204bhp, resulting in a v-max of 99mph and an 8.8-second run to 62mph.

Aero and electronics tweaks also squeeze a few more miles of range out of the car, with Skoda claiming 323 miles for vRS and its 77kWh battery. In our cold and drizzly real-world test we managed 3.0 miles per kilowatt-hour, which equates to about 230 miles from a full charge. But that's as low as the readout is likely to go.