Brand New Škoda Enyaq iV 210kW 85x Sportline 82kWh 4x4 5dr Auto

Skoda sleek Enyaq Coupe gets an update. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

Emotive, sporty, elegant. Words that were foreign to the Skoda brand a couple of decades ago but are becoming increasingly apt as the company continues to push itself up-market. At its original launch, the Enyaq Coupe was the marque's smartest and most sophisticated car yet, a more dynamic take on this marque's first modern era electric vehicle, the Enyaq SUV. Well here's the updated version.

Background

An aspirational Skoda? Really? Absolutely. That's what we have here in the form of this improved version of the brand's Enyaq Coupe, an EV with attitude. The Enyaq Coupe arrived back in 2022 as a sportier-looking version of the Enyaq hatch we'd first seen two years earlier, delivered because the brand programme required it. By the time of this model's original launch, we'd already seen the same thing with the VW Group models that shared this car's MEB platform; Volkswagen's ID.4, which had gained a coupe cousin with the ID.5. And the Audi Q4 e-tron, which had gained an alternative Sportback variant. The Enyaq Coupe though, was rather more significant for its maker than those two rivals. It was the most expensive Skoda the brand had ever made, in top vRS form the fastest and, perhaps most significantly, to most eyes was the most elegant car ever to wear the Czech maker's badge. The company claimed it 'perfectly combines emotion with efficiency'. If you agree, then the company hopes you'll be even more convinced by this updated version, facelifted in early 2025.

Driving Experience

You can of course expect the drive experience to be indistinguishable from that of the normal Enyaq SUV, though as before, the sleeker body shape means you get fractionally more EV drive range. There are no big drivetrain changes as part of this facelift. As before, the entry-level 85 model is rear-driven, a format that before this Enyaq arrived hadn't been previously seen on a Skoda since the brand's budget models of the '60s and '70s. It's one that benefits this car enormously in town, where it offers an impressively tight 10.2-metre turning circle. Beyond the city limits, traction is impressive but there's a little more body roll through the turns than you'd get with the alternative Volkswagen, CUPRA and Audi versions of this VW Group design. The pay-off for that though, is a much better standard of ride, with suppleness over poor surfaces and speed humps that's un-bettered in this class and is far superior to most rivals. When fitted with an optional folding towbar, any Enyaq is also capable of towing trailers weighing up to 1,400kg. You ease away in an Enyaq, rather than needing to moderate the kind of frantic forward thrust that seems more normal of an electric vehicle these days. That doesn't really suit any 2.0-tonne SUV and it certainly wouldn't suit this Skoda, the relaxed drive dynamics of which, it's immediately clear, are geared towards lowering the heartbeat rather than raising it. What about powertrains? Well the base rear-driven Coupe model, the Enyaq 85, has a 286PS electric motor powered by a 82kWh battery (net) with a range of 365 miles (6 miles better than the SUV). There's 545Nm of torque, top speed is 112mph and 62mph from rest takes 6.7 seconds. You can also opt for the Enyaq Coupe 85x, also uses the same 82kWh battery and motor output, but adds an extra axle motor to create four wheel drive, which means extra weight, hence the reduction in range to 334 miles (2 miles better than the SUV). At the top of the range is the Enyaq Coupe vRS performance model, which shares its 82kWh battery and 4WD system with the 85x, but ups output to 340PS, sprints to 62mph in 5.5s and has a 338 mile range.

Design and Build

Assuming you want a family EV, you'll choose this car of course because of the way it looks. There's a quite different look for the front end of this updated Enyaq Coupe because Skoda has grafted on the 'Tech Deck' face we first saw with the company's Vision 7S concept car back in 2022. This sees thin daytime running lights and a flush-fit plastic panel below the leading edge of the bonnet, that bonnet now capped with Skoda script rather than the usual brand logo. The changes have fractionally improved aerodynamics - from 0.240Cd to 0.229Cd for this Coupe. In profile and at the rear, things are much as before. There's some real pavement presence here, thanks to the sharply raked roofline from the B-pillar backwards. In a shape that's 4mm longer and 6mm taller than its SUV sibling. With short overhangs, big wheels, strong shoulders and a low roofline, this will look good down at the gym. There are far fewer changes with this updated model inside - the main one being the restyled steering wheel, which now (like the nose) bears 'Skoda' script rather than a badge. Small updates feature on the 13-inch central infotainment touchscreen, which as before can also be worked by both voice and gesture control. The usual small 5.3-inch VW Group instrument binnacle display features once again. And you'll like the wonderfully-named optional 'Jumbo Box', which adds 6.2 litres of storage underneath the centre console. Thanks to the clever design of the MEB platform it sits on, the Enyaq has always offered superb interior space. With the traction battery housed in the floor and a compact motor mounted beneath the cargo area base, this Czech EV has a cabin unburdened by the packaging compromises of a traditional internal combustion engine car. The cabin is 'inspired by modern living environments', according to Skoda, and uses 'natural, sustainably processed and recycled materials'. In the rear, the swept-back roof doesn't compromise headroom too much - a couple of adults will still be comfortable. As usual in a Skoda, you'll find leg room that's difficult to better in segment. Two six footers could sit comfortably behind a couple of front seat occupants of the same size. This is also a wider cabin than you might expect a mid-sized SUV to be able to provide and with no central transmission tunnel to obstruct things, three adults could actually fit reasonably easily into the back of this car. Boot capacity is ample at 570-litres for the Coupe (15-litres less than the SUV). Fold the rear bench in the SUV and up to 1,610-litres of space is available (100-litres less than the SUV).

Market and Model

The Enyaq Coupe price starting point is quite a bit higher than that for the Enyaq SUV because you can't have the Coupe with the base '60' drivetrain. Skoda charges quite a premium for the Coupe body shape too (£1,900), which is why you'll need from just over £46,000 for this model - that's for the 'Edition 85' version. There's also a 'Sportline 85x' Coupe with AWD, which costs from just over £50,000; with the top vRS version just beyond that. 'Edition'-spec includes Matrix LED headlights and animated indicators, an electric driver's seat with massage function, power adjustment lumbar support for the passenger seats, Dynamic headlight range control, rear side airbags and manual blinds for the rear windows. Plus there's heat for the front seats and steering wheel and Tri-zone climate control. Along with keyless entry, Predictive adaptive cruise control, a powered gesture tailgate and a rear-view camera with front and rear sensors. A wireless charging mat with cooling and Drive mode select are also included as standard. 'SportLine' trim gets you sports suspension, an area view camera, 20-inch Vega black alloy wheels, sports bumpers, a head-up display, front sports seats and steering wheel and a CANTON sound system. Let's finish with a look at safety. You'd expect some sort of Forward Collision Warning autonomous braking system on a car of this kind these days; Skoda's is called 'Front Assist' and as usual with these sorts of set-ups, it scans the road ahead as you drive. If a potential collision hazard is detected, you'll be warned. If you don't respond - or aren't able to - the brakes will automatically be applied to decrease the severity of any resulting accident. It incorporates 'Swerve Support' that stops you from turning into a junction into the path of another car. Plus there's 'Dynamic Road Sign Display' (which pictures speed signs as you pass and displays them on the dash). Every Enyaq also gets a 'Lane Assist' lane-keeping system that warns you when you stray out of your lane and applies gentle steering assistance to ease you back into it.

Cost of Ownership

The Enyaq Coupe offers a minimum DC rapid charging capability of 175kW and a 10-80% public DC charge takes 28 minutes. All variants support AC inputs at up to 11kW for home or workplace charging. At home with an Enyaq Coupe, the AC charging process with a typical 7.4kW wallbox takes approximately 12 hours 45 minutes (up to 100% charge). Unfortunately, Skoda still wants extra for a heat pump. There's a fixed servicing schedule, with a basic inspection after two years (unlimited mileage) and subsequent services every year or 18,750 miles. Skoda says that its aim is to make sure that the battery pack lasts as long as the car too and, sure enough, that battery pack is warrantied to have at least 70% of its usable capacity after eight years or 100,000 miles. There's the usual unremarkable three year / 60,000 mile Skoda warranty (only the third year has a mileage limitation). And there's 12 year body protection guarantee, a three year paint warranty and three years of Skoda assistance, which includes European breakdown cover.

Summary

In its original form, the Enyaq Coupe was arguably the first Skoda with a degree of real desirability - a car with a bit more visual pizzazz than the standard Enyaq SUV, a bit more 'want one' factor, which this updated Enyaq Coupe delivers with even more aplomb. It's an EV with a confident sense of style, from a brand clearly growing in confidence by the year. There are of course, as with any EV, lots of sensible reasons why you might want this car. But the value proposition is what is likely to catch your eye when the sums are added up. It'll handsomely undercut its VW Group counterpart EV designs, the Volkswagen ID.5 and the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron. And it'll probably save you money too on the boxier models these two cars are based on, the ID.4 and the Q4 Sportback e-tron. Style at a saving then. That makes sense to us.