Displaying items by tag: Skoda Enyaq

Monday, 24 January 2022 06:16

Skoda Enyaq Coupe review

  PROS

  • It's an Enyaq, so it'll be easy to live with
  • Roomy, inviting interior
  • Long-range from biggest battery pack

 CONS

  • Likely to cost more than standard Enyaq
  • infotainment less intuitive than rivals
  • Above average road noise
 

Is the Skoda Enyaq Coupe any good?

The Coupe version of our current Car of The Year promises more style at a modest price premium over the regular car – but it is aimed squarely at a higher-end audience. Under the skin, the two cars are mechanically identical, which means in the case of Skoda Enyaq iV Coupe, it's off to a very good start.

When it goes on sale later in 2022, it will be up against its in-house rival, the Volkswagen ID.5, and we'll wait and see how that goes. But we can say it's good – we've driven one in prototype form (the iV 80) and we'd go ahead and say yes. Mostly because it's remarkably similar to the SUV Enyaq.

It's probably the most premium car Skoda offers – you can't spec a base-model car, for instance. And in a world where Brits are obsessive about buying M-Sport, AMG Line, and S-Line, it makes sense. As a consequence, it's not the coupe shape that's the biggest difference between this and the SUV. It's the thinking behind it.

You won't find any interior pictures yet because the car you see here wasn't quite finished.

Nevertheless, the Enyaq Coupe's interior is handsome and airy. The first thing that strikes you when you step in the cabin is the amount of space. There's loads of elbow and head room, for instance.

Up front, the infotainment is pared back and very modern. The Coupe will come with Skoda's latest software, so new that it wasn't ready in time for us to test it. Not much is known about it other than it improves charging times.

Look up and you'll notice a huge glass roof. The light coming in makes the Skoda feel huge.

Seating for rear passengers is strong. That huge glass roof doesn't cut into headroom too much either.

Boot space is large, at 570 litres, although the regular Enyaq's measures in at 585 litres. It remains usefully wide and easy to unload into.

Skoda Enyaq Coupe (2022) driven

What's it like to drive?

Broadly the big coupe is solid and comfortable. There's nothing that will be particularly new or exciting (until the vRS model comes along in 2022) for anyone accustomed to electric driving.

The steering is neutral, neither particularly heavy nor light. Turning circle is impressive for a car of this size. Brakes are a bit spongy and take a bit of a heave, but you get used to it.

The suspension is soft and it floats along nicely over most surfaces. A fair bit of tyre and road noise at autobahn speed mind you, especially as our test car was riding on 19-inch wheels. Enyaq Coupes will be available with 20 and 21-inch wheels too. We expect cars with bigger wheels to be even louder.

What models and trims are available?

Model Power and torque 0-62mph time Top speed
Enyaq iV 60 179hp, 310Nm 8.4secs (est) 99mph (est)
Enyaq iV 80 204hp, 310Nm 8.2secs (est) 99mph (est)
Enyaq iV 80x (all-wheel drive) 262hp, 425Nm tbc tbc


You'll be able to choose from Loft, Suite, Lounge, Ecosuite, and Sportline trims.

What else should I know?

The Enyaq Coupe will be formally announced on 31 January, with UK sales starting later in 2022. Prices will be announced nearer the time.

Should you buy one?

If you're wedded to the idea of having an electric family car that's just a bit flashier than the ordinary, the Enyaq Coupe seems like a good idea.

Full prices are yet to be announced, but expect it to cost around £1,500 more than the regular Enyaq.

For many people after the biggest and best, the 300hp vRS will be a tempting buy. We'll let you know more once we drive it.

What we like?

The coupe shape might be a bit of a niche, but it looks suitably different enough without compromising on practicality.

Ride is pliant and pillowy. Exactly what you're after.

What we don't like

Infotainment is fiddly. Irritatingly confusing when you just want to turn the fan down.

Road noise is harsh at motorway speeds.

We'll keep this page updated as more information is released.

https://www.parkers.co.uk/skoda/enyaq/coupe/review/verdict/

Published in Skoda
Tuesday, 07 September 2021 04:13

New Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV prototype review

We hit the road in a prototype version of the all-electric Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV 80

 
 Verdict

Almost as practical and as clever as ever, it appears the Skoda Enyaq Coupe will offer few drawbacks over its conventional counterpart. Skoda has never been one for compromise, and on this evidence, that trend looks set to continue long into the future.

Skoda has dabbled with coupes in the past, but most recently it’s come to be known for its humble family hatchbacks, cavernous estate models and spacious SUVs rather than anything you’d conventionally call stylish, or fashionable.

But not one to get left behind, the Czech maker is gearing up to launch a coupe version of its pure-electric Enyaq SUV later this year. Set to be revealed in December, the Enyaq Coupe iV will go on sale in the UK in January next year, with first customer cars arriving in early summer 2022.

It’ll get all the same battery and motor combinations as the existing Enyaq SUV, meaning a choice of iV 60 (58kWh battery, 177bhp) and iV 80 (77kWh, 201bhp) models, plus a range-topping iV 80X with all-wheel drive and 261bhp. A performance-focused vRS version is planned for later.

To get a taste of what’s in store, we were given the chance to try a camouflaged version of the 4.65m-long Skoda SUV on European roads. Identical from nose to B-pillar, the Coupe’s smoother, more rakish roofline and the subsequent changes inside are the big news here.

These tweaks are arguably best sampled from the rear seat, then. Every version gets a fixed, full-length panoramic roof, but thanks to special heat reflecting glass, the car doesn’t require a roller blind. This frees up space in the back, where only those over six foot will find their heads brushing the roof; knee room is particularly generous, while the MEB platform’s flat floor means even those in the middle can get comfortable.

The boot shrinks, but only marginally – from 585 litres in the standard Enyaq, to 570 litres in the Coupe. It’s a decent shape, and unless you’re regularly loading the car to the roof you’re unlikely to notice the slightly smaller capacity; there’s a big, deep well under the floor that’s perfect for storing the car’s charging cables, too.

Speaking of which, Skoda says that developments in battery technology mean that the Enyaq Coupe will launch with brand-new ‘ME3’ software enabling not only faster peak charging, but a flatter charging curve. While bosses couldn’t confirm charge times at this stage, we can expect the Coupe to better the current flagship Enyaq’s 125kW maximum, as well as slightly reducing the 10-80 per cent charge time of 34 minutes.

In terms of range, a more favourable drag coefficient means the Enyaq Coupe is, Skoda says, capable of “10 to 15km” (6-9 miles) more than the conventional car on a single charge. That should mean, for this iV 80 model, somewhere in the region of 340 miles – versus 331 in the normal Enyaq. The figures haven’t yet been homologated, but in any case, the difference is likely to be negligible in real-world driving.

From behind the wheel, the Coupe is near-enough indistinguishable from any Enyaq we’ve driven to date. Refinement is excellent, tyre noise is non-existent, and wind noise was barely noticeable. This is largely true of the standard SUV too, of course, despite its boxier shape. 

The suspension and chassis feel stiff, but never uncomfortable – aided by smooth roads, the smallest 19-inch wheels, and our Enyaq’s adaptive dampers. The steering is on the weightier side compared with rivals, but lacks the finesse or sharpness found on a Ford Mustang Mach-E, for example.

On-paper, performance is little more than satisfactory alongside, say, a Tesla Model 3, although that doesn’t dent its appeal. You still get that shove of instant torque, but without constantly having to watch your throttle inputs or your speed via the standard-fit digital instrument cluster. Figures haven’t been confirmed, but we expect 0-62mph in around eight seconds and a top speed of around 100mph.

We mentioned that the Enyaq Coupe is visually identical to its standard sibling from the B-pillar forwards – and it’s the same story inside. The cabin is finished in high-grade materials, customisable via Skoda’s range of Loft, Suite, Lounge, EcoSuite and Sportline trims. The overall layout feels familiar, but the climate controls remain hidden in the central infotainment display – frustrating if you want to adjust the temperature or fan speed on the move.

Prices and specs will be revealed alongside the full production car in December, but we expect the Coupe iV to command a circa-five per cent premium over the standard SUV, with prices from around £33,500.

Model:

Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV 80
Price: TBC
Engine:  77kWh battery, single electric motor
Power/torque:  201bhp/310Nm
Transmission:  Single-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
0-62mph:  8.0 seconds (est)
Top speed:  100mph (est)
Range/CO2:  340 miles (est), 0g/km
Charging:  10-80% @ 125kW+ in 30 minutes (est)
On sale:  January 2022

(autoexpress.co.uk)

Published in Skoda

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