New Skoda Enyaq iV Sportline available to order priced from £39,900

• Servicing included in lease cost
• Two battery sizes initially available, with range between 256 and 333 miles
• Rear-wheel drive Sportline model now on sale

The Skoda Enyaq iV Sportline is now available to order. Prices start from £39,900 after the government plug-in car grant and first deliveries are expected in the summer.

As the current range-topping version of the Enyaq iV line-up, the Sportline features several changes over the standard car, including lowered suspension, model-specific 20-inch alloy wheels and black contrasting bodywork trim.

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The Enyaq is the Czech firm’s first electric SUV, and the latest iV model after the electric Citigo e and plug-in hybrid versions of the Superb and Octavia. It’ll be a direct rival for the Tesla Model Y, Kia e-Niro, and VW Group models such as the Volkswagen ID.4 and the forthcoming Audi Q4 e-tron.

Read on for full details of the Enyaq iV model range and for our early prototype drive.

Skoda Enyaq iV prices and specifications

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The Skoda Enyaq iV 60 gets a 62kWh battery (58kWh usable) starting from £31,085 after the plug-in car grant, which seems good value considering the smaller Peugeot e-2008 starts at £2,500 more. The Enyaq iV 80 gets a larger 82kWh battery (77kWh usable), starting from £38,950 after the PiCG.

Choosing an 80 model with the bigger battery brings a reversing camera, front parking sensors (joining the standard-fit rear ones), a heated steering wheel and sat nav. This version is around £4,900 more expensive than the entry-level model, at £35,950. There’s also a Founders Edition with the bigger battery, which starts from £46,995 after the PiCG, and gets 125kW fast-charging, 21-inch alloys, black leather upholstery and matrix LED headlights.

Every version of the Enyaq iV gets 19-inch wheels, a 13-inch touchscreen, dual-zone climate control and keyless start. Buyers can pick from an array of interior packages called Loft, Lodge, Lounge, Suite and ecoSuite. All feature a different interior look and materials.

At the top of the range, the Enyaq Sportline is only available with the larger 82kWh battery and gets lower, firmer suspension, so it’s 15mm lower at the front and 10mm lower at the rear. Black exterior trim gives it a sportier look, along with 20-inch alloy wheels, a new rear spoiler, grille and mirror caps. The Sportline model starts from £39,900 after the PiCG.

Enyaq customers can choose a new ‘Lease & Care’ finance package, which wraps up the cost of servicing and maintenance into the monthly payments. There are three aftersales packages to choose from; the cheapest covers essential servicing and filters, and gives you access to a 24/7 breakdown helpline, while the most expensive even includes replacement tyres and other consumables.

Styling

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With a front end that takes inspiration from the Skoda Superb and, seemingly, a lower roofline than Skoda’s other SUVs, the Enyaq is a smart-looking car. The front features a wide grille - fared-in, of course - and eye-catching bumper inserts. It also features a squared-off roofline and a sharp crease along the side, with a profile similar to Skoda’s existing Kodiaq and Karoq SUV models. The window line slopes towards the rear of the car, ending with a small rear window located in the C-pillar.

From a distance, the sharp LED tail-lights look a little like those fitted to the facelifted Bentley Bentayga, while the tailgate features an angular design to separate the rear badging, with the numberplate sitting in a lower recess.

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Alongside the matrix LED headlights, the Founders Edition model gets an illuminated grille, and it looks like a black styling pack has been applied for a sporty look and extra contrast with the paint colour.

Interior

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The launch images show a cabin that is similar in design to the latest Skoda Octavia range. A two-spoke steering wheel sits in front of a digital instrument cluster, while the infotainment functions will be taken care of by a 13-inch touchscreen mounted on top of the dashboard. Below that is a full-width trim piece, which both references the car’s exterior grille and acts as a hand rest for using the screen.

Moving away from traditional trim levels, the Enyaq offers design packs; themes that are meant to give the car a ‘lounge-like’ feel. The first, ‘Loft’, includes fabric and artificial leather upholstery, with brushed aluminium trim finishers. Lodge gets fabric and wool upholstery, while ‘Lounge’ adds leather and piano black trim and ‘Suite’ brings black leather. The plushest is ‘ecoSuite,’ which gets Cognac Brown leather trim.

Sportline models are equipped with front sports seats that are more heavily sculpted to offer more support in corners. The steering wheel is different to standard models and there is carbon fibre-effect trim too.

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According to Skoda, the Enyaq iV is slightly shorter than the Octavia but boasts an interior that’s similar in size to the larger Skoda Kodiaq SUV.

Powertrains, performance and range

The Enyaq iV will be offered with two battery sizes and with both rear and four-wheel drive, although a cheaper ‘iV 50’ model with a 55kWh battery may join the range. The current entry-level 62kWh battery model, the ‘iV 60’, will also get a slightly more powerful 177bhp electric motor and rear-wheel drive, and is capable of 0-62mph in 8.7 seconds. It promises a range of up to 256 miles.

The ‘iV 80’ version features a larger 82kWh battery giving the highest range of the line-up at 333 miles. It gets a 201bhp electric motor with rear-wheel drive, managing 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds. In Sportline trim, this range figure is reduced to 327 miles.

A more powerful ‘iV 80X’ model is due later and will get a second electric motor mounted on the front axle, giving it 262bhp and four-wheel drive.

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At the very top of the range will be a flagship vRS model. It will be the first fully electric Skoda to wear the vRS badge and will use the same powertrain as the iV 80X, but power will be increased to 302bhp, resulting in a 0-62mph time of 6.2 seconds. Both four-wheel-drive models will be capable of up to 286 miles on a full charge.

Skoda claims the Enyaq iV can be charged with a home charger in six to eight hours. Fast charging of up to 125kW will also be available; it can charge the battery from 10% to 80% in around 40 minutes.

Platform and dimensions

The Enyaq iV will be the first model underpinned by the MEB platform to be built outside of Germany, with production due to start at Skoda’s Mlada Bolelsav plant in the Czech Republic towards the end of this year.

The MEB platform - which also underpins the Volkswagen ID.3 - has been designed purely for electric vehicles, with the Enyaq iV measuring 4.65m long, 1.88m wide and 1.62m tall; around 5cm shorter and lower than a Skoda Kodiaq SUV. It also has a similar wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels), at 2.76m.

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MEB has been designed to accommodate the car’s battery pack in the floor, a feature that helps to maximise interior space. The new car will be practical too, with a 585-litre boot, which is more than the Skoda Karoq SUV, and an additional 48 litres of storage space dotted around the interior across various cubbies.

Skoda Enyaq iV 80 prototype drive - John McIlroy

Before the Skoda Enyaq iV launched, we drove a camouflaged prototype on the road to see how the development of the new EV was shaping up.

Our test car was the iV 80 model, and from the moment we got behind the wheel, it’s obvious that the Enyaq iV could be a standout model for the firm. As with all electric cars, there’s the instantaneous acceleration, which defies the car’s considerable kerb weight of nearly two tonnes. When you consider our test car is the rear-wheel-drive model powered by a single electric motor, Skoda’s claim that the most powerful range-topping models will be able to tow up to 1,200kg is easy to believe.

On the road, the car is impressively quiet on the move, with its near-silent operation going someway to making it the most refined car that Skoda has ever produced. This is helped by smart packaging, with the rear-mounted electric motor being far enough away to ensure that any electric whine doesn’t affect the car’s passengers.

The roads of rural Ireland offered a substantial test of the new car’s ride comfort, with a number of potholes and rutted surfaces. On roads of this type, which are also common in the UK, the car impressed with solid dynamics and a decent resistance to body roll even on broken up surfaces. Overall, the ride quality is good, with the suspension capable of smoothing out the biggest crashes with reasonable consistency.

The steering setup had yet to be finalised, with our test car’s demonstrating a distinct lack of feel, feedback and weight. Despite this, it’s somewhat responsive during normal driving, feeling fast enough for driving in town and on the motorway.

We also tried the Enyaq iV as a passenger to see how it compares with the firm’s Kodiaq and Superb models for rear space. While the back row is more than spacious enough for passengers over six-feet tall, with plenty of headroom, legroom and kneeroom, it perhaps lags slightly behind the Superb for overall space.

The smart design of the car’s electric powertrain benefits storage, with a generous 585 litres of load space thanks to the accommodation of the battery pack in the floor of the car. This also benefits the interior, which features a sizable storage box between front seats made possible by the car’s flat floor.

Verdict

When the Enyaq iV goes on sale, it's easy to see that this new large electric car will broaden the brand’s appeal. The car’s clever design, from the electric motor setup to the interior tech, is equal to that offered by equivalent VW Group EVs. Skoda has priced the new model competitively, as the brand usually does with its cars, so only the common EV-related issue of waiting lists is likely to hold it back.

Specifications:

Model: Skoda Enyaq iV 80Engine: 82kWh battery, single electric motorPower: 201bhpTransmission: Single-speed auto, rear-wheel drive0-62mph: 8.0 seconds (est)Top speed: 105mphRange: 316 miles (WLTP, est)CO2 emissions: 0g/km

Read our current Skoda reviews, or see what other cars are going to be revealed this year.