Skoda Enyaq review – a spacious, fool-proof electric SUV

Verdict – Is the Skoda Enyaq a good car?

The Skoda Enyaq had to live up to the expectations of the brand’s discerning customers, who are likely to be buying the Enyaq as their first electric SUV. In most areas it delivers and then some, offering excellent practicality and lots of clever features not even available on the closely-related Volkswagen ID. cars. Negatives include modest charging speeds and pricing that can climb quickly if you aren’t careful with trims and options. 

Skoda Enyaq models, specs and alternatives

The Skoda Enyaq is the first purpose-built electric model from the Czech brand and despite sharing its 'skateboard' platform with the Volkswagen ID.4, it’s far from a rebadged clone of the VW. Instead, the Enyaq has its own unique personality and attributes, making it a family-friendly EV that deserves to be on your shortlist. For most buyers, we’d recommend sticking with the more affordable versions because the Enyaq vRS, in particular, doesn’t feel different enough to make its £53,000 price tag feel like good value.

The styling is reminiscent of a seven-seat Skoda Kodiaq but one that's spent countless hours in a wind tunnel; it sits lower, and has more swept-back headlights and a closed grille to deflect air and reduce drag. There's a clear evolution of the brand’s usual approach inside too, with Skoda passing up the opportunity to use the switch to electric power to reinvent itself. The Enyaq has all the practical features that families love, helping set itself apart from rivals like the Volkswagen ID.4, Nissan Ariya and the smaller, but not necessarily cheaper Peugeot E-2008 and Hyundai Kona Electric.

Skoda makes extensive updates to Enyaq range

A flat floor means passengers have lots of space to stretch out, while also allowing storage cubbies to appear in inventive new places. The electric Skoda also has a very impressive 585-litre boot.

The Enyaq 60 is the model with the smaller battery and has a range of around 250 miles, while the larger one in the Enyaq 80 extends this to around 340 miles. We think the smaller battery will be the best option for most drivers because a realistic range of around 200 miles should be enough for all but the longest trips, making the entry-level Enyaq great value for money. It's also worth noting that Skoda made changes to the Enyaq range for 2024, including the deletion of 'iV' from its name.

A four-wheel-drive 80x model was introduced in 2021, and this has now evolved into the 85x. It has an electric motor for the front wheels as well as one for the rear wheels, giving it improved performance over the regular versions. The Enyaq is still no sports car with this powertrain, however, and the 85x (only available in top-spec SportLine Plus guise) is rather more expensive than the 60, which makes it seem less worth it for the money. The 85x is officially capable of up to 328 miles of range between charges, but it’s now been joined by the vRS version with even more power, which makes the 85x feel somewhat redundant in the range.

In May 2023, Skoda announced a top-of-the-line Enyaq Laurin & Klement model, which – aside from more upmarket trim and tech features – also has a greater power output. Not only that, but it boasts an impressive range of up to 342 miles between charges for the Enyaq L&K 85 rear-wheel drive model.

If you do need to drive further afield, 60 models can be charged at 120kW, while rear-wheel drive 85 and 85x models come with 135kW and 175kW peak charging speeds respectively.

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Depending on which battery is chosen, the car's equipment also changes slightly but is plentiful even as standard. Buyers have the option to change the interior theme but as most of these cost roughly the same, it comes down to personal preference. Needless to say, there's an option for just about everyone, whether you prefer grey and black upholstery or brown artificial leather, tanned sustainably with olives.

The Enyaq lineup has been expanded over time with the introduction of a new Enyaq Coupe model, and a faster vRS model – Skoda’s first electric vRS. The Coupe gets a swooping roofline over the regular Enyaq, and is available with the same trims and powertrains. Despite the sleeker design, it offers 570 litres of boot space, a drop of just 15 litres over the standard car.