Skoda Enyaq review - Electric motor, drive & performance
“Smooth performance and agile handling, without pinning you in your seat”
Pros
- Versatile interior
- Good value
- Spacious
Cons
- Firm ride
- Fastest charging adds cost
- Cold weather significantly affects range
Following its facelift, the Skoda Enyaq still drives very much the same as before. That means there’s a focus on comfort here, rather than sporting prowess, and the Enyaq rides extremely softly. The soft ride makes short work of pothole-filled UK roads, while makes for a serene experience for occupants.
That serenity is bolstered by the Enyaq’s quiet electric motors, and the cabin is also well insulated from wind and road noise, making motorway driving incredibly quiet. The only noticeable intrusion is the slight wind noise caused by the wind mirrors, but even then it’s minimal.
The trade off is that the Enyaq isn’t particularly fun to drive, and there’s not much feel through the steering wheel. At times the soft setup means the Enyaq feels as though it’s bobbing about on rougher surfaces, though it does eventually settle. Push it hard on a B-road and the Enyaq wallows and rolls through the corners, so it’s best to take a leisurely approach.
We like the smooth power delivery of the Enyaq – some EVs can feel a little severe when you put your foot on the throttle, but things feel more gradual here, adding to the Enyaq’s relaxed attitude.
Motorway driving is made even more effortless by the inclusion of Skoda’s latest ‘Travel Assist 2.6’ tech. The semi-autonomous driving system enables you to sit back and relax (with your hands on the steering wheel and eyes on the road, of course) while adaptive cruise control keeps a steady speed and safe distance between you and the car in front and keeps the car in its lane for you with gentle steering inputs. You’re supposedly able to get the system to change lanes for you, too, but we were unable to get our test Enyaq to do this.
Around town the Enyaq is nimbler than you’d expect of an EV this size, thanks to a very tight turning circle (smaller than that of a MINI Cooper, in fact) which makes short work of intricate manoeuvres. Unfortunately there’s no one-pedal drive mode like there is on some EVs, though, and the ride can occasionally feel a little jiggly at lower speeds.
Skoda Enyaq electric motors
The entry-level Enyaq is the 60, which gets the smaller battery paired with a 201bhp electric motor powering the rear wheels, enabling it to do 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds onto a top speed of 99mph. This version is available solely on the Enyaq SUV, while the Coupe gets the more powerful setup.
The more powerful setup in question is fitted in the Enyaq 85, which produces 282bhp and dispatches the 0-62mph sprint in a brisk 6.7 seconds, despite lugging around a larger battery. The dual-motor all-wheel drive 85x is grippier, but power is the same as in the regular 85 and so is its acceleration time.