THE Enyaq is Skoda’s fully-electric SUV that has been winning plaudits for its family-friendly practicality. But some bright electron thought it would be a good idea to give it a sexier, sloping profile and whack in a huge glass roof. And the powers-that-be said “Oh, go on then. We’ll call it the Skoda Enyaq Coupe and we’ll use the word ‘emotive’ a lot when describing it”.
It does look rather smart though – if coupes are your thing, over the more rugged SUV look. But let’s face it, SUV is king at the moment and the Enyaq Coupe will probably be the lesser-selling Enyaq.
However, the Coupe deserves to do well as it is no-less accommodating than the standard Enyaq, with plenty of space in the rear for even taller adults, thanks to the cleverness of that huge panoramic glass roof which doesn’t impinge on headroom.There is no need for a sliding blind as the glass is specially treated to prevent a build-up of heat. It gives the coupe a true “wow” factor – stretching even beyond the heads of the rear passengers. Not bad for a feature which is standard across the range.
And what of the range? I hear you ask. Well, it starts at just under £50k for the iV 80 and rises to over £54,820 for the vRS version.
The current crop sport the 80 badge, but be aware that a modified 85 version will be available in early 2024 with slightly uprated motors and some infotainment tweaks. Get the lowdown here: Enyaq 85 Edition and here: Improved Enyaq
Just like it’s SUV sibling, the Enyaq Coupe is available in both rear-wheel-drive and 4-wheel drive. The majority of sales will be the single-motor, RWD versions like the mid-ranger I’ve been driving: The Enyaq Coupe iV 80 SportLine Plus.
This model gets 204 PS, 310Nm of torque and a single-speed auto gearbox. Its combined range is 337 miles and it can waft you to 62mph in just 8.5 seconds. With a £660 option of metallic paint it comes in at £51,065 OTR.
The interior is exactly the same as its SUV sibling, which means its decent enough with some good tech, top-notch fit and finish and very comfortable seats both front and rear.
I baulked at first when I saw the tiny 5.4in digital dash behind the steering wheel but soon came around to realizing that is shows everything you need – mainly your speed, of course. Yes, some people may have smartphones with bigger screens, but anything beyond essential is just a distraction.
However, the 13in touchscreen that dominates the centre of the dash can be a little distracting at first – when you’re not quite sure where things are – but you soon get used to navigating around it. I did, however find myself cursing it the first time I tried to turn the volume up on Spotify (wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard). This was because it was dark and the touch-sensitive volume-slider below the screen isn’t lit.
Turns out I was sliding my finger along the frame of the touchscreen and not a few millimetres below it . . . Yes, I should have gone for the steering wheel volume control but I hadn’t studied that in daylight, either. If only there had been a simple knob. Other than the one behind the wheel . . .
Thankfully, there is a bank of quick-access physical buttons just below the central air-vents which gives access to climate control, front and rear screen heating, driving mode and Park Assist.
The climate control button only brings up the climate screen though – you still have to poke at the screen to change temperature, air direction, etc. However, the icons are large so it’s a lot easier than on some rival models and I didn’t find it a faff at all.
Interior space is very good indeed, both front and back, while the boot is only 15 litres smaller than the SUV version at 570 litres. There is no Frunk though, which is a shame, although there is a place for charging cables in the boot which means they’re not flailing around in there, taking up space.
The huge glass roof makes the interior feel very airy and lets light flood in during the daylight hours. At night the ambient lighting across the full width of the dash and along the door panels looks great (if a little Mercedes-like) and is configurable depending on your mood, preference or apathy.
Should the weather turn inclement (and it did; a lot) there is the umbrella in the front doors trick – although my press car only had an empty space for one on the passenger side. Whether some former journo had nicked one, or one is all Skoda provide, I’m not sure.
My week with the Enyaq Coupe coincided with a 140-mile round trip to the OVO Hydro stadium in Glasgow to see Michigan rockers Greta Van Fleet in concert, so range-anxiety did kick in slightly – although with a range of over 300 miles on a full charge, I shouldn’t have been concerned.
However, I’d only managed to charge the Enyaq Coupe up to 85%, which was showing a range of 220 miles. But, barring any serious hold-ups we should have plenty of leeway, right?
At the end of the evening, we arrived home with ringing ears (courtesy of GVF, not Skoda) and a range of 35 miles left in the 77kWh battery. So, I figured we’d lost around 40 miles of range somewhere. I can only put it down to the low temperatures on a clear, crisp Scottish winter’s night. However, range does remain a concern for many would-be EV drivers and the variable guess-timation when it comes to range remains a concern.
So how did the Skoda Enyaq Coupe drive? Extremely well. Admittedly, most of the mileage was along the M8 at a comfortable 70mph(ish).
It’s a great quality EV so it drove as you would expect with no fuss and no jolting gear changes or screaming revs. You don’t even have to press the start button. Just get in, select a gear and off you go. Lovely.
There is a choice 3 driving modes, Normal, Sport and Eco. I stuck it in Eco and didn’t feel it lacked any power – even on overtaking manoeuvres. The simple gear selector also has a “B” mode for harvesting more electricity when braking and you can also adjust this by using the flappy paddles behind the steering wheel.
I found the LED Matrix headlights with variable light distribution to be almost hypnotic in use – masking bright areas such as oncoming lights and reflective road-signage. The lighted area is constantly changing – albeit subtly – to always provide the maximum light without dazzling other road users.
You would never guess that the Coupe is quite hefty – more than 2 tonnes – when you’re zipping along. It feels well planted but it changes direction nicely too, thanks to all that weight being mostly low down in the chassis.
It accelerates smoothly, without drama and hardly any noise at all. Just some tyre noise, if you listen carefully.
Along B roads and around town I found it quite nippy for a largeish car. You can pull out quickly at roundabouts and junctions with full confidence.
I did find that on some of the rougher roads it did jar a little over bigger pot-holes and it did bounce a bit more than I’d expected on those roads that undulated heavily but overall, I would say the Enyaq Coupe is a relaxed and comfortable drive. Could the suspension setup be a little more forgiving? Maybe, but I think you would lose some of the driving enjoyment when on a decent surface.
If, like me, you prefer the looks of a coupe to an SUV, then the Skoda Enyaq Coupe is a welcome addition to their line-up. It ain’t cheap but it is quality; and the on-board tech is comprehensive even on the lower-spec models.It’s a solidly-built EV with a cosseting interior that the family will love. It seems to be well Tuned for the Highway . . .
AT A GLANCE:
Enyaq Coupe iV 80 SportLine Plus
OTR Price: from £50,405
Motor Output: 204 PS
Transmission: Single-Speed RWD
0-62mph: 8.5 secs
Top Speed: 99 mph
WLTP Combined Range: 337 miles
