Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV review

Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV verdict

We rate the Skoda Enyaq iV very highly here at DrivingElectric – so much so, we awarded it our Best Electric Family Car in the DrivingElectric Awards two years in a row. The Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV retains much of what makes the regular Enyaq SUV great – a roomy cabin, great tech and a solid electric range – and trades a bit of boot space for some extra style. While we still think the cheaper and more-practical Enyaq iV SUV is the pick of the pair, the Coupe is nevertheless a brilliant all-rounder and is one of the most compelling electric coupe-SUVs on sale.

Range details, specs and alternatives

The Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV is essentially a sleeker, coupe-SUV version of the incredibly practical Enyaq iV SUV. Available in regular and hot vRS versions, the Enyaq Coupe iV shares its underpinnings with other Volkswagen Group EVs such as the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron, Volkswagen ID.5 and the upcoming Cupra Tavascan. It’s also a rival for the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volvo C40 and not to forget the Tesla Model Y.

At launch, the only version of the Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV available to UK buyers was the range-topping vRS model. This utilises a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive electric powertrain that outputs a not insignificant 295bhp – a setup that’s mirrored by the VW ID.5 GTX. Thanks to a 77kWh (usable) battery, the hot Enyaq Coupe can manage up to 324 miles on a single charge.

Nowadays, buyers also have the choice of more sedate 80 and 80x variants, which both also utilise a 77kWh battery pack. The former makes-do with a single, rear-mounted electric motor producing 201bhp and offers a claimed range of up to 345 miles – this is the cheapest model available to buyers and is our pick of the lineup. The 80x gets an extra electric motor on the front axle for an increased 261bhp output, but has a slightly reduced range at 322 miles.

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While the base Enyaq Coupe 80 model can be had in both regular and SportLine Plus guises, the 80x can only be specified in SportLine Plus form. Standard equipment is strong, with LED headlights, a 13-inch infotainment system with sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, part-leatherette seats, a fixed panoramic glass roof, and a reversing camera all coming fitted to the base car.

SportLine Plus models take things a step further with a racier bodykit, larger 20-inch wheels (base cars get 19-inch alloys), Matrix LED headlights, tri-zone climate control, Microsuede and leather upholstery, heated front seats, adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring. Opting for SportLine Plus also adds lower and stiffer sports suspension, which can be a good or bad thing, depending on how you choose to drive.

One aspect of the Enyaq Coupe iV that could raise an eyebrow is the price. The standard Enyaq Coupe iV costs from around £45,000 – roughly £2,000 more than a like-for-like Enyaq iV SUV, and almost £6k more than a basic model with the smaller 58kWh battery.

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The Enyaq Coupe has a slightly better electric range than its Enyaq SUV counterpart thanks to its slinkier shape and is only available with the larger 77kWh battery pack (the regular Enyaq iV can be specified in 58kWh ‘60’ form.

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The rear-wheel drive 80 is the most efficient and boasts the longest range of 345 miles, while the 80x and vRS will officially do 322 and 324 miles respectively. At the car’s fastest possible charging speed of 135kW, the batteries can be replenished from 10-80% capacity in just under 40 minutes.

During our time driving the base Enyaq Coupe 80, we were able to manage around 3.7 miles per kWh, which meant a real-world range of just 284 miles – this is still ahead of what’s possible in many competitors like the BMW X1, but far and away from Skoda’s official figure.

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While it starts from well over £40,000, the Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV should be relatively cheap to run – especially for company car buyers with its 2% Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax rating. Charging the Enyaq at home should, in theory, be much cheaper than filling a traditional family SUV up with petrol – especially if you have an EV-specific energy tariff. 

The Enyaq Coupe iV will be more expensive to insure than the equivalent petrol-powered SUV. However, with insurance groups for the electric Skoda coupe-SUV ranging from 27-36, it should at least be cheaper to cover than a Tesla Model Y which occupies groups 46-49.

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Not only have we driven the regular Enyaq Coupe 80 and 80x, but we’ve also driven it in vRS form, too. All things considered, though, it’s safe to say that despite its sportier looks, every version of the Enyaq Coupe majors on offering comfort rather than an engaging drive.

All versions of the Enyaq feel reasonably quick up to around 30mph, but drivers expecting the thrill of instant acceleration attributed to most EVs might be disappointed. In fact, despite the Enyaq Coupe vRS’s claimed 0-62mph figure (6.5 seconds) being slightly quicker than that of the petrol-powered Octavia vRS, the electric SUV doesn’t feel that fast when the rubber meets the road. We think most buyers will find the entry-level 80 model plenty quick enough. That version does 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds, and go on to do 99mph.

On the handling front, the vRS sits on suspension that’s 15mm lower at the front and 10mm lower at the rear than the regular model. When we tested both models abroad, our test cars were fitted with the optional ‘Dynamic Chassis Control’ adaptive-damper setup, but this is probably only worth going for if you want to improve the vRS' ride quality on the optional 21-inch alloy wheels. As with the standard Enyaq iVs, the two coupe variants are good at isolating road and wind noise, making the plug-in Skoda SUV a great long-distance cruiser.

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Despite being cheaper than the equivalent Volkswagen ID.5, the Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV offers a much more premium-feeling interior than its German counterpart, with soft-touch materials on the dashboard and study build quality. 

Buyers can choose from one of four interior themes – Loft, Suite, ecoSuite and Lounge – while the vRS model is available with ‘Sports’ or ‘vRS Microsuede’ upholstery.

Like most cars nowadays, the Enyaq’s cabin centres around a large touchscreen mounted on the dashboard. Measuring 13 inches in diameter, this display can be sluggish to respond to your inputs, although it does come fitted with sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. There’s no large digital instrument cluster; instead, the Enyaq gets a small, minimalist display behind the steering wheel which only showcases the most vital information.

During our time reviewing the car, we were pleased to see the Coupe retains many of the same ‘Simply Clever’ features that are found in other Skoda models, such as an umbrella hidden in the driver’s door and a ticket holder on the windscreen.

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On the practicality front, the Coupe only loses 15 litres of luggage capacity on paper compared to the regular Enyaq iV (570 litres in total), although the ability to accommodate large and awkwardly shaped items with the rear seats folded flat (1,610 litres) is more compromised. Both the standard Enyaq and the Coupe lack any kind of additional storage in the nose, so you’ll need to keep your charging cables in the boot. The back window is rather small, too, so the standard-fit reversing camera is a vital feature.

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We have very little reliability data on the Skoda Enyaq iV given it’s so new, but electric cars should, in theory, be more reliable than traditional combustion-engined models due to having fewer moving parts. 

This is a good thing as Skoda could only muster a 20th-place finish out of 29 manufacturers in our 2022 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, with over 21% of owners reporting a fault with their car within the first year of ownership. However, it’s worth noting that this result mostly covers the maker’s petrol and diesel-powered models.

What we can say for certain, though, is that the Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV should be very safe, as confirmed by its five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. Adult and Child occupant protection was rated at 94% and 89% respectively, with all cars coming with lane-keep assist, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and a reversing camera to help avoid an accident in the first place. Top-spec SportLine Plus cars get things like blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and traffic jam assist, making driving even easier and safer.

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