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Skoda’s first proper foray into the world of electric cars. It’s called the Enyaq, the ‘Enya’ part of its name coming from the Irish ‘eithne’ (anglicised to Enya), which means ‘essence, spirit or principle’, and the ‘q’ tying it in with the rest of Skoda’s SUV range, which all have model names that begin with a ‘K’ and end in a ‘q’ (Kamiq, Karoq and Kodiaq). It’s an all-electric SUV based on the Vision E Concept that was shown at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show.
What will its rivals be?
The Enyaq will be built on the Volkswagen Group’s Modular Electric Platform (MEB) and so will be a natural competitor to some of its own ‘in-house’ cousins, like the Volkswagen ID.4 or the Cupra Tavascan. There are precious few electric C-segment SUVs on sale right now, but smaller vehicles like the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia e-Niro could also be considered vehicles the Enyaq will have to overcome, while the Ford Mustang Mach-E is likely to be another machine in the Skoda’s crosshairs.
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Any tech info?
Precious little at this stage, beyond the confirmation of the usage of the platform, but it is possible to extrapolate from what we know about the Tavascan. That Spanish vehicle will have a 77kWh battery pack and a 225kW (306hp) electric motor, providing all-wheel drive and an electric range of around 452km. When Skoda revealed the Vision E in 2017, it said it had a 306hp motor and a range of 500km, which would be around 450km on the newer WLTP ratings. It is therefore fair to assume the Enyaq will have the same running gear as the Tavascan.
What will the range be like?
As mentioned above, Skoda was targeting 500km-plus in 2017, but that was on the NEDC cycle. Nowadays, a 400-450km range would be about the norm from a 77kWh lithium-ion battery pack, with the likelihood that Skoda will offer rapid DC charging for the Enyaq to ensure it doesn’t take too long to replenish its battery.
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Expectations?
They’ll be high, as they are for any of the Volkswagen Group’s forthcoming range of MEB-based products, but Skoda will be particularly keen for the Enyaq to succeed, given it hasn’t made a bespoke electric car to be sold under its branding before. True, there is the Citigo-e iV, but that’s a late-to-the-party adaptation of the pre-existing combustion-powered city car (and not sold in Ireland). The Enyaq is a brand-new, electric-only SUV – it therefore has to be good.