This new model was to be the culmination of the brand's 125th anniversary festivities, inevitably canceled by the Covid-19 crisis. It is also the real entry of the manufacturer on the electric market since after a first discreet foray embodied by the Citigo iV, Skoda enters this time on a level with the world of the electric car. The new model therefore marks the start of the manufacturer's forced offensive to meet the expectations of a European market, in which the ambition is to sell 50% of battery electric vehicles (BEV) at the dawn of the next decade. A major turning point that Skoda intends to negotiate as green on the substance as on the form, with a production process completely neutral in CO2.
More space, less ergonomics
If these are still camouflaged prototypes that appear on the official photos provided by Skoda, we had the chance to discover the model "naked" during a confidential presentation. And if we expected a streamlined vehicle derived from the Vision E concept, it is ultimately much more massive lines that we discovered for this SUV, that the dimensions are between the Karoq and the Kodiaq. The look of the dashboard furniture also surprises. Dictated by electric motorization and the hunt for the extra pounds it induces, the design is more aerial, most of the physical commands having disappeared in favor of the touch screen. So it's really the feeling of space that dominates, sometimes at the expense of ergonomics. True to the habits of the brand, the new model also offers plenty of space on board. Five adults can sit comfortably and take advantage of 585 liters useful for luggage.
Complete offer
The Enyaq is based on the MEB platform, the "good for everything" base for electric vehicles of the VW group, which also carries the ID.3 and the Seat el-Born. The SUV will eventually have a range of very diverse versions, gradually introduced. Skoda will leave the choice between 5 power levels (150 to 306 hp), 4x2 or 4x4, and three battery capacities, 55, 62 or 82 kW depending on the desired range, up to 500 km! Long journeys should therefore not pose too many problems since the system also accepts fast charges up to 125 kW.
This is the most powerful version of RS iV that is offered to us, still in the prototype state validated "to 70%" according to the engineers. Its 306 horses are sent to the four wheels with great efficiency despite the conditions made slippery by the weather, and even with a certain aggressiveness: the 0 to 100 km / h is announced in less than 6 seconds. Like any self-respecting electric, the Enyaq has been designed with the aim of saving energy in depth. It therefore has everything you need to optimize autonomy, including of course regeneration when decelerating and braking, which can be modulated in real time by the paddles on the steering wheel. An advanced recovery mode (brake or "b" mode) also makes it possible to dispense with the brake pedal during urban driving phases. On the other hand, the weight of the most important of the three batteries is felt on the damping, since the Enyaq then releases a certain heaviness on its suspensions during important compressions. But as explained above, the cars we drove still had to adjust their settings.
The launch is scheduled for early 2021, with prices based on those of the Kodiaq.
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- Electric car
- Skoda
- Automobile