Škoda’s new Enyaq electric SUV: A welcome sequel, and at a lower price

Not even two weeks after Škoda’s launch of their new medium-sized electric SUV, the Elroq, I find myself once again roaming picturesque winding roads – this time in the Hunter Region just north of Sydney, driving Śkoda’s other full electric SUV, the larger sized Enyaq.

Australia’s EV market is heating up with more and more models released. Like a school lunchtime, Tesla and BYD are the popular kids hogging the basketball court, Kia and Geely are finally starting to get picked for a team, and in comes Škoda, quietly producing the kind of lunchbox everyone else suddenly wants a bite of.

It’s only been a year since Škoda launched the first Enyaq in Australia, but unlike recent iPhone launches, the updated model offers significant changes to its predecessor.

Perhaps most notably with regards to the price, which has dropped from last year’s base model pricing of $69,990 before on road costs, to this iteration’s base pricing of $50,990 before on-roads. A remarkable change in affordability in such a short period of time.

Škoda is offering both an SUV and a sleeker Coupé version, across three model grades, with only the top model 85 Sportline using the coupé frame.

The SUV version unsurprisingly offers a touch more head space and boot space, while the coupé gives that sportier and aerodynamic look, with slight improvements on the drag coefficient, specifically a Cd.02  improvement over Enyaq SUV ‘s Cd0.245 for you engineer nerds. You may be disappointed to learn I didn’t bring my air density measuring tools to cross-check this claim.

Visually, the Enyaq gets a sharpened “four-eyed” headlight design, the new “Tech-Deck” grille with a glowing light band, and Škoda lettering across the bonnet as per the updated branding. It’s handsome in a subtle, continental way. It’s less “look at me” than a Tesla, but also less “don’t look at me” than a Toyota bZ4X.

Inside and it feels very familiar to my recent drive in the Enyaq, but this isn’t a bad thing at all. I really think Škoda have got it right with the mix of physical buttons and digital touch buttons on the 13″ centre screen. I particularly love the shortcut buttons on the screen, making it that much quicker and easier to find key settings while on the move with a single prompt. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, along with a 5″ digital cockpit, wireless charging pad with active cooling, and even an umbrella tucked in the driver’s door

The 60 Select packs a 63kWh battery, good for 410km WLTP combined (and over 500km in city conditions). It’ll DC fast-charge from 10–80% in about 24 minutes. Step up to the 85 Sportline and you get 82kWh gross (77kWh usable), 210kW and a very healthy 545Nm sent to the rear axle, 547km WLTP range in SUV form (561km if you like the Coupé), and a 6.7-second sprint to 100km/h.

Škoda points out that its gentler 135kW charging curve is kinder to the battery over time with less stress, less heat, and more longevity. Not headline-grabbing numbers, but possibly the smarter long game. On AC it’ll pull up to 11kW, which means a full top-up in about eight hours

On the road and the Enyaq feels very composed, like the Elroq but even more refined which you would expect with the higher price tag. Steering is light and suspension tuned for comfort rather than cornering bragging rights. The rear-drive setup and progressive steering help it feel planted, while the Sportline Coupé version even gets adaptive chassis control if you want to stiffen things up for your Sunday morning blast.

It’s not a thrill-seeker, but then again maybe ask yourself how often are you seeking thrills on your school run. Having said that, flooring the pedal in the 85 Sportline was still more than enough thrill than I need.

For the outdoors inclined, it tows up to 1000kg braked, 750kg unbraked. Perhaps not quite caravan holiday material, but your average small trailer or jetski is fair game.

Standard safety includes lane assist, adaptive cruise with stop-and-go, cyclist and pedestrian detection, emergency assist, and traffic jam assist. Škoda throws in an arsenal of acronyms such as ESC, ABS, ASR, XDS+, TSA, all of which boil down to “we’ll try to keep you out of the hedge.” Eight airbags are standard, while optional extras add the flashy toys like augmented-reality head-up displays and improved Canton speakers.

The Enyaq approach appears fairly straightforward, take what Australians already want in a family SUV, and quietly electrify it.

At $50,990 before on-roads, you’re buying comfort, practicality, with all the added benefits of an EV at a price that starts lower than many of the petrol alternatives. Similarly to the Elroq, the Enyaq feels less about revolution and more about evolution. For many buyers, that could be precisely the appeal.

MY26 Enyaq Specification Sheet