Premiere of the Skoda Enyaq: The Czechs are entering the E era

A car? Must also start with an E!

Kodiaq, Karoq, Kamiq - all Skoda SUVs start with K and end with Q. Until now. With the Enyaq, in the 125th year of its existence, the Czechs are ringing in a new era not only in terms of the nomenklatura: the Hochbeiner, now unveiled in Prague, is Skoda's first electric SUV and the brand's actual starting signal for the electric age. The Citigo microcar is already roaming the streets and the Octavia and Superb are also driving up as plug-in hybrids. But the Enyaq, which is produced at the headquarters in Mladá Boleslav, is the first model designed from the ground up as a purely electric car. It can now be ordered for at least 33.800 euros and will be delivered from spring 2021.

Czech car with German technology

The Czechs did not develop the technology themselves; they used the VW group shelf and use the modular electrical construction kit (MEB), which only recently made its debut in the VW ID.3. Thanks to the modular platform, the difference in size is not a problem: While the ID.3 is 4,26 meters long in the compact segment, the Enyaq trumps with 4,65 meters; That is how long its VW brother ID.4 will be, which will also be launched in the coming year.

The real highlight are the almost 2,80 meter wheelbase, which gives the Enyaq with Octavia external dimensions a space in the interior like the largest SUV Kodiaq. That is extraordinary even by Skoda standards. There is also around 600 liters of storage space behind the rear seats. This is made possible by the exclusive design as an electric car and the associated complete waiver of conventional drives. Combustion engine, a sweeping gearbox, oil pan and the like - none of this has to be accommodated anywhere; instead, the space benefits the passengers.

Minimalism in design - a right decision

In general, the interior of the Skoda once again shows its best side. The cockpit, which can be ordered in various designs, looks tidy and elegant; The workmanship and choice of materials do not give the Czechs any reason for criticism anyway. Digital instruments sit behind the steering wheel, the center console has plenty of storage space and only a few buttons. A large 13-inch touchscreen with modern smartphone menu navigation sits enthroned on top. The current battery status can also be queried from outside the vehicle via an APP or the air conditioning can be remotely controlled.

But it is not just the interior that is convincing: the new chief designer Oliver Stefani has also made a success with the body. That was not necessarily a given, after all, his predecessor Jozef Kaban, who - after a detour to BMW - is now responsible for design at Volkswagen in Wolfsburg, left great footsteps behind. Stefani has succeeded in upholding the Skoda heritage and at the same time setting new accents. The new electric proportions alone - short hood, long wheelbase - gave the designer the opportunity to give the Enyaq an individual touch. The strongly contoured bonnet, the tidy rear that emphasizes the 1,90 meter width, and above all the illuminated radiator grille are striking - although the crystalline longitudinal struts in this country are only allowed to shine when stationary. Skoda has also carried over its typical Simply Clever solutions (umbrella in the door, parking ticket holder on the windshield, ...) into the e-era and among other things has developed a charging cable cleaner.

Technical data and characteristics

Skoda has an astonishingly large range of drives; Here, too, the Czechs benefit from the modular architecture. The basic version Enyaq 50 iV drives up with a 109 kW / 150 PS electric motor, rear-wheel drive and a 55-kilowatt-hour battery that is supposed to store enough electricity for 340 kilometers. In the second step (Enyaq 60 iV), Skoda attaches a battery pack to the battery called the “chocolate bar” by the engineers, increasing the capacity to 62 kilowatt hours. The range increases to 390 kilometers, plus there is a 132 kW / 180 PS engine.

The most powerful 2WD model is the Enyaq 80 iV with 150 kW / 204 PS and an 82 kilowatt hour battery, which should be good for up to 510 kilometers. In combination with the large battery pack, Skoda also offers two all-wheel-drive versions with an additional electric motor on the front axle. On the engine side, the 4 × 4 models produce either 195 kW / 265 PS (Enyaq 80x iV) or the sporty Enyaq RS version 225 kW / 306 PS. The latter can take up to 1,4 tons on the hook and should bring the Enyaq to 6,2 km / h in 100 seconds. The RS-Vmax is 180 km / h, the others are a maximum of 160 km / h.

Speaking of fast: Charging is also fast enough. Assuming a corresponding 125-kilowatt DC charging station, the Enyaq can pump the 82-kWh battery up to 38 percent with electricity in 80 minutes. The SUV draws up to 11 kW of electricity from an AC wallbox. Typical for the brand: You can order the charging connection for home from Skoda.