Skoda Enyaq Coupe review
The Skoda Enyaq has been a massive success for the brand but does this sleeker alternative to the SUV make sense?
The firm’s first EV was an immediate hit thanks to the SUV’s blend of practicality and value. But that wasn’t enough for Skoda. It wanted to score points for style too, hence the arrival in 2022 of the Enyaq Coupe.
Design and interior
In the spirit of coupe-SUVs everywhere, this model has taken the basic components of the Enyaq and draped a sleeker, sportier skin over the top. And the results are impressive.
The coupe’s fastback look, bigger wheels and lower stance work really well to create a more dynamic looking car. Its crisp lines and sharp details have a real appeal and do a great job of masking the car’s size. It’s a far better looking car, for instance, than the related Volkswagen ID.5. If you really want to draw attention to yourself, there’s an optional light-up grille but we’d suggest you steer well clear of that.
Although it hides its size well, once you climb inside the Enyaq Coupe, you’re presented with a remarkably spacious and practical cabin. Up front, there’s plenty of leg and head room for even the tallest driver and passenger, two capacious storage areas in the centre console and plenty of room in the door pockets. In the back, the diving roofline steals a little of the SUV’s headroom but even a couple of six-footers will fit comfortably beneath the giant fixed-pane glass roof. You’ll just about fit three adults across the rear bench but it will be a bit of a pinch.
Like the headroom, the boot space suffers in the pursuit of fashion, but only very slightly. The Enyaq Coupe’s boot offers 570 litres of capacity, compared with the SUV’s 585 litres. Our own testing found that with some clever packing you can still squeeze in three 30kg+ wheelie cases, two cabin bags, a duffel bag and a rucksack. Unless you regularly travel five-up with weeks’ worth of luggage, you could probably manage with the marginal loss of practicality over the SUV.
The Enyaq Coupe’s interior design is a winner too, and again shows VW what can be done with this package. There’s a simplicity and clarity that creates a relaxing environment, boosted by premium looking and feeling materials. The low-slung dash is only interrupted by the 13-inch touchscreen and a neat envelope-like slot that houses a small digital instrument panel. This gives you the key information you need – speed, battery level and range, plus your trip comp and key ADAS systems – but doesn’t overload you with extraneous dials and digits.
While that’s great, the main touchscreen isn’t. Cursed with the VW Group’s appalling infotainment system, it’s a sluggish, over-complicated mess of menus and sub-menus where even basic functions require multiple stabs at the screen. It’s the biggest letdown in an otherwise impressive interior.
Battery, motor and performance
For 2024, the Enyaq Coupe’s drivetrain has been upgraded with more power and an improved range. The starting point of the range is the rear-wheel-drive Enyaq 85, which gets a substantial 81bhp power hike to 282bhp. That improves acceleration by a huge two seconds over the previous ‘80’ model and brings a welcome increase in all-round responsiveness. Output for the all-wheel-drive Enyaq 85x also increases to 282bhp – a more modest 20bhp rise. The outlandish Enyaq vRS, meanwhile, sees a 30bhp boost to 335bhp, knocking its 0-62mph time down from 6.5 to 5.5 seconds.
Although the battery size remains the same – at 77kWh usable – new cell chemistry and better thermal management mean the Enyaq Coupe’s range has also climbed. Single-motor cars can now cover up to 353 miles and be recharged at up to 135kW at a public charger. Four-wheel-drive versions, however, also get an improvement in charging, up to 175kW. That should allow for a 10-80% charge in just 28 minutes – eight minutes faster than before.
Welcome power boosts aside, the Enyaq is a pleasant but fairly unexciting car to drive. Everything feels stable and secure but there’s lots of electronic assistance and not much feedback. Given that this is a family SUV, that’s hardly the end of the world but the on-road dynamics don’t quite match the car’s looks, and there’s perhaps more tyre and wind noise than in some rivals.
One minor driving bugbear is that the “smart” regenerative braking isn’t that clever and never seems to have the right amount of bite for a situation. You can turn it off – buried four menus deep in the touchscreen – and use the steering column paddles instead. But the best solution, for urban driving at least, is to opt for the ‘B’ mode, which is as close to single-pedal driving as you’ll get.
Price and specification
While the regular Enyaq 60 starts at £38,970, the Coupe weighs in at £46,440 for a two-wheel drive 85. Partly you’re paying for the looks and partly you’re paying for the larger battery and motor of the ‘85’ model. Tick the all-wheel-drive option and you’re north of £50,000.
Equipment levels are decent, with heated seats, three-zone climate control and wireless phone charging as standard. That wonderful panoramic roof, a powered tailgate, Matrix LED headlights and adaptive cruise control are also fitted across the board, making it an attractive prospect even in the face of some well-equipped alternatives.
Verdict
The Skoda Enyaq Coupe has no shortage of rivals and does well to make a case for itself, standing out particularly from its VW Group stablemates. It’s not quite as spacious or practical as some alternatives but has sharp styling and a classy interior to match its newly upgraded powertrains.
