Practical experience gained by real drivers
The Skoda Enyaq was only introduced in 2021, but immediately turned out to be a bull’s eye. In two and a half years, the Enyaq stormed to seventh place in Skoda’s Dutch sales totals since 1983. Even group and platform mate Volkswagen ID4, also not unsuccessful, is barely visible in the rearview mirror. On paper you would think that Skoda has made a good move with the Enyaq. We take a look at the user reviews to find out if that’s correct.
Whether the Skoda Enyaq is mainly an SUV or an MPV, we leave it in the middle, but the model apparently offers something for everyone. This also applies to the powertrains, with a choice of two battery packs (62 kWh and 82 kWh) and three engine variants. Not enough choice yet? Since 2022 there is also a Skoda Enyaq Coupé iV. The same car, indeed, but now with a sloping roofline.
How spacious is the Skoda Enyaq?
Skoda has a reputation to uphold when it comes to space. Judging by the user reviews, the brand was no exception with the Enyaq. “On holiday to Italy (more than 1700 kilometres) the quality of this family transporter became apparent. The trunk easily swallows all the stuff, the children are spacious and can charge their mobile phones at the USB-C ports and set their own temperature,” writes a satisfied driver. “My black Enyaq is excellent when it comes to space,” emphasizes another driver. “Both the front and the back, everyone is comfortable and it is not cramped anywhere. I have a panoramic roof, but the headroom is fine. The luggage compartment is also super large and if I wanted to, I could put all the loose stuff in compartments. There is a lot of space.”
The size of the luggage space is evident in this Enyaq used as a family car: “Very spacious trunk! The pram, unfolded and well, could slide in so integrally and the lid just closed. With the Volvo V60 I had to completely disassemble that thing. Shopping crate: you can store six of them, three wide, two deep. I’m impressed.”
Seating furniture divides
Regular readers of this column will notice that a car seat almost never satisfies everyone. It is no different with the Skoda Enyaq, as this iV 60 driver reports: “The seats are slightly less, the fillings are not so good, the support is slightly worse. You can’t tilt the seats, so I’m just not comfortable.” The driver of an Enyaq iV 80 Business Edition also indicates that they are not comfortable. “They are not comfortable on long journeys. I have a fairly slim build and yet the seats are very narrow, especially compared to the Kodiaq. So not recommended with my distances.”
Drivers of an Enyaq Sportline get different furniture with more profiled seats. This has consequences for the reviews, which turn out to be a lot more positive. “The Sportline seats are really a relief for both my height of 2 meters, but also for my wife who is 1.70 meters. We can both sit well and long legs also experience great support”, writes such an Enyaq Sportline rider. A shorter driver is also good. “The Sportline’s seats fit like a glove and are perfect for my rather ‘impressive’ figure of 1.75 meters,” he writes. Another tip from his side: “I advise everyone to take the electric seats. These slide backwards when unlocking the car, which makes getting in and out a little easier.”
Controls and infotainment
The Skoda Enyaq uses the new infotainment system from the Volkswagen Group. In other models, including the Volkswagen Golf VIII and Seat Leon, this garnered quite a bit of criticism. We do not know whether Skoda drivers are more forgiving or whether the Czechs have arranged the system just a little better, but Enyaq drivers have little problem with the digital operating concept.
“The information screen in the middle of the car is a nice size. Sits neatly in the middle and is easy to operate,” writes a fairly satisfied owner. He says the following about the digital instruments: “The information screen at your steering wheel is small, but it does provide the information that is needed. It’s just a pity that you can’t set it up to your own liking.”
The navigation software gets it several times. According to owners, it is not sufficiently focused on electric driving. “The navigation system really needs an update. On longer journeys, where a charging stop is necessary, you cannot rely on the standard navigation. It does not take into account the fast charging function and does not indicate in real time whether the charging stations are available/free. So we use an external app. That works, but shouldn’t be necessary.”
Another point for improvement appears to be the Skoda app. Several drivers report connection problems and users already experience limited functionality. “The Skoda Connect app is of little value (if it works at all…),” writes a less satisfied user. “In practice, only interesting for the remaining range, but for example no indication where the car is, no mileage, or the possibility to close doors/windows.”
Handling Skoda Enyaq
This rider has two extremes on the driveway and writes about the Enyaq: “In terms of driving: nice, but cumbersome. Large weight, so not a bend rider like our Smart Roadster, but smooth enough.” An important plus: “The rear-wheel drive ensures a lot of wheel deflection at the front, which makes turning the street very easy.” “The car is a bit choppy on short bumps,” adds another driver. The car also weighs 2 tons and on the 20-inch wheels it will be slightly stiffer than on the standard 19-inch wheels,” he explains.
That bigger wheels don’t make a car more comfortable was known to this Enyaq iV 60 driver. “In response to a question: these are the standard 19 inch rims. Deliberately not chosen larger in connection with comfort and rolling noise. At a cruising speed of 100-110 km/h, the silence and the suspension comfort inside are really wonderful.” Less satisfied is this Enyaq driver, who opted for a variant with an 80-kWh battery. “The Enyaq is rear-wheel drive. With wind force 4-5 and higher and a speed of 130 km/h or more, the car is practically uncontrollable. It will be a kind of kite with very unpredictable and indeterminate steering behavior.”
A former Volvo driver particularly likes the electric experience. “The whole driving experience is much more relaxed than in our Volvo V60, which was already very relaxed. Because the Enyaq does not have a traditional gearbox or automatic transmission, acceleration and deceleration are completely seamless. Calm if you want it, but also quite violent if you give it full throttle.”
How far does the Enyaq go?
To score with an EV, it has to show a nice range today. Skoda uses WLTP values of 397 km for the iV 60 to 552 km for the Enyaq Coupé iV 80. The net capacity of both batteries is 58 and 77 kWh respectively. Fast calculators see that in the first case a maximum of 15 kWh/100 km may be consumed. In practice, several owners see a value around 17 kWh/100 km, although that depends on the circumstances.
“Consumption is somewhat volatile, as is the case with EVs. In the summer, when it is above 20 degrees, I get about 16 kWh/100 km. But now, in the winter when it is 0 degrees and there are winter tires underneath, I am always above 21 kWh/100 km. Saves almost 100 km range on a full charge,” writes an Enyaq iV 80 driver. Another driver, with a similar car, has the following experience: “The range is very disappointing. With cold weather it really stops at 360 kilometers. I usually drive highway miles.” An iV 60 driver drove it to about 300 kilometers in November, almost 100 km less than Skoda itself states. “With an outside temperature of 8 to 12.5 degrees, 95 percent highway with 108 km / h on the cruise control. Way there alone and way back fully loaded with three adults and luggage. Total consumption of 17.1 kWh. Really super satisfied with it. Started at 100 percent (estimated range 339 km) and finished at 13 percent (estimated range remaining 59 km).”
Disturbances and irritations
In this section you regularly read about start-up problems, which drivers of new electric cars seem to experience excessively. This seems to be not too bad with the Skoda Enyaq, although some drivers report minor electronic faults. “In my case, these never really lead to problems, but the pings and icons that occasionally activate do not make a solid impression. Usually they disappear after a few minutes, or after the car has been standing for an hour,” writes an iV 80 driver. A fellow iV 80 driver was also introduced to the self-healing properties of the Enyaq: “One time the car completely refused to work. Everything black, nothing wanted anymore. Fifteen minutes later he had miraculously recovered.” One rider was stranded with a defective module in the battery pack, which was of course replaced under warranty.
Skoda Enyaq drivers therefore seem to be free from structural problems, and drivers are generally satisfied with the product offered. Well, the navigation system and the app could be improved, but we do not hear any complaints about the operation. The space on board is plentiful, but if you are in the market for an Enyaq, it would be a good idea to inspect the seating furniture more closely. Based on the reviews, Sportline seats are a lot better than the standard ones.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl