ŠKODA ENYAQ IV80 SPORTLINE

Unexpected! Getting the Enyaq was a last minute decision as the 200bhp 4x4 Octavia estate that I had booked had been damaged by the previous journo, and therefore no longer available. With this in mind I was asked if I’d like the Enyaq instead, and why not!

The Enyaq iV is Škoda’s first fully electric car, and mine, too. So would it convince me that the move to battery power will fit seamlessly into the life at Muddy Towers?

On the Road

Despite having to cart around a heavy battery pack, when driven normally the Enyaq was perfectly acceptable, even with the Sportline’s 20” wheels and stiffer sports suspension. On motorways and fast B roads it acquitted itself well, remaining well balanced in all but the tightest of corners.

I’m not going to criticise and insult the Enyaq by saying that it isn’t a fun and engaging car to drive, but by its very nature - a large family SUV, the Enyaq is easy and relaxing to drive with no pretence to be anything else. It does what it does and it does it well.

On the subject of being relaxing to drive, there’s obviously no engine up front so it’s very quiet, and the only noise that entered the cabin was from exceptionally coarse surfaces. Other than that there’s the faint whistle of wind around the door mirrors at motorway speeds, but that disappears when you switch on the radio.

Off-road

As I mentioned at the beginning, finding myself behind the wheel of the Enyaq wasn’t planned, and the only replacement vehicle was the rear wheel drive model.

There is a 4WD variant available, but despite of this I don’t think I’d be venturing too far off the beaten track with the 4WD 80X. I have no doubt that it would have enormous amounts of traction, but it would be the lack of any decent ground clearance that I’d be concerned about.

Interior

Okay, let’s get my moaning out of the way first, my only criticism is the overly large touchscreen that dominates the middle of the dashboard, and the fact that you have to go searching in menus to find basic functions.

I personally didn’t find it very intuitive. It took me ages to figure out how to switch off Lane Assist and manually control the ventilation system, but at least the icons are large and clear.

There are shortcut buttons on the steering wheel and dash, but they still take you to the screen which remains a distraction. That said, it isn’t as in-your-face as the Mach-e or Tesla models. I much prefer it when designers make the effort to integrate them into the dash, like the Škoda Kodiaq that arrived the following week which was much better.

DAB radio, built-in navigation, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring are standard, as well as two USB-C sockets up front and in the back.

Making yourself comfortable in the Enyaq is easy, the Comfort Seat Package Plus (£880 option), includes electrically adjustable front seats with memory function and power adjustable lumbar support for both front seats.

Add to that the deep shoulder supports and you won’t be going anywhere whilst cornering hard.

Visibility is decent despite the chunky rear pillars, and you’re sat quite high which is always an advantage. Standard on the 80 are front sensors and a reversing camera, though a 360º bird’s eye view camera is offered as an option.

With large door pockets, two good-sized cupholders and an enormous cubby under the centre armrest, you’ll not be short of storage space.

In the back, even if you’re over six feet tall there’s loads of shoulder and head room, and more than enough leg room, even if you’re sitting behind equally lanky folk.

With excellent access the boot is huge and has a reasonably low load lip. There's enough storage space for the charging cables under the floor, and if you tick the Transport Package option you get cargo netting and a height-adjustable boot floor.

Škoda has kept the Enyaq iV range pretty simple to understand, with two battery sizes available: the 58kWh iV 60 and 77kWh iV 80. The smaller battery model produces 177bhp via a rear-mounted electric motor powering the rear wheels, while the 201bhp iV 80 is also rear-wheel-drive. Then there’s the 80X, which has four-wheel drive and 261bhp.

Opt for the 60 and you have a very respectable 256-mile official range. The 80 can officially manage up to 333 miles (327 miles in Sportline), and 303 miles in 80X Sportline trims.

Conclusion

As my first fully electric vehicle I may have been spoilt. Not only does it have a decent range but the Enyaq is incredibly practical with decent levels of kit. You do pay for them, mind. The standard cost for the iV80 Sportline is £42,915, and this particular press car has over £5k worth of packages and options, including an Assisted Drive package, Climate Package Plus, Comfort Seat Package Plus, Double Sided Boot Floor, Drive Sport Package Plus and more.

So, has it convinced me that a move to battery power is doable? With 327 miles to play with it would appear so. A day out to Cerrigydrudion and the EVO Triangle is around 200 miles. Then it’s 220 miles to the NEC and back, a trip we do on a regular basis, so it has the majority of our trips covered, and then some.

A funny thing happened when… The morning the chaps from Škoda were due to come and swap the Enyaq for the 4x4 Kodiaq, I figured I’d give it a quick charge at home using the 3-pin plug Škoda supplied. It was showing 74 miles left, and after 2 hours using normal mains it had increased to 85 miles. Jumping in the Enyaq I prodded the screen telling it to stop charging, I then unplugged it from the mains and went to remove the charger from the car - err, no, it wouldn’t budge.

I checked the manual but it was no help, and lots of head-scratching followed. When the gents arrived they simply asked if I had pressed the open icon on the fob twice? Of course not, why would I have done that?

Anyhow, I pressed the open icon on the fob twice and low and behold it was released. You learn something new everyday. I felt quite the berk!