This is the Skoda Enyaq iV. The pressure on this vehicle couldn’t be higher – because it is the first! The first purely battery-electric SUV from the Skoda brand. This is of course based on the same platform as the ID.3, ID.4 or the Audi e-Tron, but it already has its very own peculiarities.
What does Enyaq mean?
The name comes from “enya”. That means something like “source of life”, the “Q” at the end was awarded to all SUVs from Skoda.
2021 Skoda Enyaq iV dimensions
The Skoda Enyaq iV is based on the modular electrification kit from the Volkswagen Group. The vehicle is 4.65 meters long, without exterior mirrors 1.88 meters wide and 1.62 meters high.
The wheelbase is 2.76 meters and benefits the passengers as well as the luggage compartment. 18 to 21″ wheels turn in the wheel arch. In the basic version it would even be 18″ steel wheels, I definitely recommend the aluminum rims.
Although it looks like a rolling wall unit, it has a drag coefficient of 0.27! This is also achieved by the tires with low rolling resistance. A low drag coefficient is important for low consumption and thus ensures a longer range.
2021 Skoda Enyaq iV competitor/market companion
So that we can roughly estimate the length! The Enyaq is roughly the size of a Mercedes-Benz GLC. It’s as long as a Ferrari Roma, as wide as the Mercedes-Benz EQC and as high as a BMW X4. What a mix, right?
But which all-electric SUVs are there on the market? Which competitors does the Enyaq have?
The Hyundai Kona Elektro or the KIA e-Soul is a bit smaller. This also applies to the Opel Mokka-e, the Peugeot e-2008 or the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense. As a market companion, I would still like the Kia e-Niro, the Mazda MX-30, the Volvo XC40, the BMW iX3, the Airways U5, the Jaguar i-Pace, the Audi e-tron or the longer EQC or the much longer Model X from Tesla come up.
The Nissan Ariya should follow in the coming year, i.e. the electric SUV market is also fiercely competitive, so you have to come up with something for potential buyers or attract attention with the lowest possible price? We’re still talking about the price!
2021 Skoda Enyaq iV headlights
The radiator grilles are getting bigger and wider, the headlights are getting narrower, right? Full LED matrix headlights are optionally used here.
Two separate main modules light the way and can also hide other road users. From the ENYAQ 80 iV version, 130 LEDs illuminate the vertical ribs and a horizontal bar illuminates the ŠKODA grill. As standard, however, LED headlights are always used on the front and rear.
2021 Skoda Enyaq iV drive / power / range
But what drives it? Here you are spoiled for choice. The Skoda Enyaq iV 50 is the entry-level variant. In this case, the lithium-ion battery has a capacity of 55 kWh. This model is powered by an electric motor in the rear, which has an output of 109 kW. The range is given as 340 km. The maximum torque is 220 Nm and the top speed is 160 km/h. Incidentally, this applies to all models, with the exception of the vRS iV, which creates a speed of 180 km/h.
The Enyaq iV 60 offers a little more power than the entry-level version. It has a 62 kWh battery and an output of 132 kW or 310 Nm. The range in this case is 390 km.
Do you want more? You get even more! How about the Enyaq iV 80? It has an 82 kWh battery and an output of 150 kW or 310 Nm! The range is in the best case 510 km.
The Enyaq iV 50, 60 and 80 have the rear wheels driven, but this SUV is also available with all-wheel drive. The Enyaq iV 80X gets a second electric motor and thus has a purely electric all-wheel drive. The performance? 195 kW and a maximum torque of 425 Nm – thanks to the power of two hearts. The battery size remains at 82 kWh gross – i.e. 77 kWh net.
Do you want more? Okay, I still have one! The top model, the sporty locking tip, the Skoda Enyaq vRS. Two electric motors with a total output of 225 kW, a maximum speed of 180 km/h and a maximum range of 460 km according to WLTP.
The torque is on the same level as the range! 460 Nm – this thing has to be fun.
The fastest Enyaq accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds – but you know which is more exciting? How fast it can load!
2021 Skoda Enyaq iV charging options
There are three different charging modes for the vehicle. You can plug it into a normal household socket! You can also hang it on a wallbox or you can use a fast charging column.
The charging times vary enormously, of course, the quickest way is with the small battery and the fast charging station. Ideally, the vehicle charges the 55 kWh battery from 10 to 80%, which is the fastest area. But then he needs a charging power of 125 kW.
The CCS and the Type 2 charging facility can be found on the right-hand side at the back. That is indeed stupid for charging stations on the motorway, in which case I recommend driving backwards to the charging station.
2021 Skoda Enyaq iV interior
During this time, you can also make yourself comfortable inside. What I think is nice, there is not only the 13″ display with all the information, no, there is also an optional head-up display, which also has augmented reality functions!
The driver does not have to look down from the road to find out how fast he is currently traveling. Navi displays etc. are also projected directly into the field of vision. This increases safety, because those who change vehicles have to get used to the almost silent approach. It should be clear, airy, innovative and sustainable. In addition, natural and recycled materials are used. The upholstery of the fabric seats, for example, consists of 40 percent virgin wool and 60 percent recycled PET bottles.
The dashboard seems to float, designers use such arrangements in wing design to let the width and spaciousness take effect. The interior appears reduced, the center console has several levels and in the rear you can feel the missing center tunnel, especially in the middle seat.
A heat pump is optionally available for the electric SUV, which is used to heat and air-condition the interior. A highly efficient heat pump system compresses refrigerant under high pressure, generating heat that is used to heat the cold air flowing through it. Since around 3 to 4 kWh/100 km less energy from the battery is used for high-voltage heating in this way, there is a range advantage of up to 30 percent in winter at temperatures down to -25° C compared to electric vehicles without a heat pump.
The infotainment system offers customizable screen views and can be operated using a touch function, a touch slide control, multi-touch gestures and gesture control. Operation also works via the digital voice assistant Laura. Laura understands 15 languages, six of them even in fluent sentences.
The infotainment system offers both analog and digital radio reception via DAB as well as internet or hybrid radio. Smartphones, which are inductively charged in the Phone Box, can be wirelessly integrated using the Wireless SmartLink technology and Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink™.
2021 Skoda Enyaq IV trunk/trailer load
The loading volume is given as 585 liters. If you fold down the rear seats, it could be over 1,700 liters, depending on how you measure. But, now it gets really interesting, because depending on the variant, the Enyaq iV is able to pull trailers up to 1.2 tons on a 12% gradient or 1.4 tons on an 8% gradient. The vertical load for the bike rack would be more interesting here, but unfortunately I don’t have the value yet. What attracts and likes: It has a very low loading sill.
2021 Skoda Enyaq iV for sale
Series production will start at the end of 2020, the Enyaq iV should come onto the market from 2021 and I can hardly wait to drive this vehicle. Right at the market launch there will be a “Skoda Enyaq iV Founders Edition” limited to 1,895 pieces, which should refer to the company’s founding, because 125 years after Skoda was founded, the brand is not only full throttle, but also full power.
2021 Skoda Enyaq iV price
The Skoda Enyaq iV is the first vehicle from the VW Group that is based on the MEB and is not manufactured in Germany. The Enyaq rolls off the assembly line at the main plant in Mlada Boleslav. In terms of price, it starts at 33,800 euros and then optionally goes up, as always. I’m pretty sure that the Enyaq based on MEB will be just as successful as any Skoda model based on MQB – because tradition obliges.
Kamiq, Karoq, Kodiaq or Enyaq – from compact city SUVs to family friends with up to seven seats. From the small gasoline engine to the large diesel to the all-electric SUV, Skoda now has everything in its portfolio that you could wish for. In the end, the customer decides what is good, what is beautiful and what is bought.
