Skoda Enyaq iV in the test: the electric car for families

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The Skoda Enyaq iV offers plenty of space and comfort – with low consumption and a long range at the same time. That makes the inexpensive SUV the perfect electric car for families.

Too small, too expensive, too short a range – for a long time electric cars had to put up with this criticism. And of course it was not entirely unfounded. A well-equipped BMW i3 with a range of 250 kilometers can easily cost over 45,000 euros. Quite a lot of money for a small car. For families, on the other hand, for a long time only the Model X from Tesla was considered in terms of space. In terms of range and size, there is nothing to complain about here, but the Model X was (and is) with a base price of over 100,000 euros for many simply unaffordable.

From 2019, that gradually began to change. Almost all car manufacturers announced an electric car offensive and numerous new models. One vehicle in particular met with great interest: the Skoda Enyaq iV. And that wasn’t because of monstrous horsepower or absurd acceleration, but rather because the fully electric SUV from Skoda was exactly what many had been waiting for for a long time: an affordable electric car for the family.

In April 2021, Skoda already had more than 20,000 pre-orders for the Enyaq iV. 5,000 of these were on the German market alone. Apparently the Czechs themselves had not expected such high demand – and announced without further ado that production would be increased as quickly as possible from the originally planned 350 vehicles per day to 500.

But what makes the Enyaq iV so successful? In a two-week test in July, we had the opportunity to get an idea of ​​Skoda’s first fully electric SUV.

The Skoda Enyaq iV is just under 4.65 meters long and 1.88 meters wide. The trunk volume is 585 liters, with the rear seat folded down it is even 1,710 liters. That makes the Enyaq iV an incredibly spacious electric car, especially since Skoda – unlike the competition – relies on a hatchback in favor of the loading volume.

That alone does not make the Skoda Enyaq iV a box-office hit, but rather its price: the variant with a small battery (52 kilowatt hours, 362 kilometers WLTP range) starts at just 24,800 euros after the subsidy has been deducted. The medium model (58 kilowatt hours, 412 kilometers WLTP range) is available from 29,850 euros, the top model (77 kilowatt hours, 534 kilometers WLTP range) for 34,950 euros.

Even if you let off steam in the configurator and only select the finest of the finest in the areas of interior, assistance, comfort and driving safety, you still stay in a price range around 46,000 euros. For comparable fully electric models from Mercedes, Audi or BMW, 75,000 to 100,000 euros are easily due. Even a tiny BMW i3 compared to the Enyaq iV costs (well equipped) around 40,000 euros after the subsidy has been deducted.

In other words: With the Skoda Enyaq iV you get a lot of electric cars for (comparatively) little money.

When it comes to an electric car, the issue of range remains the decisive factor for many. In our test, we therefore looked into the question of how much time you have to allow for a distance of 640 kilometers with the Enyaq iV 80.

We start with a fully charged battery. The on-board computer puts the range at 410 kilometers. After 305 kilometers we make the first charging stop. With an output of 125 kilowatts, we charge the Enyaq iV’s battery from 21 to 47 percent within ten minutes. We deliberately chose this area because the charging curve is almost linear up to 40 percent and then slowly decreases. In other words: the fully electric Skoda charges from 5 to 40 percent – similar to the VW ID3 – significantly faster than from 40 to 75 percent.

Another 180 kilometers later comes the second and final charging stop. Since we also have a short snack at the rest stop, we allow the Enyaq iV 17 minutes at the charging station. During this time, the fully electric SUV charges enough energy to arrive in Berlin with a remaining range of 80 kilometers.

Can I cover the 640 kilometers with a charging stop? Yes you can. On the way back we only took a break after 340 kilometers. But you don’t gain time by doing this. In fact, you have to plan a little more time, as the charging curve – as described above – slowly decreases from 40 percent and the “one” charging stop then takes about 30 minutes.

But let’s be honest: In the end, it doesn’t really matter whether you take a break of 27 or 30 minutes with a driving time of just under 6.5 hours.

What really impressed us about the Skoda Enyaq iV is the low consumption. Although the fully electric SUV is not exactly small, consumption on the highway (maximum 130 kilometers per hour) leveled off at around 17.5 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers. Depending on the driving style, route profile and outside temperature, values ​​around 16 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers are definitely included. With our test car with a large battery, this results in a realistic range of up to 480 kilometers. In the case of the variant with the small battery (52 kilowatt hours), around 325 kilometers at a time would be possible with these consumption values.

The Enyaq iV performs even better in the city and on country roads. In stop-and-go traffic in the capital, we drove an average of 16 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers, and in the Berlin area, the electric Skoda drove even more efficiently.

The magical range of 500 kilometers is within reach – at least at temperatures above 20 degrees and a proactive driving style. On the other hand, if you drive a race with the Enyaq iV at every traffic light in winter and fully max out the top speed of 160 kilometers per hour on the autobahn, you will sometimes have difficulties getting 360 kilometers on one battery charge.

We let the Enyaq iV drive most of the route to Berlin itself. The adaptive distance assistant reliably adapts the speed to the applicable speed limits – and also takes curves, roundabouts and intersections into account. This is done with foresight: the vehicle does not apply emergency braking when a construction site drives 80 after a 120 zone, but begins to slowly reduce its speed beforehand. The adaptive lane departure warning system ensures that the electric Skoda stays in the selected lane.

And the Enyaq iV is also equipped with the latest technology: the front radar assistant detects other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists at an early stage and can even actively intervene in the steering if necessary to avoid obstacles. When turning, changing lanes and getting out, sensors permanently monitor the surroundings and warn the occupants of any dangers.

From our point of view, anyone who opts for a Skoda Enyaq iV should not do without any of these assistance packages. The adaptive LED matrix headlights with dynamic high beam assistants, which significantly increase driving safety at night, as well as the head-up display with augmented reality function are also a must. The latter significantly increases driving comfort due to the numerous additional information in the field of vision.

Speaking of driving comfort: Skoda has tuned the Enyaq iV for maximum everyday usability. The chassis is neither too hard nor too soft. If that’s not enough, you can use the adaptive chassis, which adapts to the respective driving profile (Eco Plus, Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport and Individual). The one-pedal driving typical of an electric car is meanwhile not possible in any driving profile. As with the other models of the VW Group, the recuperation can be adjusted, but never so much that you can do without the brake pedal completely.

Viewed in its entirety, the Skoda Enyaq iV is currently one of the most interesting and versatile electric cars for families – and of course everyone else who needs a lot of space.

The Enyaq iV comes with three different battery sizes – and it doesn’t always have to be the largest battery. There are enough people who cover 95 percent distances between 10 and 200 kilometers in their car. Even the small version with 52 kilowatts is completely sufficient in this case. The money saved can then be invested in assistance systems or a stylish interior. Regardless of whether fabric / synthetic leather, natural fiber / wool, leather / microfiber or just leather – there is something for every taste.

In terms of range, consumption and charging speed, there is nothing to complain about with the Enyaq iV. Less than 30 minutes of charging time over a distance of 640 kilometers is a very good value for an electric car in this price range – especially since hardly anyone drives through such a route in one go anyway.

Incidentally, the Skoda Powerpass is particularly convenient and affordable. In the first year you can book the “Charge Faster” tariff (basic fee 9.99 euros per month) and then only pay 0.29 euros for AC and 0.39 euros for DC charging. At the fast charging stations from Ionity, it is only 0.30 euros. You should definitely take this offer with you, especially as a newcomer to electric cars. Because you can simply let Skoda’s own charging planner do all the work and you don’t have to worry about how much you have to pay at which charging station.

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