• 179, 204, 265 and 299hp motors available
• Lots of torque, vRS model is fastest
• Grippy and secure handling
  

Electric engines

You get two battery sizes – 58 and 77kWh – alongside four motor options putting out 179 or 204hp in the two-wheel drive models and either 265hp or 299hp on the four-wheel drive variants. That makes choosing your Enyaq iV a simple matter – the long-range model is more powerful, but the performance of both two-wheel drive models is similar.

The 265hp 80X model offers more acceleration and grip, including a bespoke ‘Traction Mode’ for balanced all-wheel drive on loose surfaces. The vRS model is slightly faster again, but we don’t think the minor uplift in performance is worth the extra money you pay.

We’ve tested the Enyaq iV 60, 80, 80X and vRS models in a variety of trims, and it’s interesting that they feel so similar on the road. The lower-powered model does feel a little lighter on its feet, but they all share the same quick-off-the-mark feel and, on challenging roads, the 58kWh model feels just as capable as its more powerful counterpart.

Comparing the Enyaq iV with rivals such as the Tesla Model 3 and Ford Mustang Mach-E might leave you a little disappointed. It doesn’t have the same killer acceleration of these models, but don’t think that it’s sluggish. As well as being quick off the mark, the Enyaq iV also serves generous dollops of mid-range acceleration, sprinting from 50-70mph quickly and effortlessly. The 80X, however, does feel a lot more useful, and you can put that down to its 0-62mph time of 6.9 seconds. For comparison, the flagship vRS model dispatches the same sprint in 6.5 seconds.

There are two energy recuperation modes to choose from. There’s standard D (for Drive) or B (for Brake), with the latter using resistance from the electric motor to slow the car down, allowing the batteries to recharge. That also forces you to drive it in a way that rarely sees you needing to use the brake pedal if you’re a gentle driver. Leave it in D and the Enyaq iV’s ability to roll along at speed without any input through the accelerator pedal is really impressive.

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What’s it like to drive?

• Light, accurate steering
• Safe and stable handling
• Quiet and refined at speed
  

The Enyaq iV is tuned for comfort and smoothness. Yes, it’s serene and goes well, but there’s more to it than that. In short, it feels impressively engineered, refined and easy to drive, and will surprise and delight with its high-speed grip and stability.

There are drive modes to vary the softness of the ride if you have adaptive dampers, and in the Comfort setting, it impresses in its ability to soak up potholes, speed humps and surface irregularities. At speed, the pliancy remains, but not much in the way of bodyroll thanks to the weight of the batteries being so low. You can turn into bends without worry and because there’s plenty of grip and weight here, and although it’s rear-wheel drive, you won’t trouble it with a slide.

Ride quality and damping at all speeds are good, especially considering it has such large wheels, although the BMW iX3 and Mercedes-Benz EQA are more comfortable. It’s a very heavy car, and you can feel this whenever you’re driving – which goes a long way to explaining why it feels like it’s crushing the road beneath. It’s not perfect, with some sharp irregularities such as expansion joints getting through.

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As well as being comfortable, it’s also extremely quiet. There’s almost no motor noise to speak of, and the road noise is also very subdued. Wind noise is almost absent at UK motorway speeds, making this a great place in which to cover long distances without stress. In short – if you’re looking for the most comfortable electric family car, you’ve arrived in the right place.

The sporty vRS model has bigger alloy wheels, wider tyres and stiffer suspension, which Skoda says makes it go around corners better. In reality, it isn’t much different from the cheaper 80X variant, apart from the fact that it’s a little more uncomfortable. At the end of the day, the Enyaq is still a big, heavy SUV. It doesn’t matter how much suspension wizardry you deploy, you’ll never make it corner like a sports car.

The steering is quite dead, too. There isn’t much feedback, which is disappointing in something that’s supposed to be a driver’s car. That means you never have the confidence to tackle corners quickly and you drive it in the same manner as the cheaper 80X variant.

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