Skoda Enyaq Coupe RS
head and heart
Skoda Enyaq Coupe RS
© press-inform – the press office
The new Enyaq has hit the ground running at Skoda. Anyone who wants to use the new electric crossover not only to stimulate their heads but also their hearts should treat themselves to the RS Coupé.
The Enyaq is the first MEB-based electric vehicle to be produced outside Germany at the Czech plant in Mladá Boleslav, home of the Octavia and Karoq combustion models. Anyone who hasn’t warmed to the always pleasing Enyaq so far can now opt for the Enyaq Coupé, which offers almost identical utility despite its sloping roof line. With largely identical dimensions, the coupé shape of the C-pillar and the extension of the large panoramic roof to the large tailgate ensure a decidedly sporty appearance, which incidentally reduces the air resistance to a slim 0.23, which imperceptibly means 10 to 15 kilometers more electric range . In addition to the Sportline version, the new coupe is also available as an RS model, which offers the same drive as the VW ID.5 GTX and the top-of-the-range Audi Q4 E-tron. On special request, the front design is available in the form of the so-called “Crystal Face” with 131 LEDs, which illuminate the vertical ribs and the horizontal light band of the radiator grille and connect the LED headlights with each other.
The luggage compartment volume loses a narrow 15 liters in the 4.65 meter long coupé variant, but at 570 liters it is still one of the largest in this segment, which also applies to the headroom in the second row of seats. This is two centimeters smaller than the normal Skoda Enyaq, but still offers enough space for a 1.85 m tall passenger. The only disadvantage is that the large panoramic roof cannot be opened and has no blinds to completely block out the light from above if necessary. There’s plenty of room for occupants both front and rear, although the rear seats don’t slide or recline. Folding down the rear seats increases the loading volume from 570 to more than an impressive 1,610 liters. Unfortunately, the loading floor does not offer a completely flat surface.
As usual with Skoda, there are numerous practical storage and fastening options in the interior that make life on board more pleasant, such as the large door pockets, rear air vents, smartphone pockets on the backs of the front seats, a wireless charging cradle for two mobile phones and curtains of the rear window. The driver and front passenger enjoy Alcantara sports seats with good lateral support and soft-touch surfaces, which can also be found in the door panels. However, the 5.3-inch instrument display is all too small, and the driver would like it to be a few sizes larger. The 13-inch touch screen in the center of the dashboard and the optional head-up display (1,700 euros) cannot compensate for this.
The Enyaq Coupé is available with two battery sizes of 62 and 80 kWh, with the two all-wheel drive vehicles with 265 hp / 425 Nm and 299 hp / 460 Nm being the recommended versions. The Skoda Enyaq RS Coupé accelerates from a standing start to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds, but is capped at 180 km/h all too soon. At least 20 km/h more than the inadequate 160 km/h top of the weaker models. The electric range until the next recharge is around 540 kilometers. Two other aspects in which the two Enyaq Coupés with all-wheel drive differ from the entry-level version are the chassis setting and the towing capacity. The independent four-wheel drive architecture (McPherson at the front and Multilink at the rear) has a ground clearance lower by 15 millimeters at the front and 10 millimeters at the rear and is allowed to tow a braked trailer weighing up to 1,400 kilograms. Electronically adjustable dampers are available as an option for each version.
The increase in battery charging capacity from 100 to 120 kW for the small variants and from 125 to 135 kW for the iV80x and RS iV was long overdue. In seven minutes, the Czech should gain strength for another 100 kilometers when the battery is empty. The battery pack charges to around 80 percent in half an hour. An encouraging improvement, but still a far cry from what Korean rivals Hyundai and Kia can match in terms of charging speed with their 800-volt technology. More important than ever as fast charging becomes widely available. The standard consumption; 17.2kWh/100km.
With a weight of 2.2 tons, the slightly reduced ground clearance of the RS variant and the matching mixed tires (235/45 R21 at the front and 255/40 R21 at the rear), the stable road holding is no surprise. The steering also contributes to the fun of cornering: it’s quite direct – 2.5 wheel revolutions lock-to-lock – and since the RS is equipped with the progressive system, it becomes more direct the more you turn. If the road becomes more uncomfortable, the comfort mode is the better choice. There is little tendency to understeer unless you push the car beyond what is reasonable. The recuperation intensity can be varied in several stages using the shift paddles on the steering wheel and the Enyaq can be moved almost exclusively with the accelerator pedal. Braking itself takes some getting used to, as speed isn’t reduced as much at the start of pedal travel as one would expect.
One of the few downsides of the 4×4 Enyaq Coupé is that the turning radius is about a meter larger than the rear-wheel drive version, which is noticeable when driving and parking in the city. To compensate for this, the optional parking assistant automatically maneuvers the vehicle into parallel and parallel parking spaces. And if you use the trained parking function, the system saves the route to a frequently used parking space, for example in a narrow and winding driveway, and the vehicle can then repeat this route if necessary. The Skoda Enyaq RS Coupé can be ordered in Germany from June, prices start at 57,700 euros. The other drive versions start at around 45,000 euros and are around 1,500 euros more expensive than the normal Enyaq.