2025 Skoda Enyaq review: Why this electric car is a sign of things to come from Volkswagen

What is it:

This is the first electric car from Volkswagen-owned Czech brand Skoda to launch in Australia.

We get the recently updated version rather than the original model that launched in Europe two years ago.

It is the first in a wave of Volkswagen Group electric vehicles based on the same platform that will arrive locally about the same time – later this year or early next year.

Price:

There are initially two models in the 2025 Skoda Enyaq range in Australia: the Sportline and RS.

However customers will effectively have three choices (pictured above) after Skoda Australia chose to add a Sportline ‘Ultimate Pack’ to slot between the Sportline and RS price points.

The ‘Ultimate Pack’ adds extras such as adaptive suspension, a 360-degree camera, heads-up display, premium audio, illuminated ‘crystal-style’ grille, and a massage function for the driver’s seat.

• Enyaq Sportline (210kW/545Nm) – $69,990
• Enyaq Sportline with Ultimate Pack (210kW/545Nm) – $75,990
• Enyaq RS (250kW/545Nm) – $83,990

Note: Prices above exclude on-road costs such as registration and stamp duty.

The Skoda Enyaq Sportline is rear-wheel-drive. Equipped with an 82kWh battery pack it has a claimed maximum driving range of 561km and a claimed 0 to 100kmh time of 6.7 seconds.

The Skoda Enyaq RS is all-wheel-drive thanks to an additional electric motor to power the front wheels, and has a claimed 0 to 100kmh time of 5.5 seconds.

The RS has the same 82kWh battery pack as the Sportline but a shorter maximum driving range of 530km because of the extra power and weight of the dual electric motors.

The Skoda Enyaq is covered by the brand’s seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty – the longest coverage offered by a European automotive brand in Australia.

The Skoda Enyaq battery warranty is eight years/160,000 kilometres.

Skoda Australia is launching the Enyaq with a guaranteed future value offer to quell concerns around the resale value of electric cars.

As we reported earlier, Skoda says customers who take up the guaranteed future value offer can bring their car back at the end of the lease and accept the agreed trade-in value – or sell the car themselves privately if they believe they can move it on at a higher price.

“It’s about giving the customer flexibility but also giving them peace of mind,” said Keiran Merrigan, head of marketing and product, Skoda Australia.

“At a time when resale values seem to be a talking point for electric cars, we want to take that out of the equation and let Skoda customers know we have their back because we have complete faith in our product.”

ANCAP safety rating:

The Skoda Enyaq has a five-star safety rating – top marks – based on testing by Euro NCAP in 2021.

The Australasian equivalent organisation – ANCAP – has reflected the five-star score from Europe after validating the overseas test results.

You can read the Skoda Enyaq crash safety report here.

Engine:

The Skoda Enyaq Sportline has one electric motor that powers the rear wheels (210kW/545Nm).

The Skoda Enyaq RS (the most powerful Skoda sold in Australia to date) has two electric motors (one powering the front wheels and one powering the rear wheels) and the combined outputs are listed at 250kW/545Nm.

There is no bump in the torque figure because the lower torque of the front electric motor is masked by the larger figure of the rear electric motor, and Skoda has elected to report its power and torque figures honestly, rather than simply adding the peaks of both electric motors.

The reason the outputs for both electric motors can’t simply be added is because their power delivery peaks arrive at different times.

Some other brands choose to inflate their numbers, Skoda’s method is the honest way to do it.

0 to 100km/h:

We didn’t get a chance to do our own 0 to 100kmh times (or brake testing) in the new Skoda Enyaq during the media preview drive.

However Skoda claims the Sportline does the dash in 6.7 seconds (about the same as a regular Tesla Model Y in our testing).

And the Skoda Enyaq RS has a 0 to 100kmh claim of 5.5 seconds.

Good points:

Handsome design inside and out.

Well equipped, including the best warranty in the European electric-car class.

Smooth and refined acceleration (as with most electric cars).

Roomy cabin and cargo hold.

Clever Skoda touches such as the hidden umbrella in the driver’s door, the ticket holder on the windscreen, phone pockets on the back of the front seats (for back seat passengers), elastic netting on the cargo floor to secure loose items, and a removable rear seat storage caddy.

Inclusions such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (absent on the Tesla Model Y) and more conventional cabin controls than what you will find on a Tesla Model Y.

Good road holding, though the sweet spot for me is the Sportline Ultimate Pack which comes with optional adaptive suspension.

It soaked up bumps and thumps with aplomb.

Energy consumption on the three-hour test drive dipped to 12kWh/100km when we were driving downhill, but the average levelled out to 18kWh/100km after finishing where we started.

We estimate the Skoda Enyaq would consume 16 to 18kWh/100km in real-world daily use, which is a fair average for electric cars of this size and type (though the Tesla Model Y used 14 to 16kWh/100km in our testing).

Bad points:

The suspension in the Sportline in its basic guise was a bit too firm over bumps – as was the RS.

Even though the RS has adaptive suspension, it has evidently been tuned to deliver a more sporty ride.

What the haters say:

What’s a Skoda mate?

What the haters don’t understand:

It’s the Czech brand owned by German global automotive giant Volkswagen.

So it benefits from the vast resources of Volkswagen but is given the latitude to develop its models in a Skoda way.

Usually that translates to a slightly bigger car than the equivalent Volkswagen with slightly more features – and, in Australia at least, a slightly longer warranty.

Should you buy one?

The Skoda Enyaq is a compelling proposition for customers who want an electric car with European flair, the support of a vast dealer network (Skoda and Volkswagen dealerships can service the vehicle), seven-year warranty, and the option of a guaranteed future resale value offer.

Also consider:

Tesla Model Y, Volkswagen iD4, Volkswagen iD5.