UK Drive: Skoda’s Enyaq Coupe iV vRS arrives with a blend of electric power and go-faster features

What is it?

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Skoda’s Enyaq feels like it’s started to become part of the furniture in the EV scene, don’t you think? It’s an electric SUV that offers Skoda’s now well-known approach to value, standard equipment and technology, with a decent range and boatloads of space.

But practical, efficient Skoda models have always had a naughtier side – vRS. Cars like the Octavia vRS have historically provided a little more ‘fun’ than the standard model, but how do you translate that to an electric model? Well, we’re driving the Enyaq iV Coupe vRS to find out.

What’s new?

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The usual vRS recipe is to take a standard Skoda, and make it a little faster, a little stiffer and a little sharper in the bends but without making its exterior too outlandish. So that’s the case with the Enyaq. It’s also available in Coupe form first – the regular SUV vRS comes after – which gives it a swooping, more dynamic appearance.

Inside, we’ve got the same practical layout as you’d get from the standard Enyaq, albeit with a few extra vRS additions to make things feel a little sportier.

What’s under the bonnet?

The range isn’t too affected by the boost in power, either. You’ll get 323 miles from the vRS, compared with 320 miles in the 80x Sportline. It is, however, a significant amount less than you’ll get from the single motor ‘80’, which can travel for up to 345 miles between charges. It depends on what you want – a little extra power or a touch more range.

What’s it like to drive?

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For the most part, the Enyaq iV vRS feels much the same as the 80x Sportline version. Both get the same lowered suspension setup over the conventional ‘80’, which means that it does tend to struggle a bit with low-speed bumps and potholes. At speed, it’s refined and comfortable, mind you, and cruises along without any issue.

The steering has a nice bit of weight to it and, despite being quite a large car, the Enyaq is easy to corner. The battery is mounted low in the car, too, so the centre of gravity feels nicely beneath you and avoids any of that ‘topple’ feeling that you get with some larger SUVs. Using the regenerative braking system becomes second-nature and you soon start to drive the car with just the throttle too.

How does it look?

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The changeover vRS brings some visual tweaks, but they’re definitely on the reserved side of things. Strangely enough, there’s no vRS-specific badging at the rear – just Skoda’s iV lettering – which seems strange as it’s difficult to differentiate it from the ‘regular’ Enyaq from the back. Up front, the vRS gets Skoda’s eye-catching ‘Crystal Face’ setup which replaces the standard ‘grille’ with an LED arrangement. It looks particularly space-age at night.

The Coupe version has a more sloped roofline too, which not only adds some more visual drama but helps to boost efficiency ever-so-slightly above the standard SUV version too.

What’s it like inside?

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The fundamentals of the Enyaq’s interior haven’t been lost in the transition to vRS, so you still get the same practical, spacious and well-made cabin that you’d find in the standard car. Space is good and even with that sloping roofline, headroom isn’t interrupted too much. You get leather upholstery as standard in the vRS, too, which does add to the ‘premium’ feel too.

Boot space is still respectable at 570 litres, which is only just down on the 585 litres you’d get from the SUV version – so there’s not too much of a practicality penalty for opting for the Coupe.

What’s the spec like?

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Prices for the vRS start from £54,370, netting you 20-inch alloy wheels and that eye-catching ‘Crystal Face’ alongside the all-important boost in power. Full LED Matrix headlights are included too, alongside keyless entry and a full fixed panoramic roof.

The 80x Sportline Plus, in contrast, costs £52,505 and gets pretty much the same level of kit but does without the Crystal Face. If you wanted to add it, it’d come as part of a £2,035 optional extra pack – by which point you’d be much better off trumping for the vRS. The regular 80, meanwhile, is far cheaper at £44,825 but does without some exterior tweaks and that extra front motor. But if range is king and you’re not so concerned with all-wheel-drive, it may be the better option.

Verdict

The Enyaq iV Coupe vRS has many positives. It’s refined and quiet to drive, is packed with standard equipment and – to our eyes at least – looks good. But it doesn’t feel quite as elevated from the ‘regular’ versions as we’ve come to expect, with the small boost in power not feeling all that apparent. The suspension setup is the same as the car below it in the range, too.

In the end, it feels like a range-topping trim rather than a dedicated performance model. It’s by no means a bad car, but it’s hampered by the regular Enyaq being so accomplished in the first place.