2 Years Deep: Is the Skoda Enyaq Still the Perfect Family Car?
The Leech family have been powered by electricity since 2012, with the odd plug-in hybrid thrown in for a time. But, as the family has grown (and indeed, the children have grown!) 2020 was a challenge. We needed the-everything-car! It needed to carry 3-fairly sturdy adult-size kids (2 of them anyway), 2-dogs, a very fussy dad, and a technophobe mum everywhere! From the school run to weekends away!
So, the time came to make another move. After first considering a Kia Niro but simply not wanting another SUV, attention was directed to the Skoda Enyaq.
What do you think of when you hear “Skoda”?
Skoda conjures up different images for different generations. I have to admit, as 50-year-old parents, we have outdated views of Skoda from the 90s, when the brand was superior only to “Lada” in the desirability stakes. The decades may not have been kind to mum and dad, but they sure have been kind to Skoda!
Skoda now is very firmly part of VW, and you can see that throughout the Enyaq; with the infotainment system straight from the ID range and the drivetrain similarly reappropriated. In the case of the drivetrain, this is an absolute godsend as the car drives so smoothly. In our 60kw version, 200 miles are regular. Although, in true VW fashion, the stated WLTP range is nothing more than a pipedream!
However, the tech is a bit of a headache…
Don’t get us wrong, it’s easy to connect your phone; even my wife worked it out quickly, which was a first for pretty much any car! Just plug in with a USB and you’re set. Bluetooth is also an option, but it does seem to drop out or disconnect. It’s not often, but it’ll get you at the worst possible moment and turning it off and on again is all you can do!
The Enyaq has loads of room for our 3 kids and the lack of a transmission tunnel gives true space and comfort; it’s surprising as the car is identical to the ICE Kodiaq. Even our entry-level model has all the extras you’d expect, and the cabin is a very comfortable environment. For me, the drive position and ride comfort are best in this budget range. For the kids, the ability to change interior light colours to suit your mood is vastly overused! A little like me with exclamation marks!!!
The Boot Space in the Enyaq is Great!
As an estate, you’d expect the boot to be big enough, but we’re still shocked at how much we can fit! Our dogs jump in with ease! It has a very slight lip, but loading is easy. A slight moan from me, there’s no frunk. This means the charge cables have to go under the boot, making it tricky to reach when the boot is full of bags or dogs. Though, having said that, it’s not a show-stopper for me.
Skoda touches are everywhere, from the umbrella tucked away in the door to the torch, small touches with a lot of thought.
In The World of Estates, You Have 2 Real Electric Options.
The Enyaq or the MG5. The Enyaq is simply better in every way than an MG5, but it’s better than the majority of cars in this price range. As part of my job, I test lots of cars. Many times i have driven more expensive cars that do not handle like the Enyaq; it just does everything well! Nothing brilliantly, but everything well. It has good space, it’s fast enough with good storage and good road handling. Everything but tech, really.
Well, if you can cope with slightly unpredictable tech and sometimes having to “turn it off and on again” (just the console, not the whole car) it could be a perfect fit for you!