Skoda is not a young car manufacturer. In less than two years the company will be one century old. But, as far as electric cars are concerned, they’re still a toddler. Skoda Enyaq iV SUV is their first attempt to enter the designated EV market. They’re new in this domain so a few mistakes are allowed, but they won’t pass unnoticed. A new vehicle in a crowded market will raise a few questions. What customers want to know is the level of reliability that comes with Skoda and their latest electric SUV.
We are talking about a brand-new vehicle, so having all of the data regarding reliability and other traits is not possible. What can be said at the moment is that the Czech manufacturer didn’t complicate matters. The powertrain under the hood of this SUV is good and simple – a perfect formula for a reliable car. You can depend on it. It’s safe, and ideal for people who face EVs for the first time. Families will love it due to the space it offers, fine-tuned features, and of course great safety levels. Let’s see how reliable it is.
Skoda Enyaq iV Reliability
Reliability matters. We are talking about a brand-new electric vehicle, so having a few eyebrows raised is nothing surprising. The concern comes from the fact that Skoda isn’t a pioneer in this department. What critics fail to recognize is that they’re not relying only on their experience, but also have the backing of the German giant – Volkswagen. The entire project of Skoda EVs lies on the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 MEB platforms. This is not all. Volkswagen owns many companies across the world, and many of the sister companies gave a helping hand in developing this model. It is a joint engineering project of Skoda, VW, and Seat among other VW sister companies.
You can say that the formula for reliability is there. This car can be advertised as a no-maintenance vehicle. Its electric powertrain is not seeking too much attention. It only requires a maintenance inspection every two years. Its biggest part that requires frequent inspection and replacement is a cabin pollen filter. The faulty areas of this SUV are likely to be tied to the electronics installed within the cabin. But, due to technological advancements over the years, this issue can be handled online with simple updates.
While all of this sounds great, people do have a reason to be worried about Skoda’s overall quality of work. In 2021 they were ranked as the 12th company in the brand satisfaction survey done by CarBuyer. In 2022 their stocks dropped. Among 29 tested manufacturers they ended up in 20th place. For many of us, a true disappointment. This survey is done regarding all cars manufactured by the Czech car giant, so it’s not fair to judge Enyaq iV on overall Skoda performance. Instead, let’s take a look at its safety outlook.
Enyaq iV Safety
In this department, Enyaq iV has plenty to offer. You can rest assured that its safety is top-notch. According to Euro NCAP, a body in charge of crash testing, Enyaq iV has five stars rating. It is quite safe, top to bottom. For children, it rates 89%in protection capabilities, while for adults this number grows up to 94%. In addition to a great electric powertrain, this vehicle is equipped with top-end safety-assist features. Euro NCAP rates are at 82% which tells a great story of its features tied to crash mitigation. As far as safety equipment goes Skoda Enyaq iV comes with front, curtain, and side airbags, lane assist, ISOFIX child-seat, and autonomous emergency braking.
Motor, Drive, And Performance
At the end of the day, this SUV is a family vehicle. As such it needs to behave a certain way. It needs to be easy to drive. It is. Its speed is rather decent, it accelerates fairly well, and it works well both in the city and on the highway. Enyaq iV offers a nice ride for all passengers, with a small touch of sport side that can satisfy even the fans of fast driving. With two models, iV60 and iV80, there’s plenty for everyone to go around. Each of these comes with the same 310 Nm of torque. This is enough to make you feel it when you press the gas pedal.
What you should remember is that this is a heavy car. Due to its weight of two-tonne, it can’t parry models such as the Tesla Model X. What you get in return is amazing handling. This EV behaves great on all types of roads. We can even argue that it is far better than its classic counterparts which are named Karoq and Kodiaq respectively. Its nice behavior comes down to the adaptive dampers that are part of Skoda’s Dynamic Chassis Control System. But, the trick is you’ll have to spend extra cash on its Drive Sport Package Plus to get this equipment. For some, it is worth the money; for others, it is not. We would buy it.
In the performance department, Enyaq iV comes in two forms, as we already mentioned. iV 60 and iV 80 differ in a couple of things, while they remain similar in others. As far as the range is concerned the first one comes with 256 miles of range while the latter stands at 331. In terms of performance, they are not too different. If you look at the 0-60mph ratio one finishes the route in 8.2 seconds while the other does the same work in 8.4 seconds. Both are limited to 99 mph top speed. If you want the top-end performance Enyaq iV has to offer you need to opt for the iV80X series with all-wheel-drive and 261bhp that finishes 0-60 in 6.7b seconds.
Bottom Line
With the Skoda Enyaq iV SUV, you will get your money’s worth. The initial price for the base model is around €44.000. For this price, you receive good to great interior design and a lot of space inside. The performance is fine, and you won’t have too many complaints about it. A true family SUV that holds high values of reliability and safety. On the downside, it can get a little bit stiff during maneuvering. For the base price, you receive good value, but every add-on costs a lot. So, for a fully packed version, you really have to open your wallet. All in all, it is a great product, especially if you take into account that this is Skoda’s first venture in this domain.
