Ian Lamming plays with the opposition in Skoda’s new electric coupe
MUST resist, don’t be drawn, turn the other cheek…oh, what the heck.
Firstly, in my defence, no speed limits were broken in the testing of this car, they didn’t need to be.
But dropping down to the dual carriageway roundabout, there is a BMW M3 on my inside, a veritable muscle car in its day, being driven by a young man in a cap – say no more.
So it would have been rude not to compare the present with the past. He will have 300+PS, I’m sure, and I’ve got just about got that in the Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV vRS.
He sees me and responds, his vehicle squatting at the rear as he stamps on the power. The carriageway curves out of the roundabout and down the dual carriageway but this is no issue for me as the Skoda is 4x4 with masses of grip to push and pull the car around the bend.
And in the blink of an eye the test is over, done, the BM is dust, the driver lifting his cap slightly to scratch his head as to how a Skoda electric vehicle could have mashed him into the dirt. It has been a 10mph to 70mph, seconds-long, drag race and the Skoda is so supreme it’s really no contest.
Wow this car is impressive. It is just so swift, so smooth, so quiet. It covers distances so efficiently that it seems to shorten the journey and it is so enjoyable to drive that you wish you were behind the wheel even longer.
By EV standards the 300PS power output is modest, there are many now producing twice that figure. But the spread of torque is incredible and the oomph so useable, so controllable, so accessible, that it feels more than enough.
Enyaq also comes with a decent range – I saw 265 miles on the read out with 100 percent charge. So there’s no range anxiety to speak of and it proves ideal for my long commute.
The one pedal/brake regeneration set up means you can vary your speed considerably with a twitch of the right foot. Lift off and the braking is pronounced and this gives you extra time in your driving to judge corner speed, or if you are seeking a gap to make a safe overtake, because you don’t have to pick up your foot and move it from the throttle to the brake.
It is amazing how this simple task, done on myriad occasions without even thinking, adds up over the course of a long journey so when it is no longer necessary the result is you feel more relaxed and less tired.
Looking at the vRS the driver of the BM should have known better than to try. It looks mean and moody with a menacing dark slotted grille, deep airdam, squinted headlights, broad shoulders and beams and massive 20in alloys. It appears strong and fast even when it’s not moving.
But it is functional too making it the perfect family run-around with spacious cabin, huge boot and brilliant ergonomics.
The cabin is hi-tech as you would imagine yet it’s so well designed that it is easy to use.
It feels ultra-modern and lovely inside, its light and airy interior featuring a minimal dash that comes complete with huge touch screen.
Make yourself comfortable on the excellent leather seats and you don’t even have to switch it on – it has already detected you are there. Just put your foot on the brake, move the gear switch to ‘D’ and press the accelerator.
Being a Skoda it also features wonderfully simple but practical touches, such as the hooks that pop out of the trim in the boot allowing you to anchor your shopping bags so they don’t spill when you are enjoying the ride home. Then there’s the umbrella in the door – very Rolls Royce – and practical storage for your drinks and nick-nacks, all designed to make life easier, which invariably they do.
Life truly is a lot easier behind the wheel of the vRS for so many reasons, but it’s not for the opposition; just ask the man in the cap.
Fact File
Skoda - ENYAQ Coupe iV vRS
Engine: Electric
Power: 82 kWh 299PS
Torque: 460Nm
Top speed: 111mph
0-62mph: 6.4 secs
Range: 323 miles
Transmission: one-speed all-wheel-drive
CO2: 0g/km
Price: £55,830.00 (including options)
