2023 Skoda Enyaq is a well-built EV that delivers a pleasant drive

It's not every day that we get to test drive a car before it officially goes on sale here, other than international test drives, but that's what we're doing here with the Skoda Enyaq, a car that will only be available for general sale in Singapore towards the end of this year.

It is much overdue though, given that the Enyaq has already been on sale elsewhere since 2021, but the delays for our market was ostensibly in part due to Covid-related supply chain issues, as well as the fact that the car has been immensely popular in Europe such that Singapore has fallen down the priority order somewhat. Things could be worse though, with the Enyaq's Volkswagen counterpart, the ID.4, also only due here towards end 2023, by which time it would be nearly four years late. 

Nevertheless, better late than never, and at the very least, Skoda's preview test drive reveals that the Enyaq would do very well indeed for those looking for a well-built, fuss-free EV that can do it all. It embodies much of the Skoda essence of being a very useful all-rounder that's nice to drive and generally just pleasant to live with, and probably its biggest draw for some is that it doesn't actually feel very EV-like, in the sense that you can just easily jump in and drive away without needing a full-scale orientation learning session, unlike some other EV brands (*cough*Tesla*cough*).

Indeed, much of the Enyaq has been designed to be as normal as possible, and that begins with its looks. Leaving aside our test car's funky "camouflage" stickers, the Enyaq does come across like just another crossover, with probably only the closed-off 'grille' alluding to its EV status. It's a pretty sizeable car too, almost as long as the seven-seater Kodiaq SUV, but overall the car looks decent enough without having to resort to overly-flashy design elements to flaunt its EV status.

It's broadly the same story inside, with the Enyaq's interior mostly mimicking that of the new Octavia. You get a nice big 13-inch infotainment touchscreen display, along with the slider control at the base to adjust the sound system's volume. There are also a set of physical buttons below the air con vents for easy access to functions like the climate control and drive modes, which is pretty handy because you don't have to distract yourself by accessing the touchscreen all the time.

Skoda generally tends to come up with something interesting and useful in their models, and in the Enyaq that comes in the form of the rear cubby hole and cupholders in the centre of the floor. It's quite handy to store loose items in, especially if you're driving kids around, but at the same time, it does mean that whoever is unlucky enough to sit in the middle of the back seat will have nowhere to put their legs.

For everyone else though, there's plenty of space, and that extends to the boot as well, with the Enyaq offering an extremely generous 585 litres of boot space. Unlike some other EVs though, there is no front trunk (or frunk) for additional storage. Instead, the bonnet hides a periphery of stuff related to the electric drivetrain. However, you'll also notice a strut bar, which is something that typically aids with handling and stability. Could the Enyaq be a mild performance car in disguise then?

Not quite, but the Enyaq does feel pretty decent to drive for a crossover. There's a general all-round pleasantness to it, with noticeable lack of body roll and fairly neutral steering. It's no sports car, but it doesn't feel as cumbersome or clumsy as its size suggests. Certainly at least, in the corners, it feels like a smaller and more nimble car, which is quite impressive indeed.

Part of that perhaps also lies in the fact that the Enyaq features a single motor driving the rear wheels, in effect making this a RWD crossover, something that's quite rare in this segment. The figures aren't really much to shout about, with the motor producing 204hp and 310Nm of torque, but it does deliver the power smoothly and without fuss, and the Enyaq makes for a pretty comfortable urban cruiser, with a nicely sorted ride and enough punch to get you around town.

Fully charged, the Enyaq gets a claimed range of 532km, although in the real world you'll probably get somewhere near the high 400s, which is still pretty impressive nonetheless, as is the claimed efficiency figure of 16.1kWh/100km.

On the safety front, the Enyaq comes with the usual suite of driver assistance features, such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane assist and so on. There's also a very clever bit where the regenerative braking system can make use of the adaptive cruise control's sensors to adjust the braking force required based on the traffic ahead. That said, it has to be clarified that the car we drove was a pre-production model and not all of the full functionalities were available on our car yet.

Nevertheless, from what we've seen so far at least, the Enyaq does seem to have what it takes to be the next big EV hit. A great part of its appeal lies in the fact that it looks and feels so "normal", and drives pretty much like any other regular crossover you care to name. For many buyers, the fact that there's no need for great adaptation could very well be the deciding factor in the Enyaq's favour. You'll just have to be patient and wait a while more to get your hands on one in Singapore though.

Skoda Enyaq

ALSO READ: Volkswagen ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq electric cars confirmed for Singapore release in 2024

This article was first published in CarBuyer.