Skoda Enyaq Coupe RS review: Sharp creases, bold design, dual-motor and well-equipped

In terms of design, Skoda has always been known for some quirky creations that stand out from the rest, such as those incorporating the split-head light design that goes back to the first-gen Yeti.

Now, among the sea of jellybean-shaped EVs, the Skoda Enyaq Coupe RS stands out once again with its loud, brash and angular body that has more sharp creases than an origami paper crane. It is a breath of fresh air to see an EV that hasn't lost its edges in pursuit of lower drag coefficient and efficiency, but has the Czech brand managed to knock it out of the park with the first EV to wear its RS badge?

Roll aside, jellybeans, something sharp is headed your way!

The EV revolution has brought along with it a mad chase for efficiency, which has resulted in a new wave of cars with rounded shapes and gradual curves.

The result is a vast lineup of cars that look like jellybeans - the EQE SUV, EQS, Model Y, Ioniq 6, ID.4 and ID.5 are some examples. But, not the Enyaq Coupe RS - just looking at it makes you wonder if the designers even care about drag coefficient at all.

Instead of a low or rounded front end, this car has been fitted with a decidedly upright Crystal Face grille. Incorporating 131 LEDs that create a strip connecting the head lights while illuminating the crystal-like vertical slats, the Crystal Face has got to be the most defining feature of the Enyaq Coupe RS' front-end. The bumper with a large central air-intake features sharp creases that flow into the striking head lights.

Trace along the top edge of the head lights and they will lead you along the shut-line of the clamshell bonnet to the RS badging that rests upon a defining shoulder line connecting the head lights to the trapezoidal taillights. At the tail-end, the interface line between the rear bumper and the body intersects the shoulder line and continues to form the leading edge of the rear boot.

The Enyaq Coupe RS' exterior is one that you'll appreciate the longer you look at the car - it is a design that incorporates countless strategically placed lines and creases that work with one another to result in a visually impactful presence. This is car is no jellybean.

Large, brash and powerful - Skoda's take on a performance EV

In RS guise, the Enyaq Coupe definitely has the grunt to match its bold exterior. Equipped with a dual-motor powertrain with an 82kWh battery capacity, the Enyaq Coupe RS puts out 335bhp and 545Nm of torque (front motor peaks at 134Nm), and it also has a WLTP range of up to 547km. This stout powertrain propels the sub-2.3 tonne coupe SUV from 0-100km/h in 5.5 seconds, and up to a top speed of 180km/h.

 In actual driving, the acceleration of the Enyaq Coupe RS feels quicker than what its specifications suggests. However, its range also seems shorter than the rated figure - an estimated range of 455km was indicated at 99per cent charge. Despite being a sporty model, the damping on the Enyaq Coupe RS is nicely sorted and offers a great balance between comfort and handling.

That said, the weight of the car, a rather muted steering feel and a brake pedal with subpar modulation mean this wouldn't be my weapon of choice for spirited drive on windy roads. To elaborate, the initial half of the brake travel is dedicated to regenerative braking, and feels weaker than expected - you'll have to depress the pedal a fair bit further to get the callipers to clamp on, resulting in an odd 'two-stage' braking experience.

Don't get me wrong, the car is powerful and has a ton of mechanical grip with those massive 235 and 255-section tyres, and as such is able to take bends and corners at great speed and with stability. But keener drivers would likely find the driving engagement wanting.

Sharp on the outside, soft and comfortable within

What isn't lacking, though, is the list of features and driving assist systems that the car is equipped with.

In addition to Adaptive Cruise Control, Front Assist, Lane Assist and Side Assist, the Enyaq Coupe RS also has a Travel Assist feature - unlike typical Adaptive Cruise Control systems, this one allows the car to follow the car in front of it, and come to a complete stop and move off autonomously, perfect for traffic jams!

It also has a large 13-inch infotainment system that is intuitive and easy to operate. Climate control adjustments, along with quick buttons and customisable shortcut keys, are all permanently displayed on the bottom and top edge of the screen for easy access. Wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity are also available.

However, during my time with the car, the Android Auto connection was spotty - it can take up to ten tries, unplugging and re-plugging my phone just to get it to connect to the system (I've even tried a brand new cable to rule the possibility out, but it could very well be a software bug or compatibility issue with my phone).

The rest of the interior feels premium to touch and looks great in photos thanks to the use of soft-touch materials, high-gloss, and carbon-fibre look plastics. The units that customers would get in Singapore would also feature electrically adjustable lime-stitched with black Suedia RS Lounge front seats with memory function, a 12-speaker Canton sound system and head-up display. While the media test car only had an eight-speaker sound system, the sound quality was impressive and works well with the quiet environment that the car manages, creating a relaxing space within while on the move.

The sharp and stylish EV that can do everything

In this day and age, most people want a car that can do everything just well enough. We want a car that has enough space to fetch our family in comfort and still have enough cargo space for our groceries, and we want the convenience of modern features such as smartphone connectivity.

The same car also has to appeal to us with its striking good looks, and hopefully also packs enough performance for that occasional spirited driving. And I dare say that the Skoda Enyaq Coupe RS is a car that has come pretty close to achieving it all. The fact that it isn't as powerful as other sporty EVs actually adds to its appeal, as its road tax is kept to a slightly more palatable $4,024 (the Smart #1 Brabus' and Volvo Polestar 2 Performance Pack's road tax is $4,415 and $4,962 respectively).

If you are able to look past the less-than-inspiring driving experience that is arguably my gripe with almost all EVs and the Android Auto connectivity issues that I faced, the Enyaq Coupe RS could very well be the one-car solution, should you be in the market for a sporty EV coupe SUV.

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This article was first published in sgCarMart.