Skoda Enyaq Coupé vRS long-term test: report 2
The Enyaq Coupé vRS is a new type of car for Skoda: an electric coupé SUV with an emphasis on looks and performance. But does it make sense in real-world use?...
The car Skoda Enyaq Coupé iV vRS Run by Allan Muir, managing editor
Why we’re running it To see whether the most stylish and powerful Skoda yet can justify its relatively high price
Needs to Live up to its sporty brief by being great fun to drive while still proving easy to live with and having a generous real-world range
Mileage 1450 List price £54,370 Target Price £53,833 Price as tested £54,990 Test range 210 miles Official range 323 miles
31 March 2023 – Weather with you
Foul weather seems to have been a near-constant companion on recent out-of-town journeys – including a run from London down to Wiltshire to visit friends who’ve just relocated to the land of thatched roofs – so I can say with some certainty that my Skoda Enyaq Coupé is capable and reassuring to drive in adverse conditions.
As well as having loads of cornering grip and the traction advantage of four-wheel drive, the Enyaq feels rock solid even on water-logged roads.
From behind the firm-rimmed, shapely steering wheel, sitting in a high-backed, well-bolstered sports seat that puts me in an ideal driving position, I feel more connected to the car than I was expecting; some electric cars are about as involving as a video arcade driving game, but not this one.
With its firm suspension and chunky wheels, it gives you quite a detailed picture of the road surface as you pass over it – which can be a good or bad thing, depending on whether you want to press on a bit and have some fun, or waft along in a relaxed manner.
If it’s the latter, my sporty vRS model sometimes struggles to comply. As well as feeling slightly unsettled on the motorway, the ride can be aggravatingly knobbly around town, even in Normal driving mode, while those big tyres make a lot of noise as they thump through potholes. Overall, though, I'm not finding my car too uncomfortable so far.
On the subject of noise, there’s been a persistent rattle from somewhere at the back of my car ever since I took delivery of it. I spent several days trying everything I could think of to locate the source, with no luck.
Further investigation by my local Skoda dealer's technicians found that the electric tailgate’s buffers (which I assume allow softer closing and a snug fit) were stiff and not doing their job properly, so they were replaced. When the car was returned, I found the rattle was greatly reduced but not entirely eradicated. For now, I’m going to do my best to ignore it so that I can get on with driving the car.
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