Skoda’s all-new electric SUV is talking shape ahead of its reveal on September 1, but it’s not yet clear when the Enyaq iV will make the trip to Australia.
“Right now the situation is a bit unclear in terms of the timing concerns,” Skoda Australia director Michael Irmer told CarExpert.
“We are very eager to receive the electric cars, we discuss this with the factory every time. At the moment we don’t have a definite go and the timing yet, but we have clearly the intent to do it.”
“There are a couple of things to resolve, and one of the main issues is electric cars are required to meet, in Europe, the CO2 targets – and there are draconian penalties if you do not.”
Skoda isn’t alone in focusing its electric vehicle production on Europe. With strict new emissions regulations coming into force on January 1, 2021, carmakers need to sell as many electric vehicles as possible to avoid hefty fines.
Australia, which doesn’t have the same strict emissions laws or financial penalties, is lower on the priority list.
The Enyaq iV’s exterior has been teased in a series of designer drawings, giving us a first look at the car’s details both inside and out.
It’s clear how influential the 2019 Vision iV concept was on the Enyaq’s design – Skoda has a habit of keeping the design of its production models as close as possible to the concepts that preview them.
Up front the Enyaq sports an aggressive face with a closed grille and angular headlights, while the rear treatment is more sleek and sporty. It also looks like the LED daytime running lights will extend through the front grille to form a front light bar, just like the Vision iV concept.
While the lighting signature and ‘SKODA’ script on the tailgate are very close to the Vision iV’s design, the coupe roofline of the concept has been traded for a more practical profile.
Along the sides there are sharp character creases running from the headlights to the tail lights, while the overall side profile appears closer to that of a wagon or MPV than the traditional boxy proportions of an SUV.
Two different alloy wheel designs can be seen in the exterior images, with the rims in the sketches on pink backgrounds appearing more indicative of the final design and proportion with relation to the Enyaq’s body.
Inside, the Enyaq’s cockpit features a very similar design and layout to that of the new Octavia, right down to the two-spoke steering wheel.
The restrained approached to physical switchgear means most functions will be controlled via the large free-standing touchscreen or touch-capacitive buttons
Skoda has also revealed some further details about the Enyaq’s head- and tail lights, which will feature Matrix LED technology up front and a Czech ‘crystal’ hexagonal design motif for the main bulbs.
Here we can again see the LED daytime running lights will extend into the front ‘grille’ and form a light bar spanning the width of the front, while the signature within the headlight clusters will maintain a resemblance to other Skoda models – namely the Kodiaq and Superb flagship models.
The tail lights also maintain a strong family resemblance to other models in the Skoda portfolio, featuring a three-dimensional effect and angular signature. While not detailed in these latest press materials, we’re expecting ‘scrolling’ indicators to feature at both ends, too.
The Skoda Enyaq iV will be revealed in full on September 1, though we already know the Czech brand’s new electric vehicle will be based on the VW Group’s MEB modular architecture for EVs – already serving as the basis for the Volkswagen ID.3 hatchback, as well as the upcoming ID.4 crossover which will essentially be VW’s version of the Enyaq.
Five different powertrain configurations will be available depending on market, with base models to be rear-wheel drive, and high-end variants all-wheel drive. The base model will feature a 55kWh battery pack and a 109kW rear-mounted electric motor, good for a claimed range of 340km.
Further up the range will be a 62kWh battery and 132kW motor for 390km of range, while the longest-range model will be the iV 80 with its 82kWh battery and 150kW electric motor – good for a claimed 500km on a single charge. The iV 80X, it will pack 195kW of power, all-wheel drive and a 460km range.
Skoda has also confirmed an Enyaq RS performance model, set to pack 225kW and hit 100km/h in 6.2 seconds, making it 0.8 seconds faster than the slightly larger, diesel-powered Kodiaq RS.
Skoda hasn’t disclosed a torque figure yet, but says the performance-oriented Enyaq will be all-wheel drive and offer a claimed range of 460km.
The Enyaq’s twin under the skin, the Volkswagen ID.4, has been confirmed as VW Australia’s first EV, but it won’t arrive in local showrooms until 2022 or 2023.
Volkswagen’s electrification rollout Down Under is some time away given it’s skipping plug-in hybrids due to global allocation being prioritised for markets with strict emissions regulations – i.e. Europe.
Further details will be revealed at the Enyaq’s reveal in a fortnight, so stay tuned to CarExpert for our coverage.
What do you think of the Skoda Enyaq iV design? Let us know in the comments
