Skoda Australia is still a year away from opening up the order books on its first EV, the Enyaq iV, but says both dealers and customers are clamouring to get their hands on them.
The company this week reiterated its intention to finally get the Enyaq iV here in both body styles, to commence presales and take orders from the third quarter of 2023, and begin customer handovers around February 2024.
Regardless, Skoda Australia brand director Michael Irmer said this week the company’s notoriously loyal and well-researched local buyers were already starting to line up.
When we asked Mr Irmer if Skoda might have an easier time converting its buyers to EVs than perhaps some other brands, he answered in the affirmative.
“I believe so, yes, and the dealers support the same,” he told CarExpert this week.
“… All the dealers, especially the city dealers, are asking for ‘electric, electric, electric, electric’, saying they can’t wait to have the car, quite frankly,” he added.
As a matter of fact, a small number of people have already sought to place deposits to secure a build slot.
MORE: All the EVs coming to Australia: Launch calendar, what’s here already?
While Skoda is perceived by some as a cut-price European competitor, its average transaction price has climbed to $52,000 drive-away, meaning it actually attracts a more well-heeled local buyership. That bodes well for its EV rollout.
The Skoda Enyaq iV will be an important part of the wider EV puzzle for Volkswagen Group Australia, which currently has an electric range limited to the Audi e-tron and e-tron GT, and Cupra Born.
The related VW ID.4/5 models should land at a similar time to the Skoda Enyaq iV – creating an intriguing intra-company battle, not that it would ever admit to as much.
Unfortunately for Australia, the VW Group prefers to prioritise limited supplies of battery-electric vehicles to countries with fines in place for brands that exceed fleet-wide average CO2 emissions, as explained to us by VGA’s managing director Paul Sansom.
Supply has been further hobbled by the ongoing chip shortage and a lack of wiring harnesses due to the war in Ukraine.
The 4.7m-long Enyaq iV medium SUV comes in regular wagon or sleeker ‘Coupe’ forms, and uses the VW Group’s ubiquitous MEB all-electric platform.
For more details on both versions, read our stories linked below.
MORE: Skoda reveals Enyaq iV electric SUV
MORE: 2022 Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV unveiled
