Design driven: Skoda Enyaq Sportline 85x

Loaded to the gills with presents, luggage, a pampered dog and two hungry humans, the new Enyaq was put straight to work in what we imagine are fitting circumstances for a car in this bracket. But is it better than the outgoing version?

In some ways the exterior is a marked upgrade on what was already quite a decent looking ‘fastback SUV’ effort. Now sporting a mid-cycle facelift having launched in 2020 as the Enyaq iV, the initial design was led by department heads Karl Neuhold (exterior), Peter Olah (interior), Katerina Vranova (CMF) and Petr Nevrela (lighting). Overall design direction came from Oliver Stefani, and that same team remains in place, although Olah has shifted to an ‘art direction’ role in 2024.

At the front, Skoda’s award-winning lighting team has done some more strong work, although on a personal note the face of the car felt more approachable with the prior generation. This new model’s mush is defined not by a thin bar, thankfully, but the clear headlamps have been replaced by much sharper, black-backed units. They are a little meaner, if not glaring, in their appearance. 

Four individual rectangles are grouped at each corner, connected subtly by 23 vertical LEDs at the edge of the bonnet line. This gloss black stripe in which the headlamps are integrated obscures the sensors that lurk behind, so if having that hardware on show was the other option, this was probably the right approach. Below, the upper sections of the lower mask are occupied by strong, square fog lamps.

The design team explains that the “crystalline” design of the previous model was fully replaced by a design language that favours minimalism instead. As such, the grille is mostly smooth and closed off, save for a fluted black section at the base of the bumper below the number plate. The diffuser below is body coloured and connects with the rest of the bodywork to the sides. Gentle creases at the centre of the bonnet almost form a ‘snout’ of sorts, but it is not a bad looking thing. At the very least, the Tech-Deck face is distinctive and could still be picked from a line-up as a Skoda.

‘Our’ Enyaq came in Sportline trim and did indeed feel far sportier in the metal than one might expect of an electric family hauler. This is partly down to those huge optional 21” alloy wheels in a fetching 10-spoke turbine design dubbed ‘Supernova.’ 

Like the previous generation, the fast roofline almost gives the feel of a wagon and not an SUV; a slight nuance is the boot spoiler which appears to be a little more pronounced. Skoda’s exterior team has not overhauled the design, instead being rather sympathetic with their tweaks. It all makes for an excellent side profile and one that looks better in person – like virtually every car.

Inside, the cabin is a fairly standard blend of anthracite materials with a hint of accent lighting, which was less intrusive (read: distracting) than many others we’ve experienced. We would be more tempted by the tan leather trim that is also available on the seats, centre console and dash. Speaking of which, I have come to appreciate a deep instrument panel (IP) which seems to stretch towards the horizon. There is surely some science behind this? 

The head up display (HUD) is excellent — aren't all these days? -- almost rendering the main instrument cluster moot, and the touchscreen has a useful anchor point beneath for when you’re tapping, swiping or digging through menus. To be hyper critical, the indicator stalk had a rough edge to the plastic between two joins, which was a little unpleasant to the touch. Good job I’m a BMW driver, so had no use for that. [Ed. Tongue is firmly in cheek.]

On the road, the Enyaq seems to glide very easily with regenerative braking at its lowest (off) setting. Corners are met with plenty of grip and a hint of understeer if pushed too far, but frankly this was far more planted than we expected and with an empty boot was very pleasant through the twisties. Importantly, it managed to entertain without being jittery over rougher surfaces. A nice balance, and our roundtrip on motorways, sweeping A-roads and narrow country roads was a breeze.

Range anxiety was not an issue during our week with the car, even without a home charger. Although this brought issues of its own, noted lower down. The car purports to travel over 300 miles on a single charge, but in freezing conditions we didn’t get anywhere near that. 

What we can say is that the car is incredibly accurate in its guestimation, and we very quickly learned to trust the remaining range. The navigation system is also excellent and sorted out a convenient plan for charging (and feeding) stops that maximised the battery’s remaining range. Really good stuff.

Unfortunately, there were some mixed issues with the user experience. And oddly, not to do with the touchscreen. 

Firstly, and most trivially, the cupholders did not properly hold any three of our drinks receptacles; we had to make do with the cubby hole below with one travel mug. Pretty much unacceptable, frankly, and surely one of the easier components to get right. The ample door bins proved useful substitutes for bottles.

The home charging cable, which comes in two parts, would also not connect. And not in a digital sense, but in the literal “male-to-female-plugs-don’t-marry-up” sense. Poor design? Damaged by a previous user? Human error on our part? Whatever the cause, this meant all charging was done on the hoof at high-powered charging stations. Not a cheap way of getting around if you don’t have an integrated wallbox, which would make this a non-issue.

Most frustrating of all was the incessant buzzing of the speaker mounted at the top of the dash, which at any frequency (bass up, bass down, higher mids, etc.) just rattled away. Even podcasts were torture - any laughing from the hosts just led to rattle city up front. Pretty insufferable but hopefully an easy fix to address given some time. Given it is not our car, we opted against tearing off bits of trim and left it alone. 

With the sound system off (or working properly) the new Enyaq is ultimately a very nice place to spend time. The interior and exterior design chime well together, and feels very much in line with Skoda's ethos for useful but not boring family cars. While I did find myself turning back for a second look after parking up, I still prefer the defined clear lamps of the prior generation. Maybe it will grow on me. 

Separately, 2026 marks a handful of anniversaries for Skoda: 125 years or motorsport, 35 years with the Volkswagen Group and 30 years of the Octavia. Time will tell if the Enyaq stands out as a core model in 25 years’ time.

Skoda Enyaq Sportline 85x 

Price as tested: £50,810

Options fitted: metallic paint (£680), 21” Supernova alloy wheels (£620), retractable tow bar (£750) 

Power: 286PS 

Torque: 545Nm (front) 134Nm (rear) 

Drivetrain: All-wheel drive 

Performance: 0-62 in 6.6 seconds 

WLTP combined range: 332 miles 

Designed primarily in Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic