Which Skoda is better - Enyaq iV or Enyaq Coupe RS iV

17 July 2022

Skoda Enyaq is a very important car for the Czech automaker - it is the first all-electric car to leave the factory. It still is a true Skoda - with abundance of standard equipment and attractive price it builds on the company’s legacy. Yet it is not riding on last generation platform as was often the case in past, from now on Skoda shares the latest technology with its siblings from VW, Audi and Cupra.

The Enyaq is available as an SUV and Coupe and both models share the MEB platform with VW ID.4 and Audi Q4 e-tron and the smaller ID.3 and Cupra Born use it as well but slightly adapted. Both models use either 58kWh battery or 77kWh pack with the larger battery also available with all-wheel drive twin-motor options.

The faster trims in both models come as 80 - single motor with 150kW (204 hp) and twin motor 80x version with 195kW (265 hp). The RS versions have the same twin-motor all wheel drive set up with 220kW (299 hp) but surprisingly the Coupe version is slower from 0 to 100kph - it gets there in 6.5 seconds and the standard Enyaq iV does it in 6.2 seconds. There may be a bit of discrepancy in data, though. The Coupe version is 25kg lighter, which suggests it should be as fast or even smidgen faster.

The visual difference between the Enyaq and Enyaq Coupe is quite obvious but the style is not the only area where the Coupe is ahead. The clear advantage is in the aerodynamics department with the more sporty model getting higher range. Enyaq RS gets WLTP range of 460km and the Enyaq Coupe beats it with 505km.

Real life testing provides us with lower figures but still the difference between the two remains. The more powerful the model the smaller range difference, though, with both models in the 80 trim showing just 10 km WLTP advanatage for the Coupe.

The fronts of the two cars are almost identical, the Coupe has more aggressive air intakes on the bumper but that’s where the differences end. The wheel design varies between the models but depends on the trim - lower 60 and 80 trims have identical wheels as standard.

Now let’s have a look at the main difference. From the B pillar the two cars go separate ways. The Enyaq keeps the SUV body, the roofline only gently swoops towards the back of the car. You would expect the clear benefit of it to be the headroom in the rear and the trunk size. Well - you would be surprised.

Unless your kids are future NBA players you won’t be able to tell the difference. The headroom at the back of the Enyaq Coupe is good enough for two tall adults, even three will travel in relative comfort. The Enyaq iV of course has a little more headroom but the difference is really surprisingly small.

The rear quarter light window on the Coupe is fake - in order to keep the lines flowing on the outside, Skoda used a gloss black plastic to hide the very thick rear pillar. It makes the rear a bit darker inside and it can be tricky for the driver when looking back over the shoulder.

Another surprise is the trunk - the two cars have nearly the same luggage capacity. The Coupe has slightly less at 570L with the Enyaq just edging ahead with 585L - that’s hardly a deal breaker. The gap gets bigger when you put the rear seats down, the Enyaq clearly has the upper hand with 1,710L and Coupe only reaches 1,004L.

That’s on paper though - in reality the Coupe’s trunk capacity is as useful as the standard Enyaq’s. Unless you plan to deliver furniture from IKEA on a regular basis, you won’t notice the missing space because in all honesty, we never pack our cars all the way to the roof.

There are slight differences between the models in the front with the Coupe pushing the sporty design of the seats and the steering wheel and different color options are available for the upholstery. Both RS models have fully fledged sports seats with high sides and integrated headrests, negating that, however.

The Coupe uses a lot of carbon looking plastics inside, mainly black and gray colors and comes with sporty metal brake and accelerator pedals. The “practical” Enyaq on the other hand uses more subtle colors with browns and creams to mimic more luxurious cars from other automakers.

It works - quality is great, colors are great, finish is really good. The cabin on the Enyaq feels much lighter than on the Coupe where the driver feels more cocooned which is exactly what the company wanted to achieve.

So what’s the difference? Visually - the two cars are worlds apart. The Coupe just looks so much better, it offers slightly bigger range and really the tradeoff in interior space is negligent. The 15L you lose in trunk space you gain in buckets of style and a few extra miles of range.

Depending where you are the price difference can be anything from €2,500 to €5,000 between the same trim models. Not all trims are available in different countries - in some places the lowest trim is the Enyaq 50 with 148hp and puny 52kWh battery and some places don’t offer the RS version or Coupe model at all.

If you are planning on buying the all-electric Skoda Enyaq then you should seriously consider the Coupe version - you’ll enjoy it way more than the standard model and the world will thank you for one less boring SUV on our roads.