Skoda has introduced a new, sporty, electric Enyaq RS. Hang on, you might be thinking, didn’t Skoda ALREADY introduce a sporty, electric Enyaq RS?
Same 4WD system as Coupe
Well, not quite. To be specific, Skoda did indeed already introduce a sporty, electric Enyaq RS, but it was the Enyaq RS Coupe - the slopey-roofed version with the sporty-looking rear bodywork and the fractionally smaller boot. This time around, it’s the turn of the taller, slightly boxier regular Enyaq to get the RS treatment. Underneath, you’ll find the same 299hp, 460Nm of torque from the twin electric motor, four-wheel drive setup. The same 77kWh (net) battery is included, too, so you’ll get a theoretical one-charge range of more than 500km. The Enyaq RS gets the same 6.5 second 0-100km/h time and 180km/h top speed as the Coupe model, which is faster and speedier than the regular model, and the four-wheel drive Enyaq 80x. The battery’s reasonably speedy, too, with a maximum DC charging capacity of 135kW, which should give you a 10-80 per cent charge in 36 minutes.
More boot space
There’s more space in the Enyaq RS boot than in the Coupe model, although the difference is surprisingly marginal. Up to the luggage cover, the Enyaq RS offers 585 litres of space, compared to the Coupe’s 570 litres. Fold the back seats down, and the Enyaq’s advantage does become a little more significant - you get 1,710 litres of space then, up by 100 litres compared to the Coupe. Take that, well-known Swedish furniture retailer… Elsewhere, the Enyaq RS gets the same exterior styling treatment as the Coupe, so there are lots of high-gloss black accents, a chunkier body kit, a light-up grille (tacky or awesome; you choose), LED matrix headlights, RS logos, and a choice of 20-inch or 21-inch alloy wheels. The big difference between the two models, actually, is the drag figure. While the Enyaq Coupe RS slips through the air with a coefficient of drag number of 0.23Cd, the taller Enyaq must make do with a more air-bashing 0.26Cd - that’s about the same as a regular Skoda Enyaq, which means that the RS model’s 15mm lower suspension and aerodynamic body kit must be compensating for un-aero-friendly things such as wider tyres.
Lower suspension
As well as the lower suspension, you can optionally equip your Enyaq RS with adaptive suspension dampers, and the driving mode selector comes with an extra function above Sport, Comfort, Normal, and Eco—Traction, which makes the best use of the car’s adjustable four-wheel drive in slippery conditions. Inside, there’s lots of soft-touch microfibre and Alcantara, high-back bucket seats with quilted stitching, and (optionally) perforated black leather for the steering wheel. You also get a massive 13-inch screen, an optional heads-up display, LED ambient lighting, and three-zone climate control. The Enyaq RS is also big on safety, coming with such items as a centre airbag (which stops the front occupants from bashing heads in a side impact), lane-keeping steering, active cruise control, and a blind-spot monitor.