Should you buy one?

Yes. It’s a very good electric car from Skoda, and based on thorough testing in our long-term test, we’d have no reservations recommending one. But more than being a very good electric vehicle – it’s an excellent car, regardless of how it’s powered. And that’s why it’s our 2022 Car of The Year.

If you’re in the market for a family car and want to go electric, the Enyaq iV has a great deal to recommend it. The pricing and specs are very tempting indeed, as long as you don’t go overboard with the options. In standard form, it’s cheaper than the Volkswagen ID.4 and offers more claimed range than the Kia Niro EV.

Unless you’re going to be racking up massive mileages on a daily basis, the 242-mile range offered by the Enyaq iV 60 is a great all-rounder and usefully cheaper than the 333-mile iV 80. But, if you want the peace of mind of a long range, the iV 80 is the state of the art for the money, and we’d recommend paying the extra. But bear in mind that the real-world range for both models are 200 and 280 miles respectively.

We’d recommend steering clear of vRS model. In our eyes, your best bet is to go for the 77kWh rear-wheel option and spend the £10,000 you’ll save on a wallbox charger and interesting holiday. The vRS doesn’t offer enough of a performance advantage in the real world to justify the added expense.

What’s striking about the Enyaq iV is how comfortable and inviting it is – the ride quality is first rate and the interior is tastefully designed and trimmed very nicely. It’s roomy and practical, and drives very well with an accent on ride compliance. I

What we like

The comfort and refinement of this car are truly exceptional for the money, and combined with its space and practicality, that makes the Enyaq iV a highly recommended family car.

The 80X Sportline adds performance and grip into the equation but this does not detract from the appeal of the car one iota, while adding much more usable performance and handling for those who like to press on.

What we don’t like

Higher-spec four-wheel drive models are quite expensive and the extra performance they offer isn’t enough to justify the added expense over the rear-wheel drive variants. Also, it can get very expensive when you start ticking the options boxes, especially the 80X and vRS versions, which already have high cash prices.

These criticisms aside, this one is an electric SUV that’s well worth taking on.

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