It’s no secret that Skoda – that one-time quirky brand which is probably one of the most visible brands on our roads – has an all-electric SUV. Can the new Enyaq do what Skoda wants it to?

The Enyaq’s stated purpose is to lift Skoda to a new level on par with the premium European brands and it can do this on the strength of its powertrain alone, but Skoda has not taken any shortcuts in any of the Enyaq’s development.

Far from it in fact. Enyaq is more than a step or two up from what we are used to seeing from Skoda, and we have had no complaints so far.

Interestingly, every Skoda model to date has seen one or two significant characteristics which define the vehicle: the Superb with its dream-cloud suspension, the Kamiq with its laser handling, the Kodiaq with its inimitable presence, the Karoq with its versatility, the Octavia its corporate and private market appeal, the Scala championing practicality and the Fabia leading Skoda’s styling charge.

To all of this, the Enyaq adds premium sophistication and the highest levels of technology, but the Enyaq – to a large degree – integrates all the other characteristics as well. Quite some trick.

In terms of its electric vehicle attributes, the Enyaq has a driving range exceeding 520 kms and can happily recharge from 10 percent to 80 percent in about half an hour from a DC 135kWh charger feeding the 82kWh battery.

Said battery powers the 150kW/310Nm motor which drives the rear wheels and uses between 16.2 and 17.4kWh for every 100km travelled.

As to the rest of the driving dynamics, while the Enyaq is a tourer as opposed to a sportster, it corners very well thanks to the chassis, which was purpose-built to accommodate the battery.

The battery forms an integral element of the chassis contributing to the flat handling characteristics of the smooth riding Enyaq.

Smooth riding and smooth looking. The solid, strong, and somewhat stubby nose with its distinctive 131 LED Crystal face grille, combined with a well-balanced body length and height is enough to convince the eye that the Enyaq is larger than it is while retaining a very symmetric appearance overall.

This carries through to the interior which – with the Enyaq being focused on targeting the premium sector – feels especially roomy, more in fact as you might expect a seven-seater to feel like, despite the Enyaq being a five-seater with a generous 585 litre luggage area.

Being a premium grade vehicle, it’s luxury all the way throughout the interior.

This can most obviously be seen in the variety of tactile surfaces making up the cabin. These replace the expansive acreage of conventional grey or black plastics so commonly used for the functional area of the dashboard and – uniquely to Skoda – are ‘layered’ to create a distinctive and sophisticated appearance.  

Core to the front cabin is the impressively sized, 13-inch colour touchscreen which integrates slider controls, gesture controls and voice command functionality. The array of functions this screen can offer is positively mind numbing and yet the actual functionality is extremely intuitive.

To further illustrate the sophistication of the cabin interior, one need only look to the audio suite. This is a CANTON sound system with no less than 12 speakers for a sublime stereo experience from either Apple CarPlay, Android Auto or Bluetooth connectivity through SmartLink+.

The front sports seats are an indulgent combination of suede with leather highlights, delivering an excellent balance of support and sophistication with electric adjustment, heating and for the driver, memory positioning and massage function.

Seat heating is carried through to the second row, so everyone can feel snug and serene while touring in the all-electric Enyaq.   

And it is serene. While the stated range is 532kms, Enyaq is one of the rare breeds of ‘drive-it-forever’ feeling vehicles, allowing it to be used daily – where the all-electric capability really comes into its own – and for weekend getaways and longer distance touring applications without any compromise on efficiency, comfort, safety, and handling.

The Enyaq ownership experience starts with a new way of ordering your vehicle. With New Zealand being the Enyaq’s first market outside of Europe, the process of purchasing an Enyaq starts with a completely new paradigm, incorporating virtual reality experience backed up by a physical immersion into the vehicle.

Is this the future of car buying? Perhaps, and the brand bringing the future closer – is Skoda.