Why the Skoda Enyaq is a family-friendly 5-star electric SUV

When it comes to picking the perfect fully electric SUV for your family, you’ve almost certainly got a long list of demanding requirements.

You undoubtedly need bags of versatile space for you, the kids, your relatives, your friends, and all your collective and combined luggage – letting you pack more into your working week and go the extra mile on your next big adventure.

You probably also want something easy and fun to drive: both every day and on long weekends away. It absolutely needs to offer great value for money and low running costs, helping you focus more of your monthly budget on the family (rather than the family run-around). Equally, you don’t want to compromise on the style, comfort or tech that makes every journey easier, safer and more enjoyable.

Feel like an impossible wish-list? Well, meet the answer to all those questions (and more): the fully electric Skoda Enyaq. Available as a stylish SUV and an even sleeker Coupé, it could be the perfect fully electric family car – offering plenty of range, fast charging, lots of space and comfort, and a wealth of smart connected tech that makes every journey feel electric.

These are just a few of the reasons why the Skoda Enyaq has picked up a five-star What Car? review. It’s also why we wanted to explain why it doesn’t just make perfect sense as a family car, but why it should also persuade more families to make the electric switch.

Take a test drive in the Skoda Enyaq

#1 Loads of versatile family-friendly space

The first must-have for any practical family-friendly SUV is space. Lots of it. Equally, you need space that’s incredibly versatile to fit the fast ever-changing needs of busy family life. That’s where the Skoda Enyaq delivers in spades, being big enough inside to carry five people (and lots of luggage) with room to spare, while still feeling compact enough to drive through tight urban streets and country back lanes.

As What Car? highlighted in its five-star review, even six-footers have plenty of headroom and leg room in both the front and the back of the Skoda Enyaq, meaning everyone can travel in sublime comfort. Plus, for smaller family passengers, you get convenient dependable ISOFIX attachments on the front seat and two outer rear seats, including top tether hooks.

Up front, the Skoda Enyaq is dotted with a wealth of storage solutions, cubby holes, phone pockets and cup holders for the driver and front passenger, while the double pockets and foldable tables on the back of the rear seats and dedicated rear USB-C sockets on selected models let rear passengers juggle a bevy of devices for on-the-road entertainment, while always keeping them permanently charged up.

When it comes to luggage, the Skoda Enyaq certainly helps you pack more into every trip, with up to 585 litres of luggage space as standard in the Skoda Enyaq SUV, or up to 1710 litres with the 60:40 split-rear seats folded down. According to the five-star What Car? review, that’s enough for nine carry-on suitcases. Pick the sleek Skoda Enyaq Coupe, and you still get 570 litres, expanding up to 1610 litres.

The Skoda Enyaq is also packed with plenty of ‘Simply Clever’ features to make every family journey a little easier – such as a handy umbrella in the front door.

What Car? had particular praise for the Skoda Enyaq’s wide tailgate opening and low load lip in its five-star review, and selected trims add an electrically operated tailgate. Finally, if you pick the Transport Package, you get an easy access button in the luggage space that lets you quickly fold the rear sears down – as well as a range of storage nets and an underfloor storage compartment for the boot that let you neatly store your charging cables and other regularly used items.

#2 The range to fit family journeys (short and long)

Any good family-friendly fully electric SUV needs to offer plenty of electric range to satisfy a multitude of different journey types: whether it’s short everyday trips such as the school run, the daily commute or the weekly food shop, or weekend trips to the cinema. Equally, a good family SUV needs the ability to go that extra mile and extend that family holiday or weekend adventure that little bit further with ease.

As What Car? highlighted in its five-star review, the Skoda Enyaq has always boasted impressive range that stands it in good stead among its electric SUV peers – including rivals like the Tesla Model X and Hyundai Kona Electric. Now the updated-for-2024 Skoda Enyaq delivers even more. 

Thanks to a raft of refinements made to the Skoda Enyaq’s advanced electric powertrain, the entry-level Skoda Enyaq 60 SUV boasts a range of up to 249 miles, while the Skoda Enyaq 85 Edition Coupé boasts up to 353 miles of range. 

You can find out how the Skoda Enyaq suits your journey types and driving style using Skoda’s smart range calculator. But, as we’ve explained in our electric mythbusting feature it’s more than enough range for most family drivers to do a week or more of typical 20 to 30-mile daily local journeys on one charge without needing to plug in. 

Equally, it’s also more than enough to get you all the way from London to Leeds in one go (almost certainly with a healthy dose of range to spare). And that’s a four-hour journey that you wouldn’t do without stopping for a break: the sort of break that’s perfect for a quick top-up charge. Talking of which…

#3 Fast, flexible, easy charging to keep your family moving

When it comes to keeping a family-friendly fully electric SUV topped up, you want charging that fits your family’s busy life and budget, rather than the other way round.
 
You can learn more about all the different ways you can charge your Skoda Enyaq (and how long it takes) using Skoda’s smart charging calculator. But, as we’ve explained in our electric mythbusting feature, for most drivers the best charging starts at home.

According to the RAC Foundation, the typical UK car spends 96% of its time parked up, with 73% of that spent sitting at home on your driveway. So, the best time to charge an fully electric SUV like the Skoda Enyaq is when you’re not using it anyway. 

As we’ve said, most typical daily family journeys only add up to 20 to 30 miles a day. So, you probably won’t need to do a full top-up of your Skoda Enyaq each and every night. But, depending on which Skoda Enyaq you pick, a full overnight top-up on a 7.2kW wallbox home charger should take between nine-and-a-half and just over 12 hours.

The result: you can make the most of lower-cost overnight, off-peak and EV-friendly energy tariffs to charge in the most cost-effective and time-efficient way. It also means you can start every journey each morning with the best possible range.

Using the Skoda Enyaq’s always-online Skoda Connect capability and MySkoda smartphone app, you can use the Remote Charging and Smart Schedule tools to plan, schedule and track your Skoda Enyaq’s charging status from the comfort of your sofa. You can even pre-condition your car’s interior using the air-conditioning while the car is still plugged in and charging, ensuring that you can jump into a reassuringly warm or suitably chilled car without sacrificing any range.

Then, when you’re away from home, the Skoda Enyaq offers the flexibility to fit the wealth of rapid and ultra-rapid chargers in the UK’s fast-growing network. Entry-level Skoda Enyaq 60 models boast up to 120kW charging capability as standard, while the updated-for-2024 Skoda Enyaq 85 Edition models can now charge at 135kW. 

Pick the Skoda Enyaq 85x Sportline Plus and high-performance Skoda Enyaq vRS, and you get game-changing 175kW charging capability that can boost your battery from 10% to 80% in as little as 28 minutes at a suitably compatible charger in ideal conditions.

The Skoda Enyaq’s always-online Skoda Connect functionality lets you pick your charging stops using the smart electric-focused in-car satellite navigation or the simple-to-use MySkoda smartphone app – finding, picking and charting the most appropriate charging stops, whether it’s for speed, cost or proximity to your route.

Skoda has also thought about how to make paying for on-the-go charging easier. After all, who wants to juggle a wealth of charging cards, apps and memberships with different suppliers, or pay a premium for pay-as-you-go charging?

Skoda’s Powerpass app, card and streamlined membership packages also give you seamless hassle-free one-account access to more than 500,000 charging points across Europe from multiple suppliers – including the ultra-rapid IONITY network. So, it has never been easier to find the right charge point for your time and budget, while minimising the hassle of paying for it and managing your receipts.

#4 Simply clever features that takes the stress out of family trips

When you’re juggling the kids, the shopping, the weekly to-do list or planning your next weekend away, you want smart seamless intuitive tech and simply clever in-car features that put you in control and makes things easy. 

The Skoda Enyaq really delivers when it comes to simple, seamless navigation and in-car entertainment. Up front you get a high-definition 13-inch touchscreen and Digital Cockpit as standard – packing in smart fully electric satellite navigation with live traffic, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for all your key apps, DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity, Wireless Smartlink and intuitive Laura voice control. 

The graphics and user interface of the Skoda Enyaq’s infotainment system have been significantly streamlined and simplified for 2024 to make them even clearer and easier to use, letting you pick the driving information that matters most to you.

Using Skoda Connect and the Skoda Enyaq’s always-online connectivity, you can keep track of your car remotely on the MySkoda smartphone app. Ever forgotten where you’ve parked, or wondered whether you’ve locked the car’s doors? You can now check from the supermarket checkout or the restaurant table. Equally, keyless entry with start-stop and walk-away locking on selected Skoda Enyaq models means you won’t have to juggle the security of your car with the weekly shopping in the first place. 

On the road, dual zone climate control is available as standard, but with tri-zone climate control on selected models you gain even finer control of the perfect temperature for every Tom, Dick and Harriet in the back seat. Equally, optional features like the electrically adjustable drivers’ seat with power adjustable lumbar support and memory function make it easy for mum and dad to swap who’s in control.

Finally, once you reach your destination, a rear-view camera with front and rear parking sensors come as standard to help you navigate tight parking spots and avoid the hassle of time-sapping wallet-sapping prangs. By picking the Maxx Package, you can also add a 360-degree area-view camera, as well as smart park assist and trained parking technology that elevate parking to the next level – the latter bit of tech even learning and remembering how to park in a location you’ve been to before. 

#5 Smart tech that keeps you and your family safe

For any driver – but especially a parent – the safety of you and your passengers is paramount. This is where the Skoda Enyaq ranks highly as a family-friendly car. It secured a five-star rating in Euro NCAP’s demanding safety tests in 2021, with one of the highest occupation protection scores of the year at 94% and a maximum score for child protection. As a result, What Car? ranked it third in its 2022 What Car? Awards For Safety.

As you’d expect from a family-friendly Skoda, you get a wealth of airbags and ISOFIX preparation for the front passenger seat and outer rear passenger seats. But much of the Skoda Enyaq’s impressive safety rating is down to its wealth of smart driving tech – a lot of which comes fitted as standard on selected models. 

As What Car? pointed out in its five-star review: “If you’re using a car to carry your family, you’ll want it to keep them safe. The Skoda Enyaq demonstrates just how safe a mainstream electric car can be. It’s also great at avoiding accidents in the first place as you get lots of driver assistance kit thrown in – including automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance – and you can add more, such as blind-spot monitoring, through the options list.” 

You can add a head-up display that puts even more of your key driving, navigation and infotainment information even more directly in your eyeline. Equally, there are some innovative all-new safety features that help the Skoda Enyaq really stand out from its rivals. 

The Emergency Assist feature monitors the driver’s behaviour and, if no inputs are detected, it provides an audible warning alert to jolt the drivers’ attention. If no further input is detected, it will automatically bring the vehicle to a halt, activate the hazard lights and unlock the car doors, before automatically sending an emergency SOS using the eCall feature that comes as part of the Skoda Enyaq’s always-online Skoda Connect functionality.

Equally, if the Skoda Enyaq’s sensors detect a collision is likely, the Crew Protect Assist feature pre-tensions the seat belts and partially closes the windows and sunroof to prevent debris from entering the cabin. Again, eCall will automatically send an emergency SOS as soon as the airbags are triggered or the seatbelt tensioners tighten up in an accident. Or you can press the button yourself to report an accident.

#6 Family-friendly running costs

So, the Skoda Enyaq has the family-friendly space, range and charging to make the electric switch make sense. But how does it impact your wallet? After all, when you’re running a family car, money matters – and that’s where the Skoda Enyaq delivers across the board.

The big benefit of running an electric car is reduced whole-life costs: looking at the bigger picture and balancing the initial purchase price with the reduced long-term costs of charging, road tax and servicing and maintenance.

With the Skoda Enyaq, that journey starts on day one. On-the-road prices for the Skoda Enyaq line-up start from £38,970 for the Skoda Enyaq 60 SUV, which packs in plenty of range, tech, premium style and cossetting comfort as standard. There’s a reason why it won the 2022 What Car? Award for Best Electric SUV For Value. 

Whether you want more range, more performance or even more tech and style, the rest of the Skoda Enyaq line-up is equally keenly priced. Equally, with lots of smartly packaged-and-priced Design Selection trim packs and tech and convenience packs to choose from, you can spec your perfect Skoda Enyaq to fit your budget.

The fully electric Skoda Enyaq is also particularly appealing to company car drivers, thanks to benefit-in-kind BIK rates of just 2%. That means a company car driver in the 20% tax bracket can drive a Skoda Enyaq 60 for just £12.97 per month, while a company car driver in the 40% tax bracket will pay just £25.94. 

When it comes to Vehicle Excise Duty road tax, the Skoda Enyaq is VED-exempt until April 2025. You’re also exempt from Clean Air Zone (CAZ) or Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) charges in urban areas. The other big cost of running a car – servicing and maintenance – is also typically lower for electric models, as they have fewer complex moving parts.

Ultimately, it’s the ultra-low charging costs of the Skoda Enyaq’s ultra-efficient powertrain where the benefits of going fully electric really stand out. As we’ve said, the majority of your charging will typically take place at home overnight when you’re not using your vehicle anyway, letting you make the most of cost-effective overnight off-peak or EV-friendly energy rates and tariffs. 

Skoda has a handy fuel savings calculator that lets you calculate the benefit of going fully electric with the Skoda Enyaq, and it shows that a driver doing 15,000 miles a year can save around £900 by switching from a petrol model doing around 56.5mpg to a Skoda Enyaq 85 Edition. 

#7 Cossetting comfort, space and style

Last but not least, a sensible practical family car shouldn’t mean compromising your sense of either style or cosseting luxury. And the Skoda Enyaq offers plenty of both. 

From the start, the Skoda Enyaq SUV and Coupé’s sleek design stands out in any situation – especially if you pick one of the eye-catching solid, metallic, or pearl-effect paint colours available in the Skoda Enyaq’s rich palette. 

You can bolster the bold design of the Skoda Enyaq’s grille by adding the optional Crystal Face, which uses 131 LEDs across 18 vertical strips, while selected models upgrade the already stylish LED headlights to full LED matrix headlights with a three-dimensional crystal design, as well as adding front fog lights and headlight washers.

Inside, the Skoda Enyaq offers an impressive sense of luxury and style from the off, but you can also pick from a wide array of Design Selection packages that let you choose your preferred choice of seat upholsteries and in-car trim materials, as well as technology and practicality packs that add even more smart features.

For example, the Skoda Enyaq’s Maxx Package includes electrically adjustable front seats with memory and power-adjustable lumbar support. Or, if audio is your thing, the Advanced Package adds – among other features – a 10+1-speaker CANTON sound system alongside the head-up display, as well as heated front and rear seats and heated windscreen that are perfect for taking the chill out of frosty mornings.

So, those are all the reasons why the fully electric Skoda Enyaq could be your ideal fit as a family car. Maybe it’s time to try it out for yourself.

Take a test drive in the Skoda Enyaq