I can see why there has been talk about Skoda making two EV models close enough to each other in dimensions, spec and price that they risk both of them trawling much the same ground for buyers when they might be more profitably employed.
At first glance, you might think that to be the case with the brand’s new Elroq EV and the revised, larger, Enyaq.
But I’m sure they have their reasons for doing so and appear quite content – even with starting prices of the larger Enyaq and the less spacious (but not far behind nonetheless) new Elroq not a million miles apart. Normally for a brand new model, you would have expected the figures to show more of a gap.
But there is so much variety within both ranges that you can buy one or the other with a reasonable amount fresh air between their starting prices. And that’s a plus for the buyer.
For example, picking a specific Elroq because of higher equipment as opposed to a lower spec Enyaq could have the latter costing less. By the same token, and understandably, the reverse could mean the Enyaq could be substantially more than its smaller sibling.
It probably would be better if there were a few more euro between them for clear discernment of would-be buyers but this sort of thing happens in other car ranges too, where a top-spec smaller model is costlier than its larger stablemate.
I’m not saying they should add more to the Enyaq or knock a few euro more off the Elroq. If the cars are worth the money then they should be sold at as competitive a price as possible.
Some figures for you. The entry level Enyaq has a 63 kWh battery, a claimed 430km range, €120 road tax: RRP is from €48,500, there’s a VRT rebate of up to €2,690, a SEAI grant up to €3,500, dealer delivery charge of up to €750, giving an on-the-road price starting from €43,060.
Compare that with the Elroq model on a few fronts, and especially the fact that the smaller car’s entry level has a 55kWh battery and you get a starting difference of around €6,500 or so. Is that too close? I’m not so sure it is. Especially when you factor in the bit of added room and battery capacity.
That model’s lineup starts from €36,545 – for the Elroq 50 (55kWh battery) version – and from €38,416 for the Elroq 60 (63kWh battery) model. The Elroq has three battery sizes: 55kWh, 63kWh and 82kWh.
When testing it recently I had the 85 Sportline top-of-the-range 82 kWh battery version, 210kW of power, a claimed range of 571kms and it would have cost you from €50,360.
It just so happened that more recently than that I also had the revised Enyaq model on test, in Sportline trim, with all-wheel-drive (85X Sportline) and a 82kWh battery. It too develops 210Kw, can manage a claimed range of 538kms, costs just €120 in road tax (as do all EVs, of course), an RRP of €57,000 and it benefits from an SEAI grant of €3,500, and a dealer delivery charge of up to €750 – bringing the on-the-road price to €54,250. There isn’t that broad a gap to little brother.
I know it is easy to get bogged down in figures but I think these examples show the prices can be close enough and yet far enough apart. It all comes down to what you perceive to be the better value, and the one that suits you better.
I think the Elroq is what they call a segment buster, as it straddles the mid-size compact SUV genre, catching buyers from smaller models below who need something larger, and more spacious models from drivers who don’t want anything bigger.
So with that sorted – or maybe you are more confused – let’s visit the site of this week’s review, the latest Enyaq.
They have smartened up the exterior looks, added bits and pieces to the interior and generally gave the well-liked SUV a brushing up. In truth they haven’t changed an awful lot but they had to do something to make it look a bit bigger and sharper when stood beside the Elroq. One thing the Enyaq impressed me with was the luggage capacity: an impressive 585litres when you consider how roomy the back seats are.
It is heavily fitted out with the emphasis on lots of comfort and safety tech and with all-wheel-drive adding another dimension of security.
Spec now includes 20ins alloys, 13ins touchscreen display, navigation system, Smartlink (Apple Carplay/Android Auto) two USB-C ports, 8 speakers, DAB, Infotainment online (3 years subscription), lane keeping system, traffic jam assist, 12-volt socket in the boot, Climatronic (3-zone) with air con cruise control, Version 2 of the cockpit infotainment system etc.
It was rock solid, without jarring, on road for a car of its size and thanks to additional interior noise suppression it must now be one of the quietest cars on the road. The only complaint I had was the on-the-soft-side brakes. You get used to them.
Which one should you buy? The Elroq has genuine appeal and flair, but the Enyaq has built a big name for itself with good reason.
The good thing from a consumer point of view is that you have genuine choice, on several fronts, between two excellent cars.
