New Skoda Enyaq vRS 2025 review: Czech-mated by its own sibling
The hot Enyaq now looks sharper and costs less, but is this enough to beat its rivals and the Auto Express Car of the Year?
Verdict
The surface-level nature of the updates to the Skoda Enyaq only highlight what a brilliant package it already was – and that certainly goes for the top-end vRS model, too. Its posh interior feels befitting of its price tag, while the vRS edition brings plenty of performance. Those looking for outright excitement will be left disenchanted – standard non-vRS models will be sufficient for most buyers – yet the biggest issue isn’t necessarily the Enyaq itself, but the existence of the Elroq. Smaller, cheaper and offering similar passenger space to the Enyaq, the newer car makes Skoda’s flagship feel somewhat superfluous in most cases, which is an odd thing to say about such a multi-talented vehicle.
It's incredible to think that the first few examples of the Skoda Enyaq arrived on UK roads over four years ago, yet in that time it’s managed to hold firm against newer electric family car competitors such as the Renault Scenic, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Vauxhall Grandland.
More recently, the Enyaq’s reign has come under fire from within the Skoda camp itself, particularly courtesy of the smaller Skoda Elroq; this provides almost everything its bigger brother does, but in a cheaper, more attractive package. The same is true of the range-topping vRS model, with the Elroq getting the same performance and visual upgrades as the more expensive Enyaq.
Used - available now
2023 Skoda
Enyaq
39,484 milesAutomaticElectric
Cash £16,297
2023 Skoda
Enyaq
23,913 milesAutomaticElectric
Cash £18,197
2023 Skoda
Enyaq
13,928 milesAutomaticElectric
Cash £18,999
2022 Skoda
Enyaq
78,509 milesAutomaticElectric
Cash £16,300To help keep it competitive for 2025, the Enyaq has now received what is perhaps the automotive industry’s most literal example of a facelift; Skoda’s flagship now bears a revised ‘Tech Deck’ front grille design taken straight from the Elroq.
This does a good job of spicing up the exterior of the Enyaq, which was never a bad-looking car in the first place. On the vRS, this faux grille design is also illuminated and while it is difficult to see in the daytime, does look pretty slick in the dark.
While in the human world facelifts usually come with an eye-watering price tag, the updated Skoda Enyaq vRS actually costs marginally less than the outgoing car, now starting from £51,660 – a saving of roughly £1,500 over the previous model. The sleeker-looking Coupe model is also available for an extra £1,900.
Other than this, however, the facelifted Enyaq is much the same as before. The vRS model gets two electric motors – one on each axle – to provide four-wheel drive and a generous 335bhp. Switch the hot Enyaq into its Sport setting and 0-62mph is disposed of in a brisk, if not entirely gut-wrenching, 5.4 seconds; in reality, this is only just over a second quicker than the cheaper 85x model.
Yet despite its extra power, the vRS trumps the 85x in terms of range, too. With a net capacity of 79kWh, Skoda says the Enyaq vRS is capable of up to 344 miles in mixed urban and motorway driving – 12 miles more than the 85x with its 77kWh battery. During our spirited drive through the Cumbrian countryside, we were able to return around 3.4 miles per kilowatt-hour, which translates to a real-world range of some 270 miles; drivers with a lighter right foot will inevitably eke out more miles.
However, we found ourselves wishing we were in the smaller Elroq; the Elroq is actually slightly wider than its supposed larger sibling, but paradoxically feels more compact. This being the case, the Enyaq’s bulk gave us little confidence to throw it into tight bends.
That’s not to say the Enyaq vRS isn’t well balanced; its steering is nicely weighted, although as is the case with most cars in this segment, it offers very little feedback. The standard-fit adaptive suspension never gets all that bone-shaking, either. Despite being 10mm lower than the regular Enyaq and us almost constantly having the car in its raciest mode, we found it to be more than compliant enough for all but the most delicate of posteriors. The Enyaq’s four-wheel drive also ensured the traction was virtually unfaltering, even on slippery surfaces and those scattered with mud or gravel.
Elsewhere, there is little fun to be had. Skoda has hinted that it plans to emulate sound and gearshifts in future vRS models, but here no such features exist, making the supposed pinnacle of Skoda’s performance line-up feel a little prosaic. With no drift modes or even performance pages buried within the infotainment system, the most compelling reasons to upgrade from regular Enyaq models are more visual than dynamic.
The Enyaq vRS’ racier sport seats, for example, are supremely comfortable and supportive, with a luxurious massage function, which certainly feels more at home in more premium offerings from Volkswagen Group. We personally are fans of the Acid Green stitching that’s available, but if this is a tad too much for you, full leather in black is available for no extra charge.
Material quality remains one of the Enyaq’s strong points, with plenty of squidgy and posh-feeling materials almost everywhere you look. We like the felt-lined door bins and leatherette where you place your hand to operate the snappy 15-inch infotainment screen, but are surprised how cheap the door pull feels. This is constructed out of cheap plastic and given that it’s something you touch all the time, it’s a strange oversight.
If bang for your buck means a lot to you, the Enyaq vRS also comes almost fully loaded with things like heated seats, a Canton sound system, a 360-degree parking camera and a powered bootlid. However, we do think Skoda is a bit stingy not including a heat pump at this price point.
Less miserly is the boot space which, at 585 litres, is one of the biggest in its class and, crucially, 115 litres more than the Elroq. Rear passenger room is also plentiful, with sufficient leg and headroom, even in sleeker Coupe models. Sunblinds on the back windows, plus easy-to-access Isofix child seat-mounting points show that Skoda is clearly acknowledging its customer base of family buyers.
| Model: | Skoda Enyaq vRS |
| Price: | £51,660 |
| On sale: | Now |
| Powertrain: | 79kWh battery, 2x e-motors |
| Power/torque: | 335bhp/545Nm |
| Transmission: | Single-speed auto, four-wheel drive |
| 0-62mph: | 5.4 seconds |
| Top speed: | 111mph |
| Range: | 344 miles |
| Max charging: | 185kW (10-80% in 26 mins) |
| Dimensions (L/W/H): | 4,660/1,879/1,618mm |
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