As much as we were hoping Skoda would try to undercut other Volkswagen Group rivals with its new Enyaq electric SUV, it’s now more certain that Skoda will be going with the theme of ‘best value’ rather than ‘lowest entry price’.
Skoda Australia’s brand director Michael Irmer told Chasing Cars that the Enyaq midsize SUV is unlikely to undercut EVs such as the Cupra Born hatch or the upcoming Volkswagen ID3 hatch.
“We are still working on the lineup [for Enyaq] … the one thing that is clear based on the history, we will definitely have a halo car with everything.
The Skoda Enyaq to launch in Australia is set to look a lot like this Sportline
“We will start with a fully-kitted version – that is set in stone. What is not yet set in stone is if and how many variants we will have underneath,” Mr Irmer said.
Skoda is not looking to sell the cheapest car, as Mr Irmer states that “we will provide more value, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the sticker price is less”.
Skoda has traditionally been seen in the past as a lower-cost Volkswagen Group brand, however Skoda doesn’t think of it that way.
A hotter iV RS is also confirmed for the Australian market
“Whole-of-life cost is more than the sticker cost … what is more important is the value for money for the content you get”.
Whole-of-life cost, as Irmer mentions, is the entire lifecycle cost of a product, not just upfront figures seen at a dealership.
In terms of Enyaq’s anticipated arrival in Australia, it could happen in a closer time frame than we initially thought.
The Enyaq rides on a very similar MEB platform to the Cupra Born
“We are finally in that position where we can offer the product. I wish we had it sooner, let’s face it. But we are now working to bring the car a bit forward, if it is successful, we will announce it”.
The new Skoda Enyaq is expected to go on sale in Australia sometime in 2024, but it isn’t known just yet which quarter of the year this might be. Pricing is yet to be decided, but starting prices could sit somewhere around the $80,000 mark here in Australia.
Overseas-announced Laurin & Klement model likely to headline Enyaq in Australia
The Skoda Enyaq for Australia will be a high-spec variant from launch
When asked about the recently announced L&K (Laurin & Klement) trim grade, Skoda Australia said with confidence that the variant could be a good launch edition for Australia.
“L&K would make a great launch edition. I personally think the car has the appeal to be brought to Australia.
“We might actually bring it in L&K first … Very likely, we are going to offer the L&K first,” Mr Irmer stated.
The Volkswagen ID3 shares its underpinnings with the Enyaq
This makes complete sense, as the iV 85 variant that is locked in for release in Australia next year will use the same 210kW, rear-wheel drive powertrain setup as the overseas L&K variant.
Skoda Australia has already gone on the record to say that it will bring a halo car to market – this almost certainly will be the more luxurious and well-appointed L&K-spec Enyaq.
Skoda has also said it will bring a iV RS to the Australian market in 2024, however details on this car are still under wraps for the time being.
The Skoda Enyaq RS iV Coupe on road
Expect more news about a hotter RS performance version with higher power outputs in the coming months.
Skoda learnt from launch of Cupra Born
Although they are two very different brands, when asked if Skoda Australia had learnt anything from the launch of the Cupra Born (riding on a similar MEB-based platform), Skoda’s Michael Irmer said that “our gut feel is right, the customer demand is there, it’s strong and sustainable.
Skoda learnt from Cupra Born that the customer demand is there for EVs
“We need the car [Enyaq]. We need it soon”.
Considering the warm reaction to the Cupra Born which was launched in Australia just a couple of months ago, it can be said that Skoda is expecting the same for Enyaq.
“Dealers are increasingly being asked by customers: when is Enyaq coming? We will try to bring production forward a couple of months … we will start a pre-sale campaign a few months before the cars are in dealerships,” Irmer said.
What we know so far is that the Enyaq will be available in either coupe or SUV body styles and will initially be available with two variants: iV 85 and iV RS.