Skoda Enyaq iV Teased As The Company's Most Powerful Car Ever

Skoda hasn't built a rear-wheel-drive vehicle since the early 1990s when the 105/120/125 series of rear-engined RWD cars was discontinued to make way for the Favorit with the engine in the front driving the front wheels. The Mladá Boleslav marque is returning to its roots, but with an electric twist as the Enyaq iV will eschew the combustion engine for an electric motor.

While the pint-sized Citigo iV will go down in history as Skoda's first EV, the Enyaq iV will actually be the first model to be developed right from the start as an electric vehicle. It will ride on the Volkswagen Group's MEB platform and take the shape as Skoda's variant of the VW ID.4. The Czech automaker is now kicking off the teaser campaign by sharing images of camouflaged prototypes depicting the zero-emissions SUV.

Skoda is also being quite generous with the technical specifications as we get to learn about the Enyaq's dimensions: 4648 millimeters (183 inches) long, 1877 millimeters (73.9 inches) wide, and 1618 millimeters (63.7 inches) tall, with a generous wheelbase of 2765 millimeters (108.9 inches) and a cargo volume of 585 liters (20.6 cubic feet) with the rear seats in place. Unsurprisingly, it has roughly the same dimensions as its VW cousin.

The Enyaq will be available with a choice between three battery sizes, kicking off with the 55-kWh pack offering 340 kilometers (211 miles) of range per the WLTP cycle. This base version is rear-wheel drive and comes with a rear-mounted electric motor developing 146 horsepower (109 kW). Step up to the midrange model and you'll get a larger 62-kWh battery with enough juice for 390 kilometers (242 miles), feeding a rear electric motor producing 177 hp (132 kW).

If you want the longest range possible, the rear-wheel-drive variant with the 82-kWh battery is the one to get as it offers 311 miles (500 kilometers) between charges while producing 201 hp (150 kW) from its rear-mounted electric motor.

Skoda has also engineered the Enyaq to accommodate an all-wheel-drive layout with dual electric motors, one in the front and one at the back, with either 261 hp (195 kW) or a punchy 302 hp (225 kW). The latter is effectively the company's most powerful production car ever and is suitably going to be badged as an "RS" model. It will do the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint in a respectable 6.2 seconds before topping out at 112 mph (180 km/h). Both all-paw SUVs will cover 460 kilometers (286 miles).

Owners will be able to charge the battery pack through a conventional household socket with an AC output of 2.3 kW or by using a wallbox that delivers up to 11 kW. The Enyaq is being developed to support fast-charging with an output of 125 kW, in which case the battery can be recharged from 10 percent to 80 percent in 40 minutes.

While images of the interior have not been provided, we caught it on camera a couple of months ago. Skoda says its electric SUV has a free-standing 13-inch touchscreen and can be optionally ordered with a head-up display supporting augmented reality. For the first time in a production car, the Enyaq will use olive leather as part of the company's efforts to use more sustainable materials throughout the interior.

The Skoda Enyaq will be built at home in Mladá Boleslav from late 2020 and will go on sale early next year. A fancy "Founder's Edition" will be available in 1,895 units with a slightly different look and generous equipment to mark the brand's birth 125 years ago.