What's the difference?
What is it about single letters and performance cars?
BMW has M, Volkswagen has R, Lexus has F, and with only 23 choices left Hyundai opted for N - which stands for Namyang, site of the brand’s sprawling proving ground and development centre in South Korea, and Nurburgring, the famous German racing circuit where its performance cars are fine-tuned.
And like BMW M Sport, VW R-Line and Lexus F Sport, the Korean giant has N Line as a ‘lite’ option. Sporty models that add a little more punch and visual flair without crossing the line into hardcore hot-rod territory.
And this is one its latest examples, the pure-electric Ioniq 5 SUV in top-spec Epiq AWD trim and equipped with the N Line Option Pack as well as the tricky Digital Mirror Pack.
In this configuration it slots into the $90K price band, which means it has a lot to live up to in terms of performance, safety, driving dynamics, value and more.
So, stay with us to see if this premium five-seater is the kind of sporty EV SUV that gets your heart racing.
Something important has shifted.
This is the Skoda Enyaq facelift. Yes, it’s been barely a year since the original finally launched in Australia, after endless delays, in September 2024. And they’ve already gone and changed it.
Yet there’s more going on here than merely updating an ageing mid-sized SUV electric vehicle (EV), because Volkswagen’s Czechian brand is rediscovering its roots. The era of the $40K supermini seems to be passing.
And that’s terrific news for buyers and likely terrifying news for rivals like the BYD Sealion 7, Kia EV5 and Tesla Model Y.
Welcome, then, to the 2026 Enyaq Series II. Does sharper pricing stand for ‘Extra Value’ in this family-focused EV? Let’s find out.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 Epiq N-Line AWD leverages an electric powertrain’s best attributes brilliantly well.
It’s ultra smooth and comfortable with ample performance and great dynamics thanks in part to this car’s N Line spec.
Its price tag pits it against formidable competition from the German Big Three, Tesla and others. But it has what it takes in terms of quality and value to fight that battle. It’s an impressive machine.
The Enyaq facelift is a big deal, and hopefully the start of a fresh era for Skoda, marking a long-overdue return to brand values. Its first Toyota RAV4-sized family EV SUV nails it for value, functionality, comfort, ease, driving enjoyment, efficiency and even the overall ownership experience.
We have yet to drive the base 60 Select with that headline low price so cannot make a definitive call, but the more-expensive 85 Sportline proves Skoda is taking the family EV very, very seriously. Consumers considering a BYD Sealion 7, Kia EV5 or Tesla Model Y would do themselves a disservice to not check out the Enyaq first. The most convincing Skoda in years.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.