Skoda Epiq Reviews

The Skoda Enyaq finally arrived in Australia in 2024 following many delays and bleak initial fanfare.After only a year on sale locally, the mid-life facelift arrived and it has dramatically improved the mid-size pure-electric SUV's appeal. Not only from a stylistic perspective, but from a choice, value and efficiency standpoint.On test here is the Enyaq 85 Sportline SUV which is now the mid-spec trim in the line-up, notably with the traditional SUV body style over the polarising ‘coupe’ SUV one.It’s priced from $63,990, drive-away, which is surprisingly competitive in its cut-throat category. Key rivals include the popular Tesla Model Y RWD ($58,900, before on-road costs), BYD Sealion 7 Premium ($54,990, BOC), XPeng G6 Long Range ($59,800, BOC) and the Zeekr 7X Long Range RWD ($63,900, BOC).If this is too much, Skoda now offers the entry-level 60 Select SUV, priced from a mind-blowing $54,990, drive-away.Although the 60 Select SUV offers a fantastic entry price, the 85 Sportline SUV firms as the sweet spot as there’s plenty of standard equipment.Highlights include matrix LED headlights, 20-inch alloy wheels, a 5.0-inch digital instrument cluster, 13.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system, eight-speaker sound system, tri-zone climate control, synthetic leather and suede upholstery, heated front seats with a massage function and heated outboard rear seats.The only features that aren’t standard include a surround-view camera, semi-autonomous park assist, premium sound system, panoramic glass sunroof and an illuminated grille. These are all available as optional, or standard on the Enyaq 85 Sportline Coupe.Key Skoda highlights are ‘Simply Clever’ touches throughout the car, including an umbrella in the driver’s door, roll-up rear side window shades, charging cable bags, plus the plethora of boot-related goodies, among countless others.These kind of features make a car much more liveable, personable and practical. Speaking of the latter, the Enyaq SUV has a cavernous amount of interior storage, especially in the second row and boot.Although it’s an SUV, this car is incredibly close to being a lifted wagon. Even more so with the slightly lower ride height in this Sportline trim.One of the few practicality downsides is the front cupholders are too small. It’s strange because the centre console is designed with storage in mind. Rather than placing them horizontally, it would be smarter to package them vertically alongside the gear selector so there’s more room for larger drinks.In terms of driving, I appreciate how the Enyaq feels like a normal car that just happens to be electric. There’s no learning curve. You’re able to just get in and drive.In saying this, though, it took me a bit to realise there is no traditional ‘Park’ button or switch. You just flick on the electric handbrake and that also engages Park.The Enyaq’s handling is engaging with direct steering, especially out on the open road. The ride is also surprisingly compliant despite the sport suspension and hefty 20-inch alloy wheels, though tyre roar on coarse-chip roads proliferates through the cabin as in many European cars.With its single, rear-mounted electric motor producing a healthy 210kW and 545Nm, the Enyaq 85 Sportline is no slouch. Unless you’re wanting the security of all-wheel grip, it’s makes you question why you’d even want the flagship RS trim.Another benefit of sticking with the 85 Sportline over the RS is you get better efficiency. Skoda claims it has a WLTP combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) energy consumption of 15.9kWh/100km.During my testing which included urban driving, as well as a 700km country round trip, I saw as low as 13kWh/100km in the city and up to 20kWh/100km in the pouring rain and a strong headwind on the freeway. My as-tested average worked out as 16.6kWh/100km after 970km of driving.Although this is slightly higher than the claim, the urban consumption in particular is Tesla-rivaling and much better than the pre-update Enyaq.Skoda claims the Enyaq 85 Sportline SUV, with its 82kWh lithium-ion battery, can travel up to 547km, according to WLTP testing. Using my as-tested consumption a theoretical range of 464km is possible as the battery pack has a net value of 77kWh.This seems to be more realistic as during my road trip the range readout proved to be a little fickle, especially once the battery charge hit the lower end of the scale.During one 100km highway section of my road trip where I started with 40 per cent charge and 196km of claimed range, I reached my destination with 14 per cent and only 59km of claimed range. Talk about range anxiety…In terms of charging, AC charging is up to 11kW and DC charging is up to 135kW. These aren’t revolutionary figures, but with the latter, a 10 to 80 per cent charge is claimed to only take 28 minutes.The Enyaq received a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating back in 2021. Standard safety kit includes nine airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors as well as a reversing camera.As noted above, a surround-view camera and semi-autonomous park assist is optional on the 85 Sportline SUV, but standard on the Coupe. This isn’t ideal but not a deal-breaker.Like all Skodas, the Enyaq is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. The high-voltage battery is also covered for eight years or 160,000km.Logbook servicing is required every two years or 30,000km, whichever comes first, which is fairly standard for EVs. A six-year pre-paid service package costs $1450, whereas a 10-year pre-paid service package costs $1990. This is great value.

Skoda has given the world a better look at its largest model ahead of its launch in mid-2026, revealing its overall shape and conforming some specifications for the EV.The aptly named (though Skoda remains insistent on finishing SUV model names with a ‘q’) 2026 Skoda Peaq, placed at the top of the brand’s line-up, has been photographed in the classic camo-wrap pre-launch guise as the brand confirms the electric car’s drivetrain and dimension details.It's a a seven-seat electric SUV that will bring the brand’s Vision 7S concept, revealed in 2022, to production. It will also bring another much-needed option to the large electric SUV space which is currently mainly served by the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9.The Peaq is set to boast more than 600km of range in its upper variants, while charging from 10-80 per cent will take less than 29 minutes in all variants, the brand says.Three versions of the Peaq have been confirmed, a base model ‘60’ with a 63kWh battery and 460km+ of EV range, while two more variants (90 and 90x) get 91kWh batteries and 600km+ of range.The biggest difference between the three is power delivery - the 60 and 90 variants are both rear-wheel drive, while the top-spec 90x is all-wheel drive. Outputs are 150kW, 210kW and 220kW respectively.None are fast, though. The quickest is the 90x thanks to AWD and it manages 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds.This is likely down to weight. The Peaq is similar in size to the Skoda Kodiaq but a little larger in key dimensions, being 116mm longer, 5mm taller, gaining 174mm between the wheels and in turn an extra 25 litres of boot space compared to the Kodiaq.All up, the Peaq is 4874mm long and 1664mm tall with a 2965mm wheelbase and a huge 935L of boot space as a five-seater. Skoda hasn’t confirmed a width yet, for some reason.Inside, a 13-inch vertical multimedia touchscreen and a 10-inch driver display headline the tech, while an Android-based operating system runs “native Škoda apps and third‑party services”. Augmented‑­reality head‑up display, a digital mobile key, a Sonos sound system and dual phone chargers are also confirmed.The Skoda Peaq is expected to land in Australia in early 2027.

Skoda has seemingly done the impossible - launch a European-built electric vehicle (EV) for less than its Chinese-made rivals.The newly-launched Skoda Elroq Select 60 is priced from $49,990 drive-away, dramatically under-cutting its rivals from established brands like Hyundai, Kia and Toyota. The smaller Hyundai Kona is priced from $54,000 (plus on-road costs) while the similar-sized, but Chinese-built, Hyundai Elexio is priced from $59,990 drive-away. Even the Toyota bZ4X starts at $55,990.Where the Elroq really stands out is when you compare it to its competition from China. The  Geely EX5 starts from just $40,990 and the Leapmotor C10 costs $45,888 but the more popular BYD Sealion 7 starts at $54,990 and the Chinese-made Tesla Model Y is priced from $58,900, with both of those prices excluding on-road costs, further widening the gap between the Elroq.So how did Skoda make the Elroq so cheap? Lucie Kuhn, Skoda Australia director, was adamant that the Elroq price is not subsidized from head office, as she suggests many Chinese models are. It's continuous work,” Kuhn said. “Of course the factory develops also, in terms of purchasing strategies, developing better materials. Maybe the technologies are also improving and you have some scaling cost opportunities. So it's also a matter of negotiations with our head office to get a price that is positive in the Australian market. Because what is it good for to price the car with a high price and sell few units, it's good for nothing.”Instead, it is part of a long-term play from Skoda, and parent company Volkswagen Group, to gradually increase its share of the EV market by bringing down prices to become more competitive.“ So our strategy from the very beginning was to firmly integrate the electric portfolio into our range and to make it a relevant part,” she said.Adding: “It's not necessarily the cheapest of the cheapest, but it was never the purpose. It was to create a model that provides European values like safety, high European production standards, social responsibility and this kind of stuff, for a really good price. That positively resonates with the customer and develops some real interest there in the market.”However, there is still a huge sales chasm between the Elroq and its Chinese rivals in terms of sales. Skoda, without the price-led Select 60 variant, sold just 253 Elroq last year, compared to 13,410 BYD Sealion 7, 3944 Geely EX5 and even 579 Leapmotor C10.Kuhn knows the addition of the more-affordable variant will not suddenly rocket the Elroq up the sales order, but is designed to set the brand up for long-term, sustainable growth.“I think it is not the purpose to go with Chinese pricing,” Kuhn said. “I think we have other values to offer compared to them and have other benefits maybe than the Chinese brands. We don't know what will happen with the Chinese pricing in the future because the Chinese business is currently quite heavily subsidized there from the government to, let's say speed up and accelerate the electromobility.“Taking it as a kind of benchmark for future pricing of all the other competitors is not the way we really want it to go. I think the price for a European product, considering the fact that the car has a seven year warranty and service pack, I would say it's really good.”

As the great philosopher, Kermit the Frog, famously said: "It’s not easy being green."It is getting easier being a ‘green’ car company in Australia, as more and more motorists make the switch to electrification. And for Skoda, the Czech brand with the green logo, this is the perfect time to start leveraging its broad array of mild-hybrids, battery electric vehicles and, perhaps most timely of all, plug-in hybrids (PHEV).That’s what we’re reviewing here, the Skoda Kodiaq PHEV, which joins the local line-up at just the right moment. PHEVs are all the rage at the moment, with China leading the charge (pardon the pun), but with the European brands quickly catching up.PHEV sales are up ‘only’ 62.5 per cent in the first two months of 2026, which is noticeably down on 2025’s massive 130 per cent sales boom. It’s still a growing segment, coming off a low base, but it is clear that Australians are embracing PHEVs more than ever before.Only a few years ago many brands dismissed the technology as only a ‘bridge’ towards fully electric vehicles and therefore of limited appeal. But as some Australians remain reluctant to go ‘all-electric’ in a hurry, Skoda anticipates that PHEV will actually be a “long bridge” that could span a decade or more in this country.So with that in mind, is the Kodiaq PHEV the right car at the right time? Or another case of so close, yet so far for a brand that continues to find itself as a niche offering despite closing in on two decades in Australia.The on-paper specifications look promising. The Kodiaq PHEV system combines a 110kW turbocharged petrol engine with an 85kW electric motor (integrated into the transmission) to produce a combined output of 150kW, paired to a 25.7kWh lithium-ion battery. That battery provides enough energy for up to 110km of electric-only driving, according to Skoda, while helping it achieve a claimed fuel economy figure of 1.9L/100km.And it does all this in a large SUV capable of fitting a family of five in comfort. That's right, while the petrol Kodiaqs are all seven-seaters, the PHEV is a five-seat-only proposition. So if you need a third seating row, best look elsewhere.What typically sets Skoda apart from its rivals is its thoughtful design, with the so-called ‘simply clever’ touches, like the pop-out door edge protectors, cleaner for the touchscreen and rubbish bins in the door pockets.While these sorts of things may seem like small, inconsequential elements, they are often very helpful in the day-to-day life of driving a family vehicle. For example, there is an extra storage compartment in the rear, which gives your kids or friends a place to stow their bottles and other small items.From a technology and presentation perspective the Kodiaq does a nice job fitting into a space above the mainstream. There’s a 10-inch digital instrument display and a 13-inch multimedia screen and a pair of wireless smartphone charging pads.Also of note, despite most of the multimedia system being run via the touchscreen, Skoda utilises its ‘smart dials’ for easier, on-the-move, functionality for the air-conditioning and driving modes. For those unfamiliar, these ‘smart dials’ can perform multiple functions as they can change through different menus with a press and then you rotate them to adjust. As an example, you can switch between fan speed and drive modes by pressing the centre of the three dials.So, how does this smart new powertrain and clever interior stack up on the road? Well, there’s good news and some not-so-good news for Skoda.On the plus side, the Kodiaq drives with the sort of direct and responsive nature we expect from Volkswagen Group vehicles. They have a firmness to the ride that translates to a more dynamic and engaging driving experience compared to your average, mainstream large SUV. It’s certainly a cut above what you get from some Chinese-built PHEV rivals.The powertrain did a good job of seamlessly switching between the various options it has. Over more than 150km of driving, mostly on open roads to the south of Sydney, we saw a return of 3.8L/100km on the Kodiaq’s own trip computer. Obviously that’s a lot more than the official claim, but with more urban, stop-start driving, getting closer to, or even below, 3.0L/100km seems achievable, and would be a good result for an SUV of this size.As for the negatives, unfortunately for those who have driven previous generation Skodas (or Volkswagens) this new Kodiaq just doesn’t feel as solid and as refined as before. Most notable is the door rattles, particularly noticeable on bumpy back roads. It’s very uncharacteristic for Skoda, but it’s the same experience we had when we test drove the Volkswagen Tayron (the Kodiaq’s German twin) and it suggests there has been some sort of change behind-the-scenes that has impacted the build quality the brands were once renowned for.It’s especially disappointing when you consider the price, $63,490 plus on-road costs or a current drive-away deal of $68,990, which means it’s not a cheap car and should have a semi-premium feel to it.Still, that’s a competitive price amongst its direct rivals, the Mazda CX-80 PHEV starts at $75,750 (plus on-roads) and the Kia Sorento PHEV range kicks off at $71,130 (plus on-roads). But with the new BYD Sealion 8 arriving with a seven-seat option from $56,990 (plus on-roads) and the Chery Tiggo 8 starts at just $45,990 drive-away, it won’t be easy for Skoda to cash in on the PHEV fandom.

The future for this standout small car doesn't look so promising.Skoda Australia director Lucie Kuhn admitted sales of the Scala are not enough to keep the Mazda3 rival in stock. In 2025 Skoda Australia sold just 249 Scala, which ironically was more than the Superb (199) but well-short of even the second worst-selling small car, the out-going Kia Cerato, which still managed to find 1094 buyers. The overall small car market was down more than 20 per cent.Instead, the Scala is now an ‘order only’ option for customers and dealers who really want one of the small cars, with Kuhn admitting its long-term future is uncertain. “ Scala is currently a model that we are running some analysis on it,” she said. “Because you are exactly right, the segment is very small here in Australia. We will probably keep the car going, probably just being available in a factory order. Just because you might always have customers that might be interested in having the car, but the volume is relatively small, I would say.”Skoda is committing to another slow seller, though.Where once the mighty Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon fought for sales supremacy, now a single, unlikely, survivor remains. And it has no plans on giving up the fight.The Skoda Superb is the only ‘large car under $70,000’ still on sale in 2026. Even the medium sedan segment is a shadow of its former glory days, with the Skoda Octavia competing against the Toyota Camry, BYD Seal, Hyundai Sonata and Honda Accord.But Skoda has no plans to give up on its sedans and wagons anytime soon. Speaking to CarsGuide at the launch of the new plug-in hybrid Kodiaq SUV, Kuhn said the brand remains committed to its sedans and wagons.“I  think this is something that the customers say,” Kuhn said. “The market is obviously going in more and more in the direction of SUVs year-by-year, this share is growing. But if you have a look in the car parks or on the streets, you still see plenty of sedans and plenty of wagons. So this is where we feel and see our opportunity that, in spite of the new car sales trend is growing and getting more into the SUV direction, there is still a massive car park of the sedan and wagon drivers. And this, we feel is an opportunity because as you said, we are one of the best brands who offer this kind of choice.”Skoda is so determined to give Australian buyers who shun SUVs choice so much so that it will actually expand the Superb line-up in 2026. The Czech brand is adding the new Select plug-in hybrid (PHEV) wagon variant alongside the existing Sportline sedan and wagon.This new option shares the same 110kW/350Nm PHEV powertrain as the Kodiaq and will be priced from $66,990 drive-away.

Never in my more than 20 years of writing about cars has a new car confused me so much as the Skoda Enyaq Select 60.It didn’t help that Skoda Australia launched it right alongside the Elroq Select 60, because the two cars share the same platform and much of the same design. The key difference being the Enyaq is slightly longer but, they share an identical wheelbase.Its similar looks and price with the Elroq do mean you have to pay attention to the details. And if you do, and look closely at those details, you become less confused about the Enyaq Select 60 and start to become impressed.That’s because this new addition to the Czech brand’s line-up is very much targeted at the more affordable end of the electric, mid-size SUV market. We’ll get to the specifications in a moment, but the most important figure is the price - $50,990 plus on-road costs. Considering the closely-related Volkswagen ID.4 is priced from $59,990, the Toyota bZ4X starts at $55,990, Subaru’s Solterra starts at $63,990 and even the new Hyundai Elexio is priced from $58,990, Skoda has positioned the new Select 60 variant very, very competitively in the increasingly crowded electric SUV space.However, more importantly, the popular Chinese mid-size EVs, such as the BYD Sealion 7 (from $54,990), Zeekr 7X (from $57,900) and Deepal S07 (from $53,900) are all more expensive too, meaning Skoda has positioned itself as a genuine rival to some of the most popular EVs in the country.And that’s before you factor in the current drive-away price of just $54,990 that Skoda Australia is introducing this new Enyaq with. That should put it on the radar for anyone looking at any sort of mid-size EV at the moment, regardless of brand or where it’s built.Obviously, to achieve this price Skoda has had to make some cuts, but that doesn’t mean the Select 60 is a stripped-out shell. On the contrary it comes with all the important stuff and a bit extra.This includes a 13-inch infotainment screen, a 5.0-inch digital instrument display, tri-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, LED lighting and 19-inch alloy wheels. What’s missing is leather-trimmed seats and other plush elements, but the cloth-trimmed seats look nice and overall the cabin treatment is simple but sophisticated.It also has Skoda’s trademark ‘simply clever’ features, like an umbrella housed in the driver’s door and a small pop-down handle to help close the boot.There’s also plenty of safety equipment, including adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert, turn assist, a rear-view camera and Volkswagen Group’s mild autonomous ‘Traffic Assist’ functionality.In terms of technical specifications, the Select 60 isn’t the same as the more expensive Sportline 85 model. This cheaper variant’s rear-mounted electric motor makes 150kW and has a 410km range from its 63kWh battery.The more expensive Enyaq offers up 210kW and 547km of range thanks to an 82kWh battery, so this is clearly an area where Skoda has been able to save money and pass that onto customers.Unless you jump into the Enyaq Select 60 straight after driving the more potent variant, chances are you’ll be more than happy with the performance its powertrain offers. It’s certainly not a ludicrously fast EV, but it isn’t trying to be and offers up smooth, effortless performance that will make it an ideal SUV for urban duties.However, the somewhat unusual rear-engine layout (which is becoming more common in two-wheel-drive EVs) combined with the experience and knowledge from Skoda and the wider VW Group means the Enyaq is a pleasure to drive on the open road.On winding and flowing country roads, the Enyaq feels stable, responsive and composed, which is not something all of its rivals can claim, particularly those from newer brands to Australia. Even the traditionally firm European ride feels more forgiving and less harsh than many rival models, with Skoda/VW clearly doing a good job of controlling the weight despite the heavy batteries; a challenge for even some of the so-called ‘legacy’ carmakers.Given its design, presentation, performance and, most importantly its price, perhaps the most confusing aspect of the Enyaq Select 60 is why Skoda remains overlooked by so many EV buyers.Yes, there are bigger names in the market (even though Skoda is closing in on its 20th anniversary in Australia) but the brand has clearly been usurped by many newer brands when it comes to EV buyers looking to make their next purchase.

Chinese electric cars are too cheap, they are heavily subsidised by the Chinese government and no other carmaker, particularly those from Europe, can ever get close on price.Right? Well, maybe not.Skoda has emerged as an unlikely challenger to the Chinese electric brands, with the new Elroq Select 60 not only rivalling the best from China on technology but also beating them on price. It almost sounds too good to be true, but it might be the best-value, electric, mid-size SUV available on the market as I type this.Think I’m being hyperbolic? Well, consider this. The new Elroq Select 60 is priced from $49,990 drive-away. For comparison, the much smaller Hyundai Kona is priced from $54,000 (plus on-road costs) and the similar-sized, Chinese-built, Hyundai Elexio starts at $59,990 drive-away, so right away the value is obvious. But then, when you compare it to what the Chinese are offering, the deal starts to look even better. Yes, there are cheaper options, such as the $40,990 Geely EX5 and $45,888 Leapmotor C10, but neither can match the Elroq in terms of quality, both in terms of design and driving dynamics.In terms of pure popularity, the BYD Sealion 7 is one of the most popular electric SUVs on the market, behind the Chinese-made Tesla Model Y. Both of those models cost more, significantly so, with the BYD starting from $54,990 and the Model Y from $58,900 - both of those prices exclude on-road costs.When you compare the Elroq to other electric mid-size SUVs, the value equation looks even better, the Toyota bZ4X starts at $55,990, the Subaru Solterra is priced from $63,990 and notable Zeekr 7X starts from $57,900.What makes the Elroq Select 60 even more impressive is, while it has less equipment than the other variants in the range, it still comes well-specced for the price. Standard equipment includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail-lights, keyless entry and start, a 13-inch infotainment screen, a 5.0-inch digital instrument display, dual-zone climate control and heated front seats. Yes, there are cloth seats, instead of leather, and the trims used in the cabin are less premium than more expensive alternatives, but the overall level of fit and finish in the cabin leaves a positive impression.Further to that are the ‘simply clever’ features that are a Skoda trademark, like an umbrella housed in the driver’s door and the mobile phone pockets on the back seats, which add to the positive impression of the cabin and the feeling of value.Skoda has also included an array of passive and active safety features, including adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert, turn assist and a rear-view camera as well as Volkswagen Group’s mild autonomous ‘Traffic Assist’ functionality.While it’s a generous amount of safety, it could do with some fine-tuning for the real world. In particular the active lane keeping assistance, which asks you regularly to take control of the steering wheel on the freeway, even when you have your hands firmly placed on it. It needs a significant amount of torque applied, enough for the Elroq to move in the lane, or it will sound an alert and vibrate your steering wheel.The net result of this system is you need to noticeably veer in your lane on the freeway every minute or so, which is not particularly safe and would likely get you pulled over by the police if they were following you. Skoda isn’t the only brand with such a system, but it’s yet another example of modern active safety needing improvement in real-world conditions rather than being rushed into cars to meet on-paper safety requirements.In terms of powertrain specifications, the Elroq Select 60 gets a unique powertrain compared to the rest of the range, which currently includes the 85 Select and 130 Years Edition; the latter of which will be replaced later this year by the new Elroq Sportline.Unlike the 210kW/545Nm powertrain in those models, this cheaper option gets a single, rear-mounted electric motor good for 150kW and 310Nm. It also has a smaller battery, 63kWh instead of 82kWh, which provides a driving range of 395km. Skoda also claims a ‘city range’ of more than 500km, for those who plan to primarily drive in the urban environment, so while the overall range is a significant drop from the 529km for the 85 Select, the range is still very liveable for most people.Perhaps where the Elroq shines best, and most clearly sits ahead of its Chinese rivals, is its on-road driving dynamics. The rear-mounted motor, and therefore rear-wheel drive layout, means the Elroq feels more like driving a premium sedan than a modern SUV. The steering is responsive and direct, while the suspension manages to find a nice balance between controlling the weight of the car and not jarring the occupants on every bump. The chassis has the firmness you expect from a Volkswagen Group product, which only helps that responsive, dynamic feeling even further.But around town, at lower speeds, it feels quiet and comfortable, so it feels like it would be an easy SUV to live with.

After a long wait the Skoda Enyaq RS SUV and Coupe have been confirmed to arrive in Australia in the third quarter of 2026.The brand previously offered the Enyaq RS Coupe in limited volume from December 2024, but this updated model will expand the range with the addition of the SUV bodystyle.“The Enyaq RS and Enyaq Coupé RS distil the best of Skoda: effortless electric performance, long‑range confidence and generous technology, all wrapped in a distinctly RS design,” explained Lucie Kuhn, Brand Director for Skoda Australia.“They’re engineered for Australian life: quick to charge, easy to live with and exceptionally well equipped.”The Enyaq RS SUV will be priced from $75,490 and $76,490 (both prices exclude on-road costs), but Skoda Australia has confirmed that a national drive-away deal will be offered, but announced closer to launch.Full details for this new flagship, high-performance variants have just been confirmed by the Australian arm of the Czech brand, with a 250kW/545Nm, all-wheel drive powertrain headlining its credentials.But despite being capable of sprinting 0-100km/h in 5.4 seconds, Skoda also claims the Enyaq RS will be able to drive up to 523km on a single charge, thanks to its 9kWh battery. Maximum DC charging is 185kW, which Skoda claims is enough to recharge the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in 26 minutes.Befitting its role as the performance hero of the range, the Enyaq RS will also come equipped with Volkswagen Group’s Dynamic Chassis Control.Unique elements for the RS include 21-inch alloy wheels, glossy black exterior highlights and RS design black leather and leatherette seat trim. There’s also the exclusive Mamba Green hero colour to further set it apart.Further equipment includes a 13‑inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 5.3‑inch digital instrument display, heated and ventilated front seats, tri-zone climate control, wireless smartphone charging and a Canton premium sound system.Plus there’s Skoda’s trademark ‘simply clever’ touches, including an umbrella stowed in the front door, hands-free power tailgate and cargo nets and other storage devices in the boot.

China is dominating Australian new-car sales, but it’s also not alone, with a handful of legacy brands bucking the trend to somehow grow their sales in the face of BYD, Chery and GWM’s continued ascent.

The Skoda Superb is now available with a plug-in hybrid set-up, adding a new option to the wagon segment.