Is the Škoda Enyaq 50 Worth Buying for 899,000 Crowns? Range, Battery Life, and Family SUV Insights!

In the middle of October, the outside temperature is not favorable at all, they often fall below ten degrees and it rains. These are not very good conditions for an electric car, it enjoys mild temperatures and more than ten degrees higher and friendly sun rays. The computer Enyaqu 50 on board shows a range of just under 300 kilometers with a battery charge of 99 percent. One is more used to this from small cars of the Mini Cooper E type, certainly not a family SUV with a length of almost 4.7 meters.

The numbers and the climate expectations before the weekly test do not offer too much hope, especially since we will avoid the natural environment for which the Enyaq 50 is intended. Already at the launch, representatives of the car manufacturer said that it was a car for local mobility. So urban or suburban movement is its proper area. Certainly not to overcome the highway sections from Prague to Brno, the 85 version with a 77kWh battery and a range of 562 kilometers is much more suitable for that.

However, the basic variation has a battery with a usable capacity of 52 kWh and a paper range of 375 kilometers. On average, it should say about 15.8 to 16.4 kWh per 100 km, according to the car company.

If the on-board computer is not planning, then by driving around the city or the districts you can easily enter the values ​​of the board, the wear starting with the number 14 as an exception even on the highway, which makes up about two-thirds of the way (although it was not possible to drive​​​​​​at the permitted limit due to road closures and heavy traffic), we managed to reach 15.1 kWh / 100 km after the 150 kilometer journey from Jindřichov Hradec to Prague. However, the weather was almost ideal for autumn, with sunshine and a temperature of around 15 degrees.

At the same time, we can compare, a few days earlier we completed the trip from Prague to Brno in the same car, mostly on the D1, which is again often repaired, there the temperature is much lower and occasional rain. There, the on-board computer already showed about 20 kWh / 100 km. The section from Brno to Jindřichov Hradec through districts and cities brought down the final average for 350 kilometers on all possible roads to 17.9 kWh / 100 km, still in low temperatures and rain.

According to the computer on board, the car consumed 17.1 kWh / 100 km during the one-week test, ie it went only slightly higher than the consumption of the board. So this should be enough for a real range of about 300 kilometers, but without long distance trips it can reach much better numbers.

The maximum charge power indicated by the car manufacturer is 145 kW, but the charge curve will be more important for use. We tested this on a charging station with a maximum output of 75 kW, where the Enyaq was able to use its full capacity for up to half of the battery capacity. Power dropped below 75 kW just after reaching 60 percent of capacity, at 80 percent the car was charging 52 kW.

At 90 percent battery capacity, the stand still showed a solid 42 kW. This means that on the most common 50kW DC chargers, Enyaq can use their maximum power for most of the charging time. Nevertheless, due to the higher charging power, charging could also be a bit faster. If you drive the Enyaq 50 more often on longer routes with highway sections, expect more frequent 20- to 30-minute recharge breaks.

It is generally not recommended to charge a battery with NCM chemistry to full capacity, or to keep the maximum charge in a car that is parked for a longer period of time (after all, Enyaq itself will warn you about this at cost). To speed up the charging process, there is battery preheating, which is started manually and with which the battery can handle a higher charging power from the start. It pays off especially in the winter.

With an output of 125 kW, the Enyaq is the weakest in the range, but the electric motor above the rear axle gives the car pleasant dynamics, especially during agile acceleration. It does not push you from rest to 100 km / h into the seats with a time of 9.1 seconds, but that is not the purpose of this car. Even because of the comfortably modified chassis, its money is above all smooth movements.

Otherwise, the basic variant is just like any other Enyaq. After a recent update, it got new software that is much more intuitive than before. You can also talk to the digital assistant Laura, who knows a few “jokes” too. But even the Enyaq 50 could not get rid of ailments such as a touch bar to increase the audio or an air conditioner that can only be changed during the show.

On the other hand, the advantages did not go away either, such as a large interior space or good workmanship. With very few exceptions, there are things that are pleasantly discounted everywhere that the hand can reach.

The Enyaq 50, which is available only in the Tour level for the aforementioned 899 thousand crowns, certainly does not skimp on equipment. In the base, it has a set of assistants including blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control, three-zone automatic air conditioning, navigation with a 13-inch screen, heated front seats and a steering wheel steering wheel, front and rear parking sensors, rear camera, keyless entry and start, LED front and rear lights or 19-inch alloy wheels.

The car in the pictures has a lot of extra equipment, including a shiny mask or an augmented reality head-up display. But as soon as you start checking the items from the extra price list, the charm of the “cheap” Enyaq quickly disappears. However, if you don’t drive long distances often, a lighter and cheaper electric car with a range of around 300 kilometers certainly makes sense. Even more important, because, unlike some urban-only models, it can transport the whole family comfortably for similar money.

However, in winter or in generally colder weather than during the test, where the kilometers go down very quickly, the low range could get on the nerves of many inexperienced electric motorists. And also long routes with a higher load mean frequent unnecessary stops. The Enyaq 50 is simply not suitable for that.