Skoda starts testing Enyaq Electric Vehicle in India – EQ Mag Pro

The year 2022 is turning out to be a fortune maker for Skoda in India. The Czech carmaker was already riding high on the success of its midsize SUV Kushaq, and it now has strengthened its portfolio by introducing the Slavia midsize sedan, which has also become a volume bringer for Skoda – just like its predecessor, the Rapid.

Now, Skoda intends to gear up its plans and make its foray into another talked-about segment in India – electric cars. And what can be a better model to start that journey than the Skoda Enyaq.

If we go by a recent statement made by Zac Hollis, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India, Skoda is evaluating the possibilities of its first-ever fully-electric car, the Enyaq iV electric crossover. In his statement, Hollis said that the roads and geographic conditions of India are very different when compared to that of Europe, which happens to be the chief market for the Enyaq. He also confirmed that Skoda has started testing the Enyaq on the Indian roads, the feedback of which will decide its fate for India.

Will reach India as CBU

While Hollis has confirmed that electric mobility is the way to go in the future, he also refrained from sharing more details about the plans. However, he said that Skoda is studying both CBU and CKD routes for the Enyaq, if it is finalized for the Indian car market. He added that since the Enyaq will be a niche offering, the CBU route might make more sense due to limited investments.

Skoda is currently spearheading Volkswagen Group’s operations in India, which has already made its move towards electric mobility with the launch of high-end luxury electric vehicles like the Audi e-Tron, Audi e-Tron Sportback, and Audi e-Tron GT and Porsche Taycan. However, with the Enyaq, the group can make electric vehicles more accessible to the Indian car buying audience. The Skoda Enyaq is a direct competitor to fully-electric cars like the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5, both of which are already confirmed for the Indian market, with their official launches slated to happen in the upcoming months.

Skoda Enyaq iV made its public debut in September 2021 as Skoda’s first-ever fully-electric vehicle. Sharing its platform with Volkswagen ID.4, the Skoda Enyaq sits on Volkswagen Group’s MEB architecture, which is specially developed for electric vehicles. Globally, the Enyaq is being offered with three battery pack options (55 kWh, 62 kWh and 82 kWh), with both rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive options. It also got an RS variant, which offers an all-wheel-drive configuration with 306 bhp on tap. If Skoda Enyaq makes its way to India, it might be offered in both rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive options, but the RS variant will be skipped.

Source: PTI