The first electric car to achieve the Czech make’s vaunted performance badge is certainly hot - but will the price cool desire?

Price: $105,000

Powertrain: Dual electric motors, maximum power 250kW, maximum torque 545Nm rear, 134Nm front, 84kWh (79kWh net) lithium ion phosphate battery, WLTP range 521km.

Transmission: Single speed automatic.

Safety rating: Five star ANCAP.

Wheels and tyres: Alloy wheels, 255/40 R21.

Dimensions: Length, 4658mm; width (including mirrors), 2147mm; height, 1635mm.

We like: Chassis competence; performance edge; general practicality; so many small and clever touches.

Not so much: Price positioning; inhibited technology.

ANYONE holding belief sizzle must come with an appropriate soundtrack stands to misunderstand the full potential of the Skoda Enyaq RS.

It’s not taken an outright vow of silence, but it’s the usual thing with electric cars. Even though Skoda has gone to the trouble of creating bespoke sound profiles - Sport and Futuristic - selectable through drive modes, that exuberance is only raucous on the inside. Anyone on the outside gets to watch it sizzle in all but silence.

Does that make it less enthralling? For some perhaps it will. For those people, I’d recommend looking to the Ioniq 5 N, which really shouts out, due to Hyundai’s black ops department having given it external speakers.

Still, even though it operates on mute in the world at large, don’t underestimate this Skoda. While the powertrain is almost as quiet as the ‘v’ in this model’s full ‘vRS’ name, why it has citation as the make’s fastest production model becomes apparent when you hoof it from a standstill. Almost all electrics are fast, yes, but among fast electrics within its category this one really rockets.

Still, it’s not borderline lunatic; with punch comes a lot of polish. That’s just the Skoda way.

Some will say the delivery being moderated by common sense risks it being considered a bit too close to the mainstream. Some will counter-argue that being more restrained makes it more manageable for everyday life.

Conceivably, the biggest measuring stick for the most extreme Enyaq is how well it stands as an alternate to the Octavia RS wagon that remains in stock.

Outwardly, such comparison is quite a big ask. Out to emulate the driving acumen of the world famous Golf GTi hatch from which its platform and mechanicals are snatched, but with far more family-with-dog friendliness, the latter is something of a legend, for good reason.

With all Enyaqs being pinned to 180kmh, the Octavia is faster. For 0-100km briskness, tables are turned. Likewise for on-paper outputs.

As well as showing the electric to be a fast car, time on test also enforced impression it has the right kind of push-on panache and practical pragmatism you expect from a skid-set Skoda. Shaping as an SUV doesn’t keep it from almost mirroring the station wagon’s packaging potentials. More or less.

Because of that, it validly continues the RS mission statement of being able to neatly blend the sporty side of its character with the everyday sensibilities, all while also satisfying as a zero-emission car.

Even so, some serious shoes to fill and as much you’re thankful for the fat performance rubber, the all-wheel-drive and that it has a sportier dynamically-polished suspension tune and more hunkered ride height, it’s lending a different kind of competence and vibe to the Octavia RS. You’re going to argue the pros and cons of quicker but quieter. I suspect it’ll take time to prove itself.

One thing, though it looks right for the role in which it is cast. The Enyaq is nicely brought back to speed on the styling side with its mid-life facelift.

The ‘Tech-Deck' face first seen on the Elroq transfers well to the bigger sibling. The original styling of a mock radiator grille plus separate headlights was starting to date. Replacing with a full-width illuminated light band up top, accompanied by secondary lamp units beneath, is much more of the ‘now’. Just the emblems changing from the company's old roundel featuring the winged arrow motif to the word mark that spreads 'Skoda' across the leading edge of the bonnet and boot lid is a small but powerful alternation.

Beyond that, to ensure there’s no confusing it with everyday Enyaqs, the RS sits on 21-inch 'Vision' alloy wheels, is 15mm lower to the deck at the front and 10mm lower at the rear, and much of the exterior detailing - the wheels, the window trims, the sides of the rear spoiler, the door mirrors and the bumper inserts - are rendered in black.

The overall body height does lend the car something of an MPV-like look, which isn't really what you want in a hot hatch, but it’s still a good looking car made all the more eye-catching in Mamba Green, the boldest of several RS-bespoke body colour options.

The Enyaq's cabin has been largely unchanged by this year’s major facelift, but that’s no issue. It’s a solid and welcoming place with high-quality fixtures and fittings and an intuitive integration of technology.

High-backed bucket seats are part of the RS ethos but this hardly impinges on space; there’s still plenty of that front and rear for legs and heads. Equally, those front chairs are hugely comfortable.

Generally spending at this level buys leather, but Skoda prefers soft touch fabrics for its sports models and so while the seat edges are in leather, the main elements are in Suedia microfibre. I’m all for it. The look is a refreshing change and the feel is brilliant; in making the seat more form-fitting, comfort improves.Lime-green stitching and piping for various parts of the Skoda's cabin is also an RS thing. It’s better than it sounds, honestly, but you wonder how long before it starts to look grubby.

Practicality is what helps sell Enyaq, and the RS is not exempt from that mission. There's a big boot - space starts at 470 litres, expanding to 1580 litres with the rear seats folded - and loads of storage space within the cabin.

The zone up front is dominated by a large dual level centre console that runs between the front seats, the top part with a tray for your mobile phone, including a wireless charger, which neatly solves the problem of it moving around when cornering, and a couple of cupholders. These being perfect-sized for Skoda’s (actually VW Group’s) own accessory vessels but just a touch too small for any third party types reminds this is a brand that looks after its own. the door pockets are at least large enough for personal drinks bottles.

The main touchscreen is crisply presented and reasonably easy to use, as these things go. A row of physical shortcut buttons underneath the central air vents is welcomed.

Further digital real estate comes in the form of an augmented-reality head-up display on the windscreen, and then a small, but perfectly legible, five-inch instrument cluster. The displays have RS-specific graphics, of course.

All in all, it has the same sporty touches anyone used to an Octavia RS will be greeted with. The difference is that need to place a battery under the floor means you sit taller in an Enyaq. Just that alone makes a difference when it comes to sizing the biggest question from the petrol-wed corner: Can battery power be the equal of combustion power when it comes to providing driving thills?

Well, it’s fast. Almost all electrics are, of course, but here there is some serious shove, particularly from step-off. Thankfully this isn't delivered in the somewhat sickening sudden lurch of acceleration found in some other EVs. Still, the big wedge of torque can make it feel quite venomous at times. Though it’s silent by performance car metrics, it is not a wholly quiet car. There’s a synthetic engine sound generator. But it's relatively unobtrusive; you hardly notice it much of the time.

In some markets, this variant comes with DCC adaptive dampers which have also been a common ingredient of past VW Group performance models, the Octavia RS included. But it’s never been on Enyaq, not even on the previous flagship Coupe whose fastback shape is absent this time around.

The potentials of Sport, Comfort and Normal modes, plus the gem setting - if you bother to take the time to tailor it - that is Individual mode, are such that it seems a shame DCC doesn’t list as even a cost-extra, but you can imagine why Skoda NZ has reticence. This is already an expensive car.

As much as it’s hard to say if the RS would be better overall with the tricky dampers, it can be reported that with standard, but still sporty, suspension tune meted here it is quite different that of the Enyaq Sportline 85.

While suggestion that the jauntier ride comes down to more than it having stiffer springs - it running lower profile 255/40 rubber, and upgrading here from 20-inch rims for 21s - also has to contribute. I’d say the tyre choice is mostly why you can feel road surface texture change through the seat and the steering wheel.

But the performance Pirelli Scorpion rubber also benefits in sharpening the handling and, in overall dynamic sense, it seems very competent, not least given the whopping 2.3-tonne kerb weight. That bulk is quite effectively masked for the most part even when pushing along on winding roads, where it lent badge credibility by sitting flat, and hunkering down through compressions and being unfazed by crests.

Whether it’s as ultimately communicative as those petrol RS models is something that will demand time to reconcile. I’d suggest, for now, that if you didn’t know those, but did know other electrics, you’ll think it above par. As said, you put your foot down in the RS and it goes, quickly, smoothly and rapidly for the horizon; albeit ‘just’ to 180kmh, the same pegged top speed as the Sportline 85.

But the off-line zip and on-the-move muscularity, the decent body control and a general assured sense of capability make this a lovely EV to drive and one of the better products in Volkswagen Group’s electric range.

As with the $12k cheaper Enyaq Sportline and the slightly more physically compact Elroq, the RS has just undergone some running change updates that weren’t on the test car, but will feature on incoming cars.

The B-mode for one-pedal driving with bring it to a full stop, rather than almost so. It gets dynamic roadsigh display, a simplified rear view camera display, front cross traffic assist. Plus it adds a small 21-litre 'frunk' under the bonnet.

There’s also preparation for bidirectional charging, which would be useful when finally enable. Vehicle to load functionality for running small electric devices seems to be a selling point, now. Vehicle to home is the big one, but that obviously asks for more than car industry involvement and though at least one trial have been undertaken, no-one knows if or when the required legislative change is coming.

Anyway, what all VW Group products also lack in this market, but not in Europe, is ability to undertake over the air updates, and without that the Enyaq cannot facilitate onboard navigation functionality to locate charging stations and automatically precondition the battery. That’s the kind of tech that sells. Just ask any Tesla owner.

RS is the only dual motor Enyaq here and it has a bigger battery, with 84kWh (79kWh net) cited, that has fastest charging of 185kWh. WLTP range seems to be around 535km; but I was sniffing out a public charger after 450-ish.

This being a winter test might have made a difference; but who knows? In respect to this time of the year, take note a heat pump now comes as standard. Skods suggests the benefit in colder weather is that the battery can be kept at an optimised temperature to preserve range.

Why buy? Bragging rights mostly. The straight-line pace, improved dynamics and sharper styling enhancements lend appeal and it does look handsome at the kerbside. The technology ingredient needs improvement, yet it nonetheless has a high specification and is comfortable and well-finished.

But the money, right? Skoda’s gradual transformation from being full budget to semi-premium is noted, but the sticker now in a $6k enhancement what was sought when launched back in February, and when VW NZ is still advertising ID.4 and ID.5 cars in RS-equivalent GTX format for $76,990 … well, you can see the challenge.