In response to the EV price war started by Tesla, Skoda has hurried an affordable spec of its Enyaq iV SUV to the European market. Called the 50, it was originally announced as far back as September 2020 (see video), but the company had been postponing the production until recently.
The Enyaq iV 50 will soon arrive in select countries across Europe, including Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. In Germany, the starting price is €39,990, around €9,000 less than the former base spec.
For their money, buyers will get a single rear-axle motor rated at 148 PS (146 hp / 109 kW) and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) of torque. With a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint time of 11.4 seconds, the car is by no means fast by EV standards. The battery is also middling at 55 kWh of capacity (out of which only 52 kWh is useful). The WLTP-rated driving range is estimated at 340 km (211 miles).
Speaking in an interview with Automotive News Europe, Skoda Sales and Marketing Director Martin Jahn openly admitted that the launch was a response to Tesla’s continued price-slashing that started in January and has been going on for months since.