Winner: Skoda Enyaq
With excellent range, good charging and plenty of space, the Skoda Enyaq ticks a lot of boxes for Irish families. The design is angular, sharp and modern. With plenty of variation on specification, motors and battery sizes, there is a good range of choice for buyers searching out a fully electric family SUV.
The Enyaq is based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform that is shared with the Volkswagen ID.4 and Audi Q4 e-tron and others. With a usable battery of up to 77kWh, the Enyaq will return a range of 400-450 kilometres in most conditions. There is a smaller battery pack of 58kWh available that takes a few thousand off the price tag (so it starts at €51,710) and still gives you a real-world range of around 350km.
With 585 litres of luggage space in the boot, there is plenty of room to cater for young families with buggies, or even those that need to pack away a lot of gear. Practicality is always a key feature of any Skoda, and the Enyaq undoubtedly continues that.
Runners Up
Hyundai Ioniq 6
As fantastic as the Ioniq 6 is as an electric car, and as much as we love to drive it, the sad fact is that its curvy, aerodynamic bodywork detracts from its family-carrying ability. It hasn’t got a huge boot, in essence. However, if your family has outgrown such needs, it makes for a fabulous alternative to the default SUVs on the market, so don’t rule it out until you try it for size yourself.
BYD Atto 3
BYD didn’t exist in Ireland at the time of last year’s awards, so it’s quite an achievement for its first Irish model, the Atto 3 crossover, to be shortlisted in several categories. It’s unassuming on the outside, and it gets the job done with its 204hp electric motor, but the interior is full of interesting features and BYD Ireland has priced it from well under €40,000 to grab buyers’ attention. We’ll be seeing lots more from this Chinese brand in the coming years.
