Kamiq, Karoq, Kodiaq – notice a pattern here? All of Skoda’s SUVs have names that start with a “K” and end with “Q.” The Czech marque is making a slight change to its nomenclature by replacing the first letter with “E” to signal the pure electric powertrain of its upcoming SUV – the “Enyaq.” While the Citigoe iV will go down in history as the company’s first electric car, the Enyaq will be the first to be developed right from the start as an EV.
The Skoda Enyaq will ride on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform that was inaugurated on a production model last year with the launch of the ID.3 compact hatchback. Much like the MQB architecture for vehicles equipped with combustion engines, MEB will eventually underpin a variety of models across the group’s brands.
Gallery: 2019 Skoda Vision iV concept
Skoda isn’t going into any details for the time being regarding the Enyaq, but the zero-emissions SUV is expected to be a production version of the attractive Vision iV concept unveiled nearly a year ago. The sleek showcar had a coupe-esque roofline, reverse-opening doors, and 22-inch wheels – all of which are unlikely to carry over on the production model. That said, there are reasons to believe the road-going vehicle will be a looker.
In concept form, Skoda’s electric high-riding vehicle had dual motors – one mounted on each axle – for a combined output of 302 bhp (225 kilowatts) and all-wheel drive. It promised to offer 311 miles (500 kilometres) of WLTP-certified range and charge its battery pack to an 80-percent level in just half an hour.
Skoda is electrifying its lineup:
The Enyaq represents an important model in Skoda’s agenda to have 10 electric and hybrid “iV” models on sale by late 2022, with the Octavia iV and Superb iV recently joining the portfolio. The Kodiaq iV should follow shortly with the midsize SUV’s forthcoming mid-cycle facelift we spotted back in July 2019.
Source: Skoda
ENYAQ EXPRESSES BOTH POWER AND EFFICIENCY. WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND THE NEW SUV’S NAME?
The new electric ŠKODA SUV under preparation will be called ENYAQ. The name is based in the Irish language and expresses the vehicle’s dynamism and efficiency. Discover what inspires the name.
The ENYAQ model opens a new chapter in the 125-year history of the ŠKODA brand. Not just by being the first ŠKODA electric car built on the MEB platform, but by launching a new family of model names.
ŠKODA SUVs have traditionally had names ending in the letter Q, and the new ŠKODA ENYAQ follows this tradition like the KAMIQ, KAROQ and KODIAQ models. But the new model’s first letter shows that this tradition is merging with the eMobility era, referenced by the letter E at the beginning of the name.
The name ENYAQ encapsulates the character of the new model. It is derived from the Irish name ENYA, which means “source of life”, which itself expresses the power of the ŠKODA ENYAQ that goes hand in hand with the temperament of an electric SUV and the passion for innovation that produced the new model.
The Irish name Enya has even deeper roots in the language. It comes from the original Irish word eithne, which can be translated as “essence”, “spirit” or “principle”. These various meanings add broader resonance to the new model’s name.
The Irish origin of the name also carries on the tradition of inspiration from rugged corners of the earth. The ŠKODA KAMIQ, KAROQ and KODIAQ models were inspired by the language of the Inuit living in Greenland and Canada, and the names for ŠKODA’s MEB-platform electric models will also be drawn from northerly regions.