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All wheel drive versions of the performance variants of the Skoda Enyaq EV are scheduled to arrive in Ireland in the early part of this year, writes Brian Byrne.
Skoda Ireland expects to see a significant increase in the number of 4x4 Skodas here when the 4x4 Enyaq RS and Enyaq Coupe RS arrive.
Skoda Ireland's Product Manager Libor Pavlas says that with the arrival last year of the Enyaq 80X, the AWD version of the brand's EV SUV, the format now represents 10pc of all Enyaq orders. There's a premium of €2,960 over the two-wheel drive version, with no change in annual road tax and minimal impact on range.
Following Ireland's coldest winter in 130 years in 2010, Skoda Ireland took a marketing position to promote 4x4 vehicles and succeeded in increasing AWD sales by a factory of five.
"Subsequent winters have proved milder which has coincided with a reduction in demand for 4x4 vehicles but Skoda still has a loyal band of 4x4 customers here in Ireland," says the company's Head of Marketing & Product, Ray Leddy. "There are those who need four-wheel power for towing trailers and boats and others who need extra grip for navigating slippery or rough terrain on Irish country roads."
