You know electric SUVs have hit their stride when Porsche is itching to join the party. Sure, Skoda doesn't necessarily scratch the same spot as the next generation Macan will, but the launch of the most-powerful Enyaq iV model yet is aiming for a similar sort of performance-based kudos.
As we reported back in June, the 80x SportLine is interesting because it gains all-wheel drive courtesy of an additional motor on the front axle, along with a higher output of 265hp and a range of 303 miles. Which makes for a potentially compelling combination when Volkswagen only got round to launching the 299hp GTX last month.
The Enyaq won't be quite as quick to 62mph at 6.9 seconds, but it's brisk enough and earns significantly more torque than the standard rear-wheel-drive model, at 313lb ft. Moreover, there's a sports chassis setup as standard with lowered ride height, plus Drive Mode Select and Dynamic Chassis Control (as an option) to fine tune the prowess on the road.
All that power has to come from somewhere, though, so when it comes time to recharge, the 125kW rapid charging capability as standard means 0-80 per cent in as little as 38 minutes with a 150kW+ DC rapid charger. At home, you'll be waiting around 13 hours on a domestic wallbox. So, as ever with an EV, plan your routes carefully.
The 80x SportLine comes with additional styling cues, too, including unique black sports seats with Alcantara/leather with grey piping, plus a leather sports steering wheel. The dashboard gets black synthetic leather with more contrast stitching and carbon-fibre-effect trim.
Notably, it is priced from £46,610, which is handily cheaper than the £48,525 starter price that VW currently quotes for the GTX. The Sportline is available to order now with first deliveries later this year - or you could choose to wait and see what the rumoured vRS variant looks like. Expect that to measure up to the GTX in every way.
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