Ford Tourneo Custom vs Skoda Enyaq

What's the difference?

There’s absolutely no doubt that the van-based people-mover has some distinct advantages over a three-row SUV. The rear seat is bigger, access to it is far better and there’s more luggage space even when all eight seats are occupied. But the Tourneo goes a step or two further with the sliding, swivelling seats that make it one of the most practical and flexible interiors on the market.

True, the driving experience is a bit alien at first, but it’s a case of different, rather than worse. Meantime, the ride is excellent and the performance and economy from the turbo-diesel driveline are both absolutely spot on for this vehicle’s intended purpose.

And perhaps that’s the metaphor for the whole thing: By not trying to be something it’s not, and concentrating on what it needs to do, the Tourneo emerges as a bit of a quiet achiever.

As we said earlier, this type of vehicle concept is never a sure-fire proposition. Parcel vans converted to passenger duties haven’t always worked out. This time, though, it’s different.

Skoda’s runaway sales success in Europe makes sense, where there’s a broad range including a pragmatic family-friendly wagon version. In Australia, though, the pre-facelift Enyaq is destined to remain a niche proposition. 

This is absolutely no bad thing. Judging by the number of double takes and gawks the Mamba Green RS got over its tenure, having too many on the roads could be a danger. It gets all the main ingredients right with solid efficiency, good packaging and there-or-thereabouts pricing. 

The Skoda Enyaq is an electric car to consider if you appreciate practical touches and delight in the well-calibrated driving experience Skoda offers. Those who appreciate the out-there styling and bright colours will find the appeal obvious.

Perhaps the biggest revision of the successful Transit Custom formula needed to make the leap from FedEx to Brady Bunch has been to the rear suspension. Where the Transit uses a leaf-sprung arrangement, the Tourneo has switched to coil rear springs. These technically offer much greater ride comfort at the expense of some load-carrying ability. Which is fine, even if your kids are the bigger variety.

The move to powered sliding side doors is a welcome one, but I found out the hard way that the doors will still open a fraction if you push the button while still travelling at low speed. Not sure why that would be, but at least the buttons in question are up front in Adult-Land, not within reach of you-know-who.

The reality is, too, that the Tourneo is destined to run with the air-con on any time you have bodes in the back. That’s because – like a lot of van conversions – there’s no opening side windows beyond the tiny, hinged windows that open an equally tiny amount. This has more to do with the Transit’s basic structure than any desire to oxygen-deprive the young `uns, but as any parent knows, a supply of fresh air on the move is sometimes the only thing between a happy day out and a clean up in Aisle five.

Being divisive in this day and age is important, especially in this segment. While Tesla design was briefly a symbol of change, the Model 3 and Y have rapidly become anonymous blobs that amble down every main arterial. The Mamba Green Enyaq RS coupe is an antidote.

Sure, it’s a little awkward and tall from behind (channelling a bit of first-gen BMW X6 in its overall form) yet the low roofline, huge 21-inch alloy wheels, crisp swage lines and tall bonnet give the Enyaq’s shape interest. 

The proportions are about right with a long wheelbase (2766mm) compared to the Enyaq's overall 4653mm length giving it a wheel-in-each-corner stance. Height is just 1618mm, not much taller than a sedan, and width is 1879mm. 

Individual details, such as the glowing crystal grille (a bit like a Hollywood actor's teeth) proved divisive, yet when everything else is so strong — including the colour — the Enyaq is strangely resolved. Power plus power works, in this case.

Jumping inside there’s a reassuring calm after that searing paint (other shades are available, but why would you?) Not quite austere, the Enyaq’s cabin majors on black leather and nicely grained plastic.

A flourish of faux carbon fibre and twist of chrome on the door handles combine with customisable ambient lighting to lift cabin ambience. 

The Enyaq isn’t all perfect with some materials, especially below the belt line, feeling cheaper than you'd expect for $83K. Creaks and groans from plastic parts in the centre console and dashboard could be heard while driving, too.

Here’s where a vehicle like this stands or falls. Because if something like a Tourneo can’t cope with lots of people and their luggage in a single bound, then there’s really not much point to it, is there? I mean you’re not going to buy it for its sporty looks or supercar dynamics, so unless it works brilliantly as family transport, it’s kind of dead in the water. Fortunately Ford seems to have got it right. Mostly, anyway.

That starts up front where the two front seats feel like they’re metres apart. In reality, this huge gap forms a walk-through function for getting access to anything or anyone misbehaving in the second or third row of chairs. But you can’t help wondering what if… What if Ford had ditched the stubby centre console and added a third front-row seat? Wouldn’t a nine-seater be better than eight?

But the seats themselves are comfy and the high-and-mighty driving position gives plenty of vision in every direction. With one exception. And that is when you’re pulling out of a side street on to a main road and need to see what’s coming from the left. Depending on the angle you’re on, the fat frame of the pop-out side window (in the sliding door) becomes a blind spot, especially for taller drivers.

There’s nothing irretrievably wrong with the way the controls are laid out, but they will take some acclimatisation. That goes for the menu system on the touchscreen as well as the column-mounted shifter wand which is about the same size and shape (and in the same place) as a conventional indicator stalk. Tip the lever accidentally and you’ll wind up in neutral, wondering what just happened. The manual-shift mode is also fiddly to use and paddle sifters would be vastly better. Most won’t bother anyway.

The front cabin is home to a shallow lidded bin in the centre console, a deeper bin below that and a couple of charge points. There are also cup-holders in great spots up high in the corner of the dashboard, a shelf across the top of the dashboard and no less than two gloveboxes (the top one is pretty shallow) thanks to moving the passenger’s airbag into the roof lining. Both front doors also feature bins and storage nooks but there’s a fair bit of hard plastic on show, surely a legacy of the Tourneo’s parcel-van DNA.

The Tourneo’s party trick is the way both the second and third rows of seats can be slid to almost any point on a pair of tracks in the floor. The move is simply accomplished via a lever at the front or a rip-cord in the back of the seats, and all three centre-row seats can be moved individually (the third row is split 60:40). The upshot is that you can have all three rows bunched together for a large luggage space, or the rear row pushed right back to form a rear row with huge legroom. Don’t need all eight seats? How about a second row with the two outside chairs in place and the centre one folded forward to expose a work-surface with built-in cupholders.

But it gets even better, because individual seats can be removed to suit the weirdest of loads and the second-row seats even swivel 180-degrees to form a loungeroom on wheels. The kids will be begging you to take them for a drive in this thing.

The seats fold forward, but they don’t tumble. They don’t need to really, and they don’t fold into a bed either. But if you fancy camping in the Tourneo, you can remove both rows of rear seats for a huge flat floor.

The second row is home to storage bins in each sliding door (yes, a door on each side) a pop-put window that opens only about 40mm, temperature controls, air vents and reading lights. The third row, meantime, is not only easily accessed provided the second row isn’t slid all the way back (at which point you wouldn’t be using the third row anyway) but the good news is that the rearmost seat itself is basically three bucket seats with the same comfort levels (high) as the second row. There are also reading lights and a pair of phone pockets and cup-holders in the last row, too. Only the way the track system works and the shape of the seat base means that foot-room is limited to an extent.

With all three rows in place, but pushed as far forward as they can go, there’s a long load area of up to 725mm. But you can also push the second and third rows all the way back and have a cargo area 2622mm long behind the front seats. Maybe the van DNA is a good thing after all.

With all eight seats in place, there’s a minimum of 673 litres of luggage space which can be expanded all the way to a monster 4683 litres with the second and third rows removed.

There’s also a 12-volt power socket and a lighting system in the back, too, although while the side doors are automatic, the tailgate is manual. And you’ll need plenty of real estate to open it, too. Even tall folk will hit the button to open the tailgate, start the strut-assisted opening and then take a step or two back to allow the huge tailgate to rise without clobbering them. An automatic tailgate where you hit the button and run away to a safe distance would be much nicer.

There’s a more practical wagon-bodied version offered in Europe, contributing to the Enyaq’s success as a family car but the Enyaq coupe still bursts with smart storage.

In fact, it’s fairer to think of this Enyaq RS as more of a raised sedan, a slightly taller-riding electric version of the Skoda Superb, rather than a 'coupe'. 

The Skoda Enyaq has a huge 570-litre boot that puts it at the pointy end of the class (Tesla’s 854L Model Y claim is fanciful, including underfloor storage and counting all the way to the roof). 

Plus, being a Skoda, the Enyaq ships with 'Simply Clever' touches like four shopping bag hooks, four tie-down points, extensive cargo net system, two amazingly useful Velcro boot dividers and segmented underfloor storage for supplied Mode 2 and 3 charging cables. There’s even a hook on the parcel shelf to hold the false floor up. The only miss is a lack of spare wheel. 

The backrest folds flat in a 60/40 split and this can be done from the back seat with remote levers. There’s also a ski-port pass-through that doubles as an armrest in the back seats.

Accommodation in the rear is great, even for those about six foot. I was comfortable sitting behind my driving position at 188cm, with good knee room, toe space and headroom. 

Amenity includes a separate climate zone, two USB-C chargers, nifty pull-up and clip-in rear sunshades, a removable centre box (so you can have a fully flat floor) and two cupholders in the armrest. Materials are mostly hard, though there is a squishy armrest on the door card. 

The only negative in the back — especially apparent in harsh Australian summers — is the heat radiating from the standard glass roof. There is a manually-installable sunshade available from Skoda. 

The Skoda Enyaq has ISOFIX anchors on both outboard rear seats and the same number of top tether anchors. The top tethers are easy to access with no covers to get in the way. 

It has doors that open quite wide, but not quite to 90 degrees, and the low roof means door apertures are a little awkward. Also, because the door cladding comes all the way down and the car is functionally quite low, care is required around tall kerbs.

You’ll notice in the front door card that Skoda’s signature umbrellas are nestled into the hole the armrest leaves, which is a great touch. 

The bucket seats are 10-way power adjustable with two-position memory and heating. It is easy to get comfortable with the reach and height adjustable steering wheel falling perfectly to the hands, being especially accommodating for taller drivers. 

Practical touches include felt-lined door bins, a storage cubby beneath the centre console and shift-by-wire gear selector, half-width glove box, multi-tiered storage below an adjustable centre armrest, adjustable size cupholders and plenty of odds and ends storage.

Technology is straightforward and runs through a responsive 13.0-inch touchscreen. Skoda’s software is fine but most will end up using the consistent wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in the Enyaq. 

Thankfully, doing so doesn’t hamper the screen’s shortcut buttons. At the bottom there’s still quick temperature adjustment and heated seat controls, shortcuts to the home screen, further climate, phone, media menus and more. 

Skoda has kept a few clips of physical buttons, too, some below the screen shortcut to the drive assist, drive modes, park assist, hazard lights, climate control and demisters, while headlights are down and to the right of the steering wheel. Simple stuff, but not to be taken for granted anymore.

The Enyaq range is lean in Australia with two trims, and we’ve got the flagship RS model that costs $83,990, before on-road costs. 

The equipment list is healthy with leather upholstery, 10-way power adjustable heated sets with two-position memory, a heated steering wheel, customisable ambient lighting, tri-zone climate control, a head-up display, wireless smartphone charging, LED lighting and a Canton premium sound system.

Australia only gets the big-batteried Enyaqs, meaning a 77kWh lithium-ion pack. Twin motors are standard on the RS. 

The asking price still stacks up well against rivals from established brands with similar punch, such as Hyundai Ioniq 5 Dynamiq N Line ($87,800), Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD ($87,590), Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium ($79,990) and the dull Toyobaru twins, the Subaru Solterra AWD Touring ($76,990) and Toyota bZ4X AWD ($74,900, all before on-road costs). 

Tesla is the problem — as it always seems to be for established manufacturers — with the newly-upgraded Model Y Long Range nearly $10,000 cheaper ($73,400) and delivering better straight-line performance and driving range. 

Because the platform is (mostly) borrowed from the Transit Custom, you get the same driveline. That starts with a 2.0-litre turbo diesel, good for 125kW of power and a useful 390Nm of torque. It drives through a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission and then to the front wheels as a means of keeping the load floor as flat and low as possible.

Ford claims a 2500kg towing capacity with a braked trailer, but on a wet road or damp boat ramp, that’s really going to test the limits of the front wheel’s grip which can be overcome even in the dry if you’re too hasty with the throttle.

The biggest engineering change in the move from Transit Custom to Tourneo has been the switch from leaf springs on the former to coil springs and an independent suspension on the latter. This is all in the name of ride quality and recognises the fact that the Transit will often be called on to cart heavier loads than eight humans.

You won’t find any ‘frunk’ in the Skoda, which is a bit of a shame. Instead, the Volkswagen Group 'MEB' platform supports the Enyaq RS’s twin electric motor set-up, with a 210kW and 545Nm item on the rear axle and 134Nm on the front that only activates when needed. 

The result is a combined 250kW and 545Nm. Acceleration is brisk, amped by a sharp throttle calibration. Skoda claims a 0-100km/h time of 5.4 seconds and it continues to be punchy beyond there. The Enyaq’s top speed is electronically limited to 180km/h.

That would have been considered plenty five years ago, yet rivals like the Tesla Model Y Performance mean the Enyaq’s punch is far from mind-blowing by today’s standards. Ultimately, the 210kW rear-drive Enyaq Sportline is all most will need.

Ford quotes an official combined fuel consumption figure of 7.4 litres for the Tourneo. Over a few days of running in a pretty broad mix of urban and country work, we saw an average of 8.6 litres per 100km which is still pretty good for a vehicle of this size.

With the standard 70-litre fuel tank, that gives the Tourneo a theoretical combined range of around 900km between fills, but the real-world number says closer to 800km is more realistic.

Don’t forget, either, that running costs will be a little higher than some diesels, as the Tourneo requires AdBlue at regular intervals, in line with its Euro 6 emissions levels.

In more potent RS guise, the Enyaq’s range suffers a little, at 530km (WLTP) with vehicle energy consumption listed at 14.5kWh/100km. 

That is a reasonable range and it wasn’t too hard to achieve similar figures. Even running the air conditioning on a 30-plus degree summer's day the trip computer recorded a best figure of 15.1kWh/100km over a 250km mix of urban and rural driving, for a real-world driving range of 510km. 

Over 1800km of total driving, the cumulative total was 16.4kWh/100km, giving an average of 470km from a charge.

The Skoda Enyaq’s fast charge speed is mid-pack, capped to 175kW DC. With a powerful enough pylon, you’ll be able to jump from 10-80 per cent charge in less than 30 minutes, says Skoda. We observed close to peak speed during our test. 

Home and slow-speed public charging maxes out at 11kW AC, which should take the Enyaq from flat to full in around eight hours. 

Skoda has a smartphone app that can connect to the Enyaq and give real-time information about charge status in Europe, but it is not yet online in Australia.

Instead, you can set a charge limit and monitor the vehicle’s progress on the centre screen. It is also possible to pre-program climate control functions for specific times to either warm or cool the Enyaq's cabin.

If you haven’t driven a one-box van for a decade or more, you’re in for a treat. Just like the Transit Custom on which this car is based, the Tourneo represents a different experience to that of a conventional car or SUV, but one that is not without merit.

For a start, you sit very high which means a great view out across the traffic. And while the driving position is a little less laid-back than a modern car, once you get used to the almost square steering wheel, neither is it the dreaded sit-up-and-beg of older van designs.

The four-cylinder engine doesn’t make the Tourneo a fast vehicle, but it does give it lots of flexibility thanks to all that turbo-torque being available from just off idle. The eight-speed transmission helps, too, but the real surprise is just how quiet the Tourneo is when on a cruising setting. In fact, it’s almost uncanny how such a big, empty metal box could be so silent, but beyond a little tyre noise on coarse surfaces, the Ford pulls it off. As a result, it’s very relaxed and effortless feeling at freeway speeds.

The other surprise is how good the ride quality is. By swapping the cargo van’s leaf rear springs for coils, the Tourneo suddenly displays a very good match between the front and rear axles in terms of how they work to absorb bumps. You do still get some of the front-seat sensation that you’re sitting over the front axle, but it’s not terrible and the reality is that you simply sitting closer to the axle, not right over it.

For many drivers perhaps the over-riding impression will be of the vehicle’s external size. And, yes, it’s a long and wide piece of equipment, but at least the boxy shape means the corners are easy to place and the huge glass area and driver aids like parking sensors and blind-spot warnings help a lot in the daily cut and thrust.

Things are also improved by the fabulously small turning circle of 10.9m kerb-to-kerb (courtesy of the Transit’s role as an inner-city delivery van) that gives an agility the looks don’t suggest. But there’s a sense that the Tourneo is a little wider in the rear track than the front, as you’ll sometimes find the inside rear tyre finding the lips of roundabouts and suburban gutters.

Initial touch points are pure Skoda: sharp, direct steering, a supple yet supportive ride and balanced control weighting. 

You will feel totally at home getting into an Enyaq out of an Octavia, Superb or Kodiaq and this is deliberate. There is no recalibrating to ultra sharp steering, one-pedal driving or strange adaptive driver aids you notice getting into a Tesla or other electric car. 

The Enyaq RS can be a little abrupt over bumps at low speeds, owing to its large 21-inch alloy wheels. There is some knocking from the front suspension as well. It is best to set the drive mode to 'Comfort' around town, softening the adaptive dampers and accelerator response.

When you go out into the countryside, the Enyaq delivers with fantastic body control in its middle Normal drive mode while bump absorption remains excellent. 

Skoda has done a great job insulating the car, the Enyaq is seriously quiet on coarse chip surfaces and slices through the wind at motorway speeds. It is effortless to travel long distances behind the wheel.

When you ask a little more of the chassis on give-and-take roads, though, the Enyaq RS doesn't quite step up to the plate. 

Putting the 15-stage adaptive dampers in 'Sport' mode makes them too firm, without natural body roll. This puts a lot of load through the tyres, which are Bridgestone Turanza Eco items — great for sound and range, not for grip. 

The rubber is staggered, too, with narrower front (235/45 R21) compared to rear (255/40R21) promoting understeer at the limit. A high kerb weight of 2290kg doesn’t help, either, but seems to be a common theme with vehicles based on the VW Group MEB platform. 

It took a bit of getting used to the Enyaq’s brake pedal, too, which is clumsy at blending the regenerative braking at the top of the travel with hydraulic further down. A firmer, more consistent pedal would make for smoother driving.

That said, having paddle-operated four-stage regenerative braking is welcome and, overall, there’s a charm to the way the Enyaq drives. It feels slick and well-oiled in a way many other electric cars feel overly heavy on technology.

The Skoda Enyaq was awarded a maximum five stars in its 2021 ANCAP safety test. It has eight airbags including front, front and rear side, and curtain airbags.

The Enyaq is equipped with active safety features including auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection.

Being a little older than some rivals, the Enyaq does not have the latest driver-attention monitoring systems, but this can be seen as a blessing as they are often poorly integrated. The fuzzy 360-degree camera could do with improvement, too. 

Still, it features blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist. The aids are well calibrated for Australian driving and can be left engaged.

To disable the lane-keep, though, it’s an easy tap on the persistent top menu of the multimedia screen, even with Apple CarPlay running. More of this, please.

Ford offers its standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty on the Tourneo. Five years is fair enough, but can’t match the seven years or even more that some of the competition offer. It‘s worth noting, however, that the warranty does match many of the makes and models that will be the Ford’s natural enemies.

Service intervals are 12 months or a very long 30,000km, but it’s unlikely many families will clock up 30,000km in a 12-month period, anyway. There’s no word on capped-price servicing yet, but the mechanically similar Transit Custom has a service plan that limits the cost of each of the first four services to around $500.

The biggest additional running cost for the Tourneo will be the AdBlue additive to control emissions. How frequently you need to top up will be determined by what type of driving you do.

Skoda’s seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty applies to the Enyaq as it does to all of its models. 

The guarantee is right up there with the best and is a long way ahead of Tesla’s short three-year warranty. 

Servicing is due once every two years or 30,000km and owners can pre-purchase eight- or 10-year service packs, the former costing $1650.