First Drive: Skoda Enyaq iV FestEVal

What is it?

A Skoda Enyaq iV that you can live in, basically. It’s badged the Skoda Enyaq iV 80 FestEVal and it’s fully loaded for an all-electric getaway.

We’ll start with this year’s must-have car accessory: a roof tent. It’s not any old roof tent, though, the Enyaq FestEVal comes with a streamlined James Baroud pop-up tent which apparently doesn’t impact too much on the Enyaq’s impressive streamlined credentials (and that’s important if you’re going to make it to the campsite without running out of electricity).

The tent pops up in a matter of seconds and can be accessed via a ladder that’s stored inside the tent box when it’s closed. It’s actually quite luxurious up there - you get netting for storage, an integrated torch and even a solar powered fan to keep you cool. Not that we needed it during our end-of-the-year road test.

The Enyaq iV’s 585-litre boot has already made it on of the best electric family cars so it’s no surprise that Skoda’s managed to wedge a very handy camping pod in there - complete with a gas cooker, plenty of storage and yes, even the kitchen sink. This fits in the boot with the rear seats in place, so you can still carry a car load of passengers.

When you get to the campsite, you can drop the rear seats and assemble a double bed frame. It’s not an arduous task (much easier than pitching a tent, we’d say), while cushions (stored on top of the kitchen unit box thing) can be spread out to provide some welcome comfort.

As well as two double beds and a complete kitchen unit, the Skoda Enyaq iV 80 FestEVal features a set of collapsible camping chairs and tables which are designed to weigh as little as possible.

So… is the Skoda Enyaq iV 80 FestEVal actually any good?

It's easy to be cynical about something like this but, actually, yeah, we were impressed with the Enyaq FestEVal. It’s based on the Skoda Enyaq iV which is a good start - not only is it one of the best electric cars on the market, it’s also one of the most versatile, which is quite important for a project like this. Although part of us would quite like to see a SEAT Mii Electric FestEVal.

We took the Enyaq to North Wales for a muddy late-in-the-season weekend of mountain biking and, at the end of a day on the trails, it’s certainly a much more appealing concept than getting in a dank tent. With that in mind, we chose to sleep inside the Enyaq rather than in the roof tent - although that did at least look more inviting than sleeping on the ground.

The camping pod was ideal for cooking breakfast (and even making a cheeky brew at the bike park), while the tailgate provided welcome cover from the Welsh weather. If it was our car, we’d spend some extra cash on some kind of aftermarket awning for additional weather protection.

Shut up and take my money!

Ah, that’s an issue. You see, the Skoda Enyaq iV 80 FestEVal is a one-off prototype that proves you don’t need a spluttery old diesel to live the #vanlife dream. If you visit your nearest Skoda dealer and ask for an Enyaq you can sleep in, you’ll be met with a blank look.

Still, if you’re feeling inspired, it’s not inconceivable that you could create your own Enyaq iV FestEVal. It’s based on a regular Skoda Enyaq iV 80 which costs around £42,000. Chuck in the roof tent (which retails around £3500) and camping box (£2500) and you pretty much have a ready-to-go electric camping car for less than £50,000.

When a Volkswagen California starts from around £60,000, you could almost call that good value for money. For our money, though, we'd wait to see how long it is before someone converts the new Volkswagen ID.Buzz into a campervan. That's surely going to be the most desirable lifestyle accessory of 2023...

• Read our full Skoda Enyaq iV review

Skoda Enyaq iV 80 FestEVal: the facts

Model tested: Skoda Enyaq iV 80 FestEVal

Battery size: 77kWh

Consumption: 3.7 miles/kWh

Power/torque: 204PS/310Nm

Electric range: 331 miles

Price from: £42,925 (pre-conversion)