Skoda Elroq review

Skoda’s compact electric SUV, not to be confused with the home of the Elves in Lord of the Rings. We’re told the Elroq is an electric alternative to the Karoq, but we reckon you should just think of it as a smaller Enyaq, a car we like very much indeed. It’s the smallest electric Skoda there is right now, but won’t be for long with that title set to pass over to the Epiq in short order.

Back to the here and now though, and we reckon the Elroq is a good-looking piece of design, particularly if you pair it with the fetching shade of blue on the configurator. It debuts the Czech firm’s new ‘Modern Solid’ design language (whatever that means), most noticeably from the front, which sees a gloss black panel in place of the traditional grille, Skoda lettering on the bonnet and slim LED headlights.

It’s altogether more familiar viewed from the side and back, from the traditional SUV shape to the copycat Enyaq rear. All very sensible, all very Skoda. And based on recent form that’s a good thing. It goes up against the likes of the Volvo EX30, Kia EV3, Renault Megane E-Tech, Smart #1, and Ford Explorer.

What flavours are available?

Flavours? It’s a car, not an ice cream. First up is the entry-level Elroq 50 which gets a 55kWh (52kWh net) battery mated to a rear-mounted 168bhp electric motor. Claimed range is 230 miles. Tasty. Next up is the Elroq 60. It gets a slightly larger 63kWh (59kWh net) battery powering a 201bhp rear e-motor. Here you’re looking at 260 miles of range. Yum yum (we’ll stop now).

The 50 supports a charge rate of up to 145kW and the 60 creeps up to 165kW, meaning a 10-80 per cent splash ‘n’ dash takes precisely 25 and 24 minutes respectively.

Top of the tree is the Elroq 85, featuring an 82kWh (77kWh net) battery, powering a 281bhp motor, again on the rear. 360 miles of e-range is the claim, but it also supports 175kW rapid charging, so it’ll re-juice almost the same time as the other two.

Later this year Skoda is giving the Elroq the vRS treatment. If the Enyaq vRS is anything to go by, we’ll shrug and quickly forget about it.

How does it go?

The Skoda Enyaq is just as good to drive (but considerably cheaper) than its VW Group sisterhood; the Audi Q4 e-tron and Volkswagen ID.4. So it comes as little surprise that the Elroq isn’t too dissimilar.

The steering is taut, while the accelerator’s responsive and the brakes progressive. And all but the base versions get adjustable regen too. The ride is on the firm side, but that means the body is kept in check everywhere unless you really sling it into a bend. Which you won’t, obviously.

Dynamic chassis control is optionally available, but we don’t reckon it’s worth it. Click through to the Driving tab to find out why.

The inside’s very similar to the Enyaq too: smart to look at and practically laid out. And the orange seatbelts on our test car even hint at a dash of flair. Whit woo! Puts in mind of a Parliamentarian turning up to a debate with a whimsical tie.

Drivers get a 5in display, while adorning the dash is a busy 13in central touchscreen: it takes some getting used to but it’s a vast improvement on VW Group’s last (utterly woeful) attempt at a UI. The material and build quality feels on point. It ain’t plush, but it’s all screwed down properly. Job done.

Up front the driving position is well judged, there’s plenty of head and legroom in the back, and there’s a good size boot complete with a storage net for any charging cables under the parcel shelf too. Noice. See the Interior tab for more.

How much is it going to cost me?

Prices kick off at £31.5k for the smallest batteried variant. That beats both the EV3 and EX30, both of which start from a whisker over £33k.

You’re looking at £41,600 for the biggest batteried variant in the top trim. Head over to the Buying tab for the full lowdown.

The Skoda Elroq is an overdose in competence. If you can imagine such a thing. It religiously follows the path walked by the Enyaq before it, and for that reason it majors in just about every department that could matter to someone in the market for a sensible, mid-size electric car that doesn’t break the bank nor originate from the land of the Great Wall. Add those solid modern looks (or whatever they’re called) into the mix and Skoda appears to have nailed it yet again.

Our only real gripe is that the Elroq is a complete fun sponge; that nervous dude at the party who insists on washing up at 1am rather than spill his secrets playing ‘Never Have I Ever’. We hoped that it might’ve learned to let its hair down ever so slightly with its more compact dimensions. Alas, it hasn’t. Maybe the Epiq will be the wild child?

Otherwise, the Elroq oozes common sense and no doubt its competitors will be envious of its life choices.