The Skoda Enyaq has been a big success for the Czech company. Skoda’s first EV offers the familiar Skoda theme of more for less, be that equipment or – more usually – space. The same is true of the Elroq – a slightly smaller SUV, with an emphasis on slightly. It uses much of the same technology as the Enyaq and has plenty of space inside, too.
If you value comfort and ease of use, the Skoda Elroq scores highly. But it also adds a dash of new Skoda style with the brand’s ‘modern solid’ design language. The bigger Enyaq has just been facelifted with a bit of that style, too, but the Elroq is better looking and, crucially, considerably cheaper.
Inside there’s plenty of space for a growing family, with the expected ‘simply clever’ features Skoda is known for – and that’s not just an umbrella in the door. There’s storage aplenty in a cabin that’s well made and features a nice fabric strip around the cabin that warms things up a treat.
That comfort extends to the way the Elroq drives – but be mindful that some models with bigger wheels ride quite firmly over the bumps. On smaller wheels the car’s ride is much nicer, even on broken UK roads, while performance is good and EV range is par for the course.
All-in-all, it’s worthy of recommendation.
How we tested
We’ve driven a couple of Elroqs in the UK now so we’ve plenty of miles under the belt, mostly on a variety of roads in the south of England. We’ve tested it with the whole family on board – including the dog – and let the adaptive cruise do some of the driving, too.
Skoda Elroq: From £31,500, Skoda.co.uk
Independent rating: 9/10
Skoda Elroq specs
Battery, range, charging, performance and drive
There are plenty of options to choose from. The Elroq is available with three battery sizes, four trim levels and a host of useful options. The entry-level Elroq SE gets a 55kWh battery with a range of up to 230 miles for just £31,500. Move up to SE L and you can have a larger 63kWh battery that enables the Elroq to go a maximum of 250 miles on a full charge.
That same battery is also available in both Edition and SportLine trim (you can probably guess that SportLine gets a bit more attitude with sports suspension and a sportier look), while there’s also the option of an 82kWh battery that promises a maximum range of 360 miles.
The fastest charging speeds range from 145kW for the 55kWh battery with the potential for a 10 to 80 per cent charge time of 25 minutes, through 165kW for the 63kWh battery (10 to 80 per cent in 24 minutes) and 175kW for the 82kWh battery (10 to 80 per cent in 28 minutes).
The biggest battery may be the weightiest, but it brings performance benefits with a 0-62mph time of just 6.6 seconds. That rises to eight and nine seconds for the 63kWh and 55kWh batteries.
Not that you’ll want to drive the Elroq like a sports car, even if you opt for SportLine trim. This is a car that majors on comfort, with a relaxed gait that pays dividends in everyday driving on a variety of road surfaces. However, in our experience there’s quite a difference when it comes to cars with the bigger wheels, where the ride quality isn’t as soft and comfy and can feel a bit bumpy. The steering feels reactive enough, though, and body control is good enough that you won’t be wallowing through corners.
As with all EVs, the Elroq is quiet, too. The car has the feeling of a little limo, especially with the amount of space on board.
Interior, practicality and boot space
Space is the Skoda Elroq’s trump card with loads of space in the back – so much so that Skoda dealers might have trouble getting Enyaq buyers away from the Elroq.
The rear doors open wide for easy access or to make it easy to fit a child into their restraint, while there’s good shoulder and head space in the back, plus handy cubbies and pockets on the back of the front seats for your mobile phones. You can also get drinks holders in a special pod on the floor, assuming you don’t need to carry a third person in the back.
It’s the same up front with loads of space, plenty of places to put your bits and pieces, and good visibility thanks to larger than average door mirrors. And where so many rivals have tiny rear screens, you get a great view out of the back and a rear wiper to keep the rear window clean.
Material used across the dash and on the doors warms things up inside and adds to the feeling of quality, while lots of the materials used are sustainable. And, of course, as it’s a Skoda you get a handy umbrella in the driver’s door that’s also made out of recycled fabric.
Swing open the boot door and there’s a huge 470 litre space, which can be extended to 1,580 litres. There are handy storage areas in the side of the boot, but look up at the boot door and you’ll find a handy ice scraper in the left hand side, while on some models there’s a net under the luggage shelf to store your charging cables. That makes things much easier than hiding them under the boot floor if you’ve got luggage on board.
And that parcel shelf? It can sit in two positions, but best of all you can slide it out of the way behind the back seats rather than have to take it out and leave it somewhere.
Technology, stereo and infotainment
There’s a strong tech story to the Elroq, too, not just with the 13in touchscreen that’s easier to use than many others in the Volkswagen Group family.
There’s a handy app that lets you control many functions remotely, including pre-heating or cooling the car, and self-parking. The LED lights can feature matrix-beam technology for better lighting without blinding on comers. There’s a host of driver assistance and safety features, a head-up display, digital driver display, adjustable ambient lighting and a voice assistant – called Laura – that uses AI to help answer your questions.
On the touchscreen itself there’s a row of fast keys along the bottom and top of the screen for easy access to important controls including heating and ventilation controls so you don’t have to fight your way through multiple menus. There’s also a row of physical buttons underneath the screen that take care of important functions like screen demisting and access to drive modes and some of the safety systems.
Prices and running costs
The Elroq is competitively priced. The entry-level car is nicely equipped and starts at £31,500. You’ll probably want the slightly bigger battery and better equipment of the SE L model at £33,350, while the cheapest model with the biggest 82kWh battery is the Elroq Edition 85 for £38,650 – slightly more than a Kia EV3 that will go a similar distance. Our only tip with the Edition trim is to stick with the standard 19-inch wheels and not be tempted to upgrade to bigger rims.
Even the range-topping SportLine 85 isn’t horrendously expensive at £41,600.
Miles per kWh figures going up to 4.1 are about par for the course and, in our experience, achievable over mixed driving routes.
Skoda Elroq rivals
FAQs
How long does it take to charge?
Whichever battery you go for, a 10 to 80 per cent charge should take around 25 minutes on a sutable fast charger.
How much does it cost - is it worth it?
Prices start at an attractive £31,500 for an Elroq SE, although we’d stretch to the £33,350 SE L model with its better kit level and slightly bigger battery for a potential 250-mile range.
Does Skoda replace batteries for free?
If you should have a problem with your battery, Skoda will replace it for up to eight years after purchase, or 100,000 miles.
The verdict: Skoda Elroq
The Elroq is an easy car to like – and an easy car to live with, but with one caveat. The first car we drove was really comfortable over the bumps, but the second car on bigger 20in wheels felt much firmer. We’d avoid bigger wheels and go for SE L spec for the best balance of kit and comfort.
