Skoda’s brilliant new Elroq has just gone and got its tracksuit on. The compact family SUV received a sporty makeover, gaining the brand’s iconic vRS badge in the process.
The new all-electric performance model follows a long line of vRS Skodas that link to the brand’s rally heritage – vRS stands for victory rally sport. Iconic vRS models in the past include the Skoda Fabia and Octavia models, as well as the Elroq’s bigger relative the electric Enyaqm and the Kodiaq seven-seat SUV.
With the Elroq’s largest 84kWh battery on board, the vRS model adds four-wheel drive courtesy of two electric motors on the front and back axles. The combined power output is 336bhp, enough to accelerate the Elroq vRS from 0 to 62mph in just 5.4 seconds.
The power boost is accompanied by a sports chassis that has been lowered by 15mm at the front and 10mm at the rear, with adaptive shock absorber settings that have been reconfigured for sportier responses. The steering has been revamped for a more responsive feel, too.
It’s not just the car that’s fast. The Skoda Elroq vRS gets fast charging, too, with speeds up to 185kW enabling a 10 to 80 per cent recharge in 26 minutes. Given the performance on offer, Skoda still claims a decent maximum range of 340 miles.
Outside, Skoda’s new Modern Solid design language gets a sporty update. The Tech Deck replaces a traditional grille and hides many of the Elroq’s safety sensors, with illuminated ‘eyelashes’ that blend into the LED daylight running lights above the headlights. The lights create a light show when the car is locked or unlocked – which can be done with the key hidden away in a pocket or bag by just approaching or walking away from the car.
Exclusive 21in alloys, matrix LED headlights, plus black accents on the window trim, door mirrors and Skoda lettering on the front and back are all vRS features, while vRS badging appears on the front wings. There’s also a vRS-specific colour: Hyper Green.
Inside, there’s suedia microfibre upholstery with lime green stitching across the dash and on the heated sports seats, while there’s also carbon-look trim. The sports steering wheel is covered in perforated leather and also gets lime-green stitching along with a vRS badge. Stainless-steel pedal covers complete the sporty makeover.
The vRS is a new range-topper for the Elroq family, so there’s a healthy kit list with the 13in infotainment screen also getting vRS graphics, while there’s augmented reality for the head-up display, a 12-speaker Canton audio system and plenty of Skoda’s ‘Simply Clever’ features. That means the usual umbrella in the door and ice scraper in the rear hatch, plus an adjustable parcel shelf that can be stored behind the rear seats and has a net to store the car’s charging cable.
The Elroq vRS was revealed at Milan Design Week and is expected in UK showrooms in the summer. Prices will be revealed soon, but with the most expensive Elroq you can currently buy costing £41,600, we’d expect the vRS to be somewhere north of £45,000.
