Skoda Elroq Review

Introduction

Skoda is going for electric in a big way. The first wave brought us the brilliant Enyaq three years ago, and now the Czech manufacturer has hit us with the excellent new Elroq - a smaller SUV to sit beneath the Enyaq. An even more compact (and cheaper) Epiq baby SUV launches later this year. 

The Skoda Elroq competes in the biggest sector of the new car market - mid-size SUVs - and has some seriously tough competition in the form of cars like the Kia EV3, Hyundai Kona, Volvo EX30, Renault Scenic E-Tech and Nissan Leaf. Priced from roughly £32,000 for the entry-level model, the pure-electric Skoda Elroq costs the same as the petrol Karoq, too, so looks to have everything going for it. Does the Elroq rock?

​Click here to arrange a test drive at your nearest Skoda retailer.

Battery, range and charging 

The entry-level Elroq 50 has a usable battery capacity of 52kWh, while the Elroq 60 has 59kWh, while the 85 has 77kWh. That equates to WLTP range of 232, 260- and 360 miles, respectively. The Kia EV3, Renault Scenic and Nissan Leaf go a bit further in their long range models, but not by much!

The Elroq 85 gets faster charging too, as it’s able to accept DC charging at up to 175kW, while the Elroq 50 and 60 support charging rates of 145 or 165kW. All will manage a 10-80% rapid charge in around 30 minutes, thanks to the slower-charging cars having a smaller battery to fill. It's a bit easier to think of it in terms a 100 mile top-up at the motorway services taking around 15 minutes in the Elroq 85, or around 25- to 30 minutes in the smaller battery cars. All charge up to 11 kW at AC points.

To make sure you can top up as quickly as possible, the Elroq has a manual battery pre-conditioning function. This preheats the battery in preparation for DC charging in low temperatures, optimising charging speed. But unlike a lot of other electric cars, you don’t have to prompt the car to do it by entering the charging station in the navigation – you can just do by pressing this button on the car's screen.

Boot space and practicality 

The Elroq might be more compact than the Enyaq, but it's still a remarkably practical package. There is not quite as much room as in its bigger brother, but only the seriously lanky are going to have an issue in front or back seats. In fact, there’s more space on offer than you would get in Skoda’s ICE-powered Karoq. 

It’s the same story in the boot. It has 470-litres of space with the seats up, and 1,580 litres when they are down. That beats the Ford Explorer’s 445-litre boot, but is beaten by the Kia EV3’s 485 litre. There are some typical Skoda clever touches too, such as an optional storage net for a charging cable under the parcel shelf. It also has a QR code in the boot, which leads to interactive video instructions on how to use the adjustable parcel shelf or nets. There’s also an ice scraper built into the bootlid for those days when you forget to preheat the car, and an umbrella in the door – just like you’d find in a Rolls-Royce.

Interior, design and technology

The Skoda Elroq's cabin gets all the best of the VW bits, without the stuff we don’t like. Somehow Skoda has managed to avoid being lumbered with the hated haptic switches on the steering wheel, and even the confusing stalks that are used in cars such as the ID.4 and even the Ford Explorer. Like the Enyaq, the Elroq has four proper switches for the windows, a row of buttons for important functions and a chunky switch for gear selection.

There’s also a clear ‘Digital Cockpit’ display borrowed from from the Enyaq, which is a little on the small side for our liking but can be supplemented with an optional head-up display with Augmented Reality visualisations. In the centre of the dash is a 13-inch central display which looks after all the other functions and works well, either with or without smartphone connections.

Skoda’s app also deserves a mention as it's easy to use, and free for the first three years on all but the entry-level Elroq. 

Motors, performance and handling

The Elroq uses the hardware from the same box of bits as most VW Group electric cars, although there are some interesting options. The motors have power outputs from 168 to 282bhp - all with rear-wheel drive, including the rapid Elroq vRS that we're yet to drive (but will report back on as soon as we have).

We've driven the current bookends of the range – the 50 and 85. The lower powered car feels perfectly adequate in most situations, with a 0-62mph of 8.7 seconds, and it only starts to feel a bit breathless on faster motorway inclines. The Skoda Elroq 85 is a contrast as you could almost say it feels too fast, at 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds, but it also feels cohesive and un-intimidating to drive with a nice, perky responsiveness in corners. I really enjoyed it, but I suspect that the mid-range Elroq 60 with its 0-62mph of 7.7 seconds might be the happy medium that will suit everyone on balance of cost, range and performance.

It’s also clear the Elroq has been tuned for comfort rather than sportiness, which comes as a welcome relief for anyone worried about the state of the UK’s roads. Even on 20-inch wheels the Elroq feels cushy and cosseting. The steering is well judged to match this, with just enough feel and weight to stop an enthusiastic driver from moaning, but not so much that it feels nervous or sporty. The surprisingly small turning circle of 9.3m is welcome too – that’s the same as Fabia supermini.

The set up does mean that you’re not encouraged to drive quickly though, despite the 85 having plenty of power. 

The car we tried was also fitted with the optional DCC adaptive chassis control (£650, as part of the Driver Package for the Elroq 85 and 85 Sportline), which adjusts the suspension responses based on road surface characteristics or driver preferences. In addition to making the ride even smoother, it offers three predefined settings: Normal, Comfort, and Sport, with the Custom mode allowing fifteen different chassis set-ups. It works well, but we suspect most drivers will be happy with the standard set up and save the cash.

One slight disappointment is with the brakes. There are two brake regen' settings operated by paddles behind the steering wheel, or a B mode. None offer particularly strong deceleration, which might not be to everyone’s taste, but more irritating is the brake pedal itself which feels spongey and needs a surprising shove to stop the car, particularly when slowing down from speed or after a downhill section. 

Running costs, pricing and specs

The headline news is that the Elroq has ‘price parity’ with the petrol Karoq – meaning customers can choose whichever fuel type suits them best and not worry about the cost. The cheapest Elroq SE 50 costs from under £32,000, while the Kia EV3 and Volvo EX30 both cost a bit more, or the entry-level Ford Explorer costs a lot more (on list price, at least). 

Even that entry-level Elroq comes with 19-inch ‘Proteus’ alloy wheels, LED headlights and rear lights. Inside, it has the ‘Loft’ trim that comes with fabric and artificial leather upholstery, grey headlining and a two-spoke leather multifunction steering wheel. Like all models it has a 13-inch touchscreen infotainment system and ‘digital cockpit’ instruments. Single-zone climate control is standard too.

For less than £2,000 you can step up to SE L trim. The Elroq SE L 60 models come with a larger 63kWh (59kWh net) battery as standard, plus there's a heated multifunction steering wheel with paddles for brake recuperation, heated front seats, sat nav and the Skoda Connect app for three years. You also get dual zone climate control, drive mode select, front parking sensors and preparation for a tow bar. 

Next up is the Elroq Edition. This comes with two battery options; 60 and 85, and it adds a different style of 19-inch alloy wheel, dark chrome roof rails, rear privacy glass and acoustic side windows to improve refinement, not to mention adaptive cruise control, keyless entry, and wireless phone charging. The current flagship model of the Elroq range, called SportLine, also gets both battery options, plus 20-inch Asterion black alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights, unique SportLine bumpers and gloss black roof rails, door mirrors and tailgate lettering.

Inside, SportLine models come with microsuede and artificial leather upholstery, carbon effect decorative inserts, front sports seats and a black headlining, to keep up the sporty feel that will attract a lot of buyers to this trim. 

Reflecting its more sporting nature, the SportLine also comes with progressive dynamic steering as standard, while the 85 battery also gets sports suspension. 

That all sounds good, but Skoda does like to package some nice stuff up and add it to the options list, including a heat pump - which costs £1,000!

Verdict

It might not be the most exciting car, but the Elroq is a great package that I can heartily recommend. It’s big enough for a family yet manoeuvrable and efficient. It’s a car which has been designed to be refined and relaxing to drive rather than shave seconds off the lap time at the Nürburgring, which is a refreshing change, especially on Britain’s broken roads. Even on the 20-inch wheels it rides remarkably well. It also looks temptingly priced compared to rivals, but watch out for the pricey options. To arrange a test drive at your nearest Skoda retailer click here.

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