Written by John Howell Published: 9 July 2024 Updated: 10 July 2024

Overview

Early prototype drives, like this one of the new Skoda Elroq, can be oh-so challenging. The cars aren’t generally finished and, despite being invited along to sample them, manufacturers usually try to tell us as little as possible. For a start, there’s the default disguise.

That keeps the styling secret – although we were told that underneath is an all-new design theme called Modern Solid. And when we try to find answers to questions like ‘how much will it cost?’ and ‘what equipment will it come with?’ the game of cat and mouse begins. The common response being, ‘We can’t tell you that’.

So, it can be about as fruitful as milking bulls, but happily we’ve got some details to share about the Elroq. It’s Skoda’s smallest electric SUV to date, boasting similar proportions to the petrol- and diesel-powered Karoq. We also know it’ll go on sale this winter and deliveries will begin around March 2025.

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How much it will cost is an educated guess, but between £35,000 and £45,000 depending on trim level and battery size. That assumption is based on the Skoda Enyaq’s pricing. The Elroq’s essentially an Enyaq underneath but 160mm shorter. So, it stands to reason it’ll be a bit cheaper.

Incidentally, the Ford Explorer shares the same VW-based underpinnings, but is near enough the same size. It’s a direct rival, then, as is the Renault Scenic, Peugeot e-3008, and cheaper versions of the Tesla Model Y.

Scroll down to read our review of the Skoda Elroq prototype or, if you’re curious about our process, head over to our page on how we test cars to learn more.

What’s it like inside?

Skoda was very touchy about pictures of the Elroq’s interior leaking out – what we saw wasn’t the finished article, to be fair. But here’s a handy tip if you want to know what it’s like inside: have a look at the Enyaq’s interior. Give or take, they’re the same.

Skoda admitted that the Elroq will come with similar trim levels and styling suites as its bigger brother. It usually does a good job of making its cars feel plush, so anticipate an appealing palette of materials and textures throughout. And hopefully decent build quality, too.

The infotainment system also mirrors the Enyaq’s. The 13.0-inch touchscreen is identical and, while the software hadn’t been signed off, the menus look similar to the latest Skoda Kodiaq’s. The good news is it doesn’t share the Ford Explorer’s system, which has daft menus and tiny icons.

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There’s also a separate 5.0-inch driver’s display. That’s handy. It means that you don’t have to look down at the infotainment screen to see how fast you’re going, like you have to while driving the Model Y.

The Elroqs we tried also had a head-up display, but don’t expect that to be standard on the cheaper versions. There aren’t many physical buttons, which is a shame. It means most adjustments are made using the infotainment screen or voice control.

The Model Y and the Scenic are more practical cars. That’s not saying the Elroq is impractical – it really isn’t. Whether you’re sat in the front or the back there’s loads of head and legroom for six-footers – it’s just those in the back can’t stretch their legs as much as they’d be able to in a Scenic. Foot space under the Elroq’s front seats is great, and there’s a flat floor across the width of the rear compartment.

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Interior storage space matches the Explorer’s tally of 48 litres. It’s made up of various cubbies and trays, a generous glove box, and big door bins. Plus, there’s a wireless charging pad in the front centre-console and plenty of 45-watt USB-Cs for your other devices.

Boot space is also a match for the Explorer’s and, at 470 litres, enough for a pushchair and a couple of big suitcases. The Scenic’s 545-litre boot will swallow even more, though. The Elroq is available with a height-adjustable boot floor and there’s additional storage beneath for the charging cables. If you need more space, you can poke long items through the ski hatch or drop the 60/40 split-folding rear seats.

There’s no luggage space in the front, however, which is something the Model Y offers.

Comfort

The front seats feel right immediately. They’re supportive in all the right places, and, on the cars we drove, they featured electric adjustment on the driver’s side. That included the lumbar support as well.

Add in a handy amount of steering wheel adjustment and it’s a very easy car to get comfortable in.

Safety

It’s too early to talk safety rating yet. But the fact the Enyaq scored five stars in its Euro NCAP crash test bodes well. If anything, we’d hope the Elroq will do even better. Why? Because Skoda says that it’s improved the suite of safety assist systems for the Elroq.

Expect the list of electronic safety aids to be comprehensive – speeding alerts, lane assistance, fatigue monitoring, and emergency braking that keeps tabs on rogue cars, bikes and pedestrians.

What’s it like to drive?

The range is made up of the 169hp 50, 204hp 60 and 289bhp 85. Those are all rear-wheel-drive, but there’s also a 299hp twin-motor model with all-wheel drive called the 85x. The only official performance figures we’ve been given are top speeds – the 50 and 60 can hit 100mph, while the 85 and 85x will reach 112mph.

Knowing the rated power for each version, and the fact it’s around 150kg lighter than the Enyaq, are clues as to the Elorq’s performance. It’s likely the 50 and 60 will offer similar pace off the line as the entry-level Scenic.

And we’ve driven the 85, which feels pretty punchy, so expect it to zip from 0-62mph in around 6.5 seconds. Beyond 60mph the acceleration tails off, though. The more powerful 85x is going to be slightly quicker, but you’ll need to wait for the Elroq vRS to get closer to the pace on offer with the Model Y.

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It’s very easy to drive the Elroq around town. The steering is light at slow speeds and, with a 9.3-metre turning circle, you can pull a quick U-turn in tight spots. Adding to this relatively stress-free driving experience is sensible visibility. The front and rear pillars are thinner than the Scenic’s, so you’re less reliant on the parking sensors and rear-view camera when parking. Expect those features to be standard, by the way.

There’s hardly any motor whine and, as the speeds climb, the road and wind noise aren’t intrusive. That said, the majority of our driving was urban. Still, this provided a good opportunity to test the Elroq’s ride over cobbled streets and speed bumps – the takeaway being it’s quite supple. It’s less abrupt than the Explorer and more settled than the jittery Model Y.

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Having a softer set-up means it leans more than those two rivals in corners and doesn’t feel quite as agile. But on the few faster sections of road we did find, the handling felt balanced and predictable. The steering is noteworthy. It’s not as quick compared with the steering in the Scenic or Model Y, but in our book that’s a good thing. It makes the Elroq feel less nervous to drive.

The only blight is the brakes. Like most electric cars they combine regular, mechanical braking, with regenerative braking that feeds charge back into the battery as you stop. The problem here is there’s some inconsistency with the pedal feel that makes it hard to stop smoothly consistently. The test cars weren’t the finished articles, though, so hopefully this can be tweaked for the production models.

You can change the regenerative braking so there’s very little and the Elroq freewheels when you lift off the accelerator. There’s also a ‘B’ mode, with more braking effect to slow you quicker. Or the auto mode, which varies between those two extremes, ramping up the regen when the car knows it’s approaching a junction or detects that the car ahead is braking.

Range and charging

So far, we know that the 85 and 85x (with 77kWh of usable battery capacity) will ‘deliver an electric range of more than 348 miles’. That’s a good amount, bettering the Model Y’s 331 miles, but not the Scenic – in Long Range guise that’ll officially manage up to 379 miles on full charge. Skoda hinted that the 50 (52kWh) will do up to 230 miles, while the 60 (59kWh) should extend the envelope fractionally to 248 miles.

It’s been confirmed that the 85 models will fast charge at up to 175kW. No mention yet on the fast-charging rate of the 50 and 60, but we assume it’ll be around 130kW. Despite the 50 and 60 charging slower than the 85, with smaller batteries they’ll still fast charge in the same time.

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Skoda claims all Elroqs will go from 10 to 80 per cent charge in 25 minutes. For reference, the Scenic takes 35 to 40 minutes for the same boost.

What models and trims are available?

We know the model names are 50, 60, 85 and 85x, but they denote battery sizes not trims. A limited-run First Edition trim will be available from launch, followed by the mainstream trims that should be similar to the Enyaq’s. At some point there’ll be a Sportline and, eventually, a performance-orientated vRS model.

There’s Skoda’s design suites to think about as well. These are effectively interior design packages that let you choose between warmer textures and lighter, airier colours (with the emphasis on luxury), through to sportier, more clinical themes (darker colours with high-contrast accents). Sustainable materials, like Recytitan, will also feature. This is created from recycled drinks bottles and is used for the upholstery on the seats, dashboard and interior door panels.

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Equipment levels haven’t been released, but Skoda mentioned the only thing that won’t be available on the Elroq (but is on the Enyaq) is a panoramic sunroof. Wheel sizes will range from 19-inch to 21-inch, and three-zone climate control, cruise control and power-folding door mirrors should be standard. As will LED headlights, with Matrix LED headlights featuring on higher-end trims.

What else should I know?

A new feature coming on the Elroq is Tesla-style remote parking. This is controlled using the My Skoda app on your smartphone. It lets you steer the car into, or out of, a parking space while standing up to four metres away. You can also save the five moves you do most regularly, which can be up to 50-metres long.

If you’re a fan of Skoda’s familiar Simply Clever features, they’ll be available, too. These include handy items like an umbrella tucked into the driver’s door and an ice scraper clipped to the inside of the charging cover. Plus, you can accessorise by adding various storage solutions, such as cargo nets and a hammock to help organise the boot.