Skoda Elroq Review (2025)

Introduction

Skoda has been on a whirlwind of a recovery in recent years.

Once the butt of many playground jokes, it's not only revived itself but staged a full-scale comeback that would be worthy of a big 80s rock band scoring a number-one hit decades later.

Skoda is now a serious contender – so much so that, in some segments, it’s arguably sitting just below the premium brands but ahead of the rest of the trailing pack.

Of course, with people turning their backs on traditional family hatchbacks and saloons and switching to SUVs, Skoda hasn't been left behind.

We're left asking: when does a brand offer too many SUVs? This latest example, the new Elroq, looks worthy of such a question. After all, it's similarly proportioned and priced to Skoda’s existing Karoq SUV.

So, what’s the point?

Quite simply, it’s all-electric – in fact, that’s why it’s called the Elroq – it is, for all intents and purposes, an Electric Karoq.

There are other reasons, too: Skoda wanted to choose a new name, as the Elroq is very different from its similarly-sized Karoq sibling, inside and out.

Therefore, more appropriate comparisons are with the larger Enyaq SUV, which has just had a makeover – and that’s a good thing, too, as the Enyaqis fantastic.

Even better, the Elroq is based on the same platform as the Enyaq, so it shares much of its larger sibling’s DNA.

We’ve taken an Elroq out to see if it meets the same high standards.

At A Glance

If you’re familiar with Skoda’s large, almost moustache-like grille, its days appear to be numbered – you won’t find it on the Elroq.

This is the first Skoda to feature the Czech manufacturer’s new design language, Modern Solid, which will eventually be applied to all its electric cars.

The front now looks meaner than ever. The lack of a grille means the space where it would usually be is filled with a swooshing panel that runs from side to side, containing several thin LED lamps for the headlights.

Its sculpted bodywork provides two huge cutouts which look like air intakes, while a trapezoidal lower grille sits above a silver front splitter.

At the sides, there’s a prominent crease running front to back just above the door handles, and a sizeable indentation towards the bottom above a thick cladding area for that rugged SUV appearance.

The rear features a sizeable roof spoiler, and the cladding rises even higher to cover the entire rear bumper. Skoda lettering replaces the manufacturer's emblem in the middle of the boot, between the pointed taillights.

From some angles, it still retains the traits of the Skodas of the past, but this is a step forward in contemporary design.

Key Features

Four trim levels are offered on the Elroq.

The entry-level SE gets 19-inch alloys, a 13.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a five-inch digital cockpit display, climate control, LED headlights and taillights, and charging cables.

SE L adds satellite navigation, a heated leather steering wheel and front seats, paddle shifters to adjust the regenerative braking, dual-zone climate control, and a subscription to Skoda Connect services.

The Edition trim adds revised 19-inch alloys, a wireless phone charger, keyless entry, dark chrome roof rails and window surrounds, privacy and acoustic glass, and some additional safety features.

SportLine is the top of the tree, adding 20-inch black alloys, matrix LED headlights, SportLine bumpers, carbon-effect decorative inserts, front sports seats, and gloss black colouring for the roof rails, door mirrors, and tailgate lettering.

It also throws in microsuede and artificial leather upholstery selections, progressive, dynamic steering, and an electric tailgate with kick activation.

Three electric motors are offered on the Elroq at 170PS, 203PS and 285PS power outputs.

Each comes with its own battery size, which we'll explain shortly. The largest of these (known as the '85' model) is only available with the Edition and SportLine trims, and if you choose this, you'll also get sports suspension as standard.

All are single electric motors with rear-wheel drive. There are all-wheel drive versions, but they’re not being offered in the UK.

Range & Batteries

As we said, three different battery sizes are available on the Elroq.

Choosing the entry-level SE commits you to the smallest 55kWh battery (52kWh usable) with a claimed range of around 230 miles.

SE L gets a 63kWh battery (59kWh usable), increasing the range to more than 250 miles.

Both Edition and SportLine models can choose from the 63kWh battery or the largest 82kWh pack (77kWh usable), which, depending on trim, has a claimed range of 355 to 360 miles.

It is worth remembering that these are laboratory figures, so you won't get near them in practice. Any number of factors can affect the range achieved, but anything above two-thirds of the claimed figure is about on par with expectations.

You may also notice that Skoda uses model numbers '50', '60', and '85' in its marketing - these are rounded numbers that roughly reflect the car's battery size.

We are testing the top-of-the-range SportLine 85, the top trim with the 82kWh battery pack and 285PS.

Performance & Drive

Our SportLine 85 model gets from 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds.

That is very brisk by SUV standards, and it provides lightning acceleration with a burst of torque off the line.

It did spin up the rear tyres, though. But if you're sensible, expect it to be just fine for pulling out of busy junctions, joining motorway slip roads, and performing overtakes.

Unless performance is a key priority, or you simply must have the longest range (which is only available with the most powerful electric motor), you’ll be perfectly happy with the 50 or 60 models.

Even the 50 can sprint to 62mph in 9.0 seconds flat, which is adequate. Those wanting a little more can opt for the 60 model, which does it in 8.2 seconds.

These two models will be preferable, too, if ride comfort is a top priority.

All trims lower than the SportLine get smaller 19-inch wheels, as opposed to the 20-inch alloys of our test car. Avoiding the 85 model will get you standard suspension, which feels more pliant.

That said, if you pick the 85 model, you unlock the optional dynamic chassis control (DCC), which provides adaptive suspension. The firmness is continually adjusted to suit the current driving conditions, and there are three driving modes, too.

Performance thrill-seekers will be pleased to know that the SportLine 85 handles very well for an SUV. It changes direction quickly and provides sufficient grip to cope around faster corners, minimising body lean with aplomb. This is especially true if you put it in Sport mode, which tightens things up nicely.

The steering weights nicely as the car picks up speed, but there isn't much feedback through the wheel, taking the edge off the driving experience.

Even at higher speeds, the Elroq is remarkably quiet, minimising tyre and wind noise. The acoustic glass on the sides of our test car no doubt helps.

One downside is braking. The pedal doesn’t feel like it’s engaging any braking force until it’s been pressed about halfway, and then the brakes come on very sharply after that.

We found it best to turn up the sensitivity of the regenerative braking to mitigate the effect, but it’s still not as gradual as in some competitors.

Charging

The 85 model can charge at a maximum rate of 175kW, although this drops to 165kW in the 50 and 60 versions.

That means a 10-80% top-up takes 28 minutes with the largest battery, 24 minutes with the medium-sized one, and 25 minutes with the smallest one.

These figures are about on a par with rivals.

The Elroq is compatible with home charging speeds of up to 11kW.

Running Costs & Emissions

Given the Elroq is all-electric, there’s no refuelling and no emissions to worry about.

If you can charge it at home, its running costs will be significantly cheaper than those of a petrol or diesel car.

Its lack of emissions also makes it a sensible choice as a company car, with electric vehicles coming in the bottom band for Benefit In Kind tax.

You will also get free road tax as long as you tax it before April 2025, when electric cars will be charged to use the UK’s roads for the first time. However, you’ll still only pay £10 for the first year once the new tax bands come into effect.

Skoda is doing quite well these days regarding reliability, often in the top half of reliability survey league tables.

Interior & Technology

While we couldn’t describe the Elroq’s cabin as premium by today’s standards, its interior has a pleasingly modern feel and is nice to sit in.

Many of the materials feel nice to the touch, with plush surfaces and synthetic leather, although there are quite a lot of cheap plastics, especially on some of the cabin’s buttons,

The steering wheel looks bold and inviting to hold, with its flat bottom and silver outlines on the three spokes. It also has silver rocker switches surrounded by gloss piano black buttons.

The dashboard bulges outwards and downwards in the middle, creating a ledge on which the 13.0-inch infotainment tablet is perched.

The system features sharp graphics and is responsive to touches, swipes, and prods of your finger. It is also reasonably easy to get used to, with a fairly intuitive menu layout. Physical shortcut buttons sit beneath it, adding to the convenience.

While the shortcuts are useful, they aren’t as useful as if Skoda had retained physical buttons for the climate control settings, which must be operated via the touchscreen.

Using the screen to adjust the temperature on the move isn't as straightforward, but at least one shortcut button takes you to the correct menu.

Behind the wheel, the digital driver display replaces more traditional analogue dials. Like the infotainment screen, it's sharp and clear but relatively limited in terms of functionality – you can’t display a full-screen SatNav map on it, for example – and there aren’t many configurable features.

Skoda will no doubt be hoping you spend some extra money on the optional head-up display, which provides augmented-reality navigation directions.

Overall, Skoda has done a good job here – it’s a very pleasant interior.

Practicality & Boot Space

The Elroq isn’t the biggest SUV Skoda manufactures, but the driving position is still relatively high.

That helps with visibility out of the front windows, aided further by Skoda keeping the windscreen pillars as thin as possible.

The back is a different story, with thick pillars - hampered further by the vertical sides of the roof spoiler, which hangs above the shallow rear windscreen. Naturally, this impedes your over-the-shoulder view.

Happily, rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera are standard on all models, and all but the entry-level SE model get front parking sensors, too.

The Elroq's seats are comfortable and supportive - and even more impressive in the SportLine version we're testing.

We get bucket-like seats which really hold you in place around faster bends, hugging you tightly. The amount of space in the front helps, too, with plenty of legroom and headroom on offer.

It is even more impressive in the back, though, with sufficient space for two adults to sit comfortably beside one another.

Even the combination of a tall front seat occupant sitting in front of a tall rear seat passenger doesn’t cramp your style. The flat floor also helps accommodate a third passenger in the middle. However, if you regularly need to transport three adults in the back, we'd recommend the larger Enyaq.

Boot space measures 470 litres, enough to beat several of its competitors.

The cargo capacity expands to 1,580 litres if you fold the rear seats down, but they only drop down in a 60:40 split rather than the more versatile 40:20:40 configuration offered by some rivals. The boot also offers underfloor storage and additional shelves on each side.

Although there is a boot lip, it’s not very big. An adjustable boot floor can be added as an optional extra, too.

There is plenty of interior storage: generously sized door bins, a couple of trays and a large cubby in the centre console.

Skoda also has various features, which it refers to as 'Simply Clever'. Among the handy features included are a pop-out umbrella, which is kept in the car's doors, storage nets on the side of the front seat backrests, and a parking ticket holder on the windscreen.

Safety

The Elroq hasn’t yet been tested by safety experts Euro NCAP, but there should be no concerns. Indeed, 15 out of the last 16 tested Skodas earned a five-star rating, a record dating back almost a decade.

The Enyaq, built on the same platform as the Elroq, scored 94% for adult occupants, 89% for children, and 82% for safety assists in 2021.

In addition to a rear-view camera and rear parking sensors, the Elroq includes automatic emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, blind spot detection, and a driver attention warning.

SE L and above get front parking sensors, while Edition and SportLine trims add travel assist and predictive adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist.

Options

There are numerous extras for the Elroq.

A Transport Package adds boot nets, a cable bag, and a double-sided and adjustable boot floor.

The Winter Package provides heated front and rear seats, a heated windscreen and tri-zone climate control.

The Plus Package includes full LED matrix beam headlights with dynamic range control, cornering lights, fog lights, an electrically operated boot, and rear-side airbags.

Two others, the Advanced and Maxx Packages, combine many of the above features and add a range of other goodies. These include a bird's-eye view camera, head-up display, Canton premium sound system, an electrically adjustable driver's seat with massage and memory functions, electrically adjustable front lumbar support, and park assistance with a remote park function. A heat pump can also be added, which pre-heats the cabin on a cold winter’s day.

You will also find a range of accessories, from boot net partitions to tow bars and a range of different alloy wheel designs, including a 21-inch set.

Rival Cars

The Skoda Elroq has no shortage of competition.

The Kia EV3, Kia Niro EV and the Smart #1 are among the contenders for your money.

Renault’s Scenic, the Peugeot e-3008 and the Volkswagen ID.3 are also worth considering.

Premium-end customers may want to look at the Volvo EX30, too.

Verdict & Next Steps

The Elroq is yet another fine example of just how far Skoda has come over the years.

It is well-refined and roomy, has a decent boot, a nice infotainment system, and a pleasant cabin design. It also offers a variety of options in terms of range and performance.

For an SUV, it's generally good to drive, too. However, the brakes aren't the best, and the lack of physical climate controls is a negative.

The SportLine 85, though impressive, will be excessive for most unless you’re after something that blends useful practicality with outright straight-line performance.

We recommend going for the SE L trim, which offers more creature comforts than the base SE model. That keeps the leasing price keen, too, and only sweetens the deal.

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Skoda Elroq.

**Correct as of 21/01/2025. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £2,716.20 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.