Skoda announces the new Elroq, a family EV priced starting at £31,500

Skoda has just revealed its second electric SUV, the Skoda Elroq. The new EV starts at £31,500 – over £5,000 cheaper than its bigger sibling, the Skoda Enyaq.

Three battery sizes will be available: the SE 50 model gets a 55kWh battery with a maximum claimed range of 230 miles, the SE L 60 cars get a larger 63kWh battery, which claims 250 miles on a full charge, while the posh Edition and sporty Sportline cars come with either the 63kWh battery or a larger 82kWh unit that claims up to 360 miles of range.

Charging speeds run up to 175kw with the 82kWh battery, giving a 10 to 80 per cent charge in 28 minutes, while the smallest battery still manages charging speeds up to 145kW and charges 10 to 80 per cent charge in 25 minutes.

The SE L model costs £33,350, while the most expensive Skoda Elroq, the top-spec SportLine 85, will set you back £41,600.

Although Skoda calls the Elroq a compact SUV, it’s not much smaller than the Enyaq. At 4.49m the Elroq is just 161mm shorter than the Enyaq in overall length, while the wheelbase – the distance between the front and rear wheels – is identical. That means cabin space is similar in both cars. The Elroq’s boot is 115 litres smaller at 470 litres, but still with plenty of space for a few large suitcases or even the family dog.

open image in gallery

Having sat in the front and back of the new Skoda Elroq, we can confirm that it’s a spacious and comfortable car with easy access and good visibility all round, with usefully large door mirrors. Build quality of the car we sat in was impressive, too, and should stand up well to the rigours of family life.

The Elroq is the first car that shows off Skoda’s new ‘modern solid’ design language, which it claims is ‘robust, functional and authentic’. It’s not a huge departure for the brand. Our view when we saw the Elroq in person was that it’s another neat and attractive Skoda, if not groundbreaking in its looks.

The front end does look smart, though, with four prominent LED dashes on either side and the main twin headlight units hidden further down towards the bumper.

In place of a traditional grille is what Skoda calls a ‘tech-deck face’ – a gloss back panel that does a good job of hiding the ugly sensors needed for the car’s advanced safety systems. The name Skoda now sits proudly on the bonnet where the famous old, winged arrow logo used to be. It’s the same inside on the steering wheel and boot door, too.

In profile, the car looks similar to Skoda’s popular petrol and diesel Karoq SUV, although the benefit of an EV powertrain means much greater space inside. Around the back, it looks like the design team didn’t get the new car memo – it looks very much the same as any other Skoda SUV, although that’s no bad thing.

open image in gallery

If you lift the tailgate – powered in some models – there’s plenty of Skoda’s ‘simply clever’ thinking inside. The famous ice scraper that used to live in the fuel filler flap is now hidden in the side of the boot door, while the parcel shelf has a handy, strong, storage net underneath, where you can keep the charging cable. Most other EVs tend to have a space under the floor for the cable, so you have to move your luggage to get at it. Not so in the Elroq.

The shelf can be lowered to a mid-level point, and there are a couple of useful cubbies in the side of the boot. There’s more space under the boot floor and a reversible floor mat, too. And if you were wondering about the traditional Skoda umbrella, it’s still there in a panel in the driver’s door.

We were impressed by the amount of storage inside the car, too. In the back there are storage areas with cup holders in the doors, in the centre armrest and on the floor, plus a couple of pockets on the back of the front seats, one perfectly sized for a mobile phone. USB-C charging sockets are all present and correct.

The quality of materials inside is impressive, with sustainable options for seat fabrics and a surprisingly tasteful orange contrast for the seatbelts and stitching. We found the front seats particularly comfortable, with lots of adjustment for a spot-on driving position.

open image in gallery

We had a good play with the 13-inch infotainment screen, which is one of the better versions of the setup used across the Volkswagen group. It’s intuitive and responsive, and the user can define five shortcuts for the most essential functions. There’s also a row of hard buttons underneath the display to provide even quicker access to key controls like the heating and ventilation, parking and assistance functions, and driving modes.

You can forgo using the buttons completely and put your trust in Laura – Skoda’s digital assistant – if you’d rather. It can control everything from navigation and climate control to the infotainment system, while ChatGPT software also enables Laura to answer more general knowledge questions. Of course, there’s also a Skoda app that will monitor and control charging, allow you to precondition the climate control, and even lock or unlock the doors.

Sitting on the dash is a crisp digital cockpit. You can also get a head-up display to show dynamic navigation directions and road information projected into the driver’s line of sight.

Other tech includes LED headlights with adjustable 36-light matrix beams available on some models, plus a plethora of advanced safety systems and driver assistance features including adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance. You can even park the car while standing outside using the smartphone app.

Although Skoda hasn’t released 0-60 figures yet, the Sportline models promise a sportier drive and a sportier look. They get a black exterior treatment, splashes of carbon fibre-look trim and lowered sports suspension with tweaked steering.

We’ll be driving the new Skoda Elroq in the next couple of months, so check back in with us for our full review. You’ll be able to order one from October, and first deliveries are expected in 2025.