Skoda Elroq Review - Every Electric Car Should Be Like This

January 1st 2030 will be a significant date for the UK motor industry because that is when, unless the government changes its mind (again), sales of most new petrol and diesel cars will be banned. Some hybrids will get a stay of execution until 2035, which incidentally is the date that most European countries are aiming for in terms of the ban. 

This explains why so many new electric cars are appearing on the scene. 

The buying public is still being rather slow to adopt the 100 per cent battery approach. Latest figures show that around 25% of all new car sales in the first half of 2026 were EVs, which means an awful lot of us are going to need to be convinced over the next three and a half years.  

However, if all EVs were like the Skoda Elroq, that number would climb dramatically. Yep…it really is that good. 

Exterior Design

The Elroq is around the same size as the conventionally powered Skoda Karoq and fits into the Skoda line-up between the soon-to-arrive smaller Epiq and the Skoda Enyaq.

The Skoda EV range is expanding rapidly. The Epiq is due to land around now, before the arrival of the 7-seater Skoda Peaq, the firm’s new flagship vehicle, early next year. If they’re as good as the Skoda Elroq, they’ll be onto a winner. 

Price, Range and Charging Times

Everything kicks off at £33,970 (Aug ’26) with the Elroq SE L 60. It’ll do a 0-60mph sprint in 8.5 seconds via the rear wheels and can manage an estimated 280 miles of range.

Even in this entry-level trim, you get sat nav, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, front parking sensors, climate control, and smart alloy wheels. Oh, and an umbrella. I could fully understand why customers would head straight for this model and ignore the rest. 

However, depending on your requirements and how many miles you’re expecting to do on a regular basis, I’d probably look to shell out an extra £4k on the SE L 85 because you get a larger battery giving you 84kWh and 282bhp rather than 61kWh and 187bhp. This not only gives you brisk performance — 0-60mph in 6.6 seconds — but your range is now a highly impressive potential of 372 miles, which should cover everything from a hefty commute to holiday trips with the family. Sorted. 

In terms of charging times, both are roughly the same, with a 10-80 per cent top-up taking just under half an hour. That should be more than enough time for a visit to the loo and a cuppa. 

The Elroq range was launched in this country with an SE 50 model and a small 55kWh battery, but that’s been dropped. If you want extra goodies, head for the Edition or Sportline models, or if you need or fancy some extra performance, go for the all-wheel drive vRS model which slices a second off the SE L 85 time but your potential mileage suffers, dropping to 344 miles which is still pretty decent, but I’d be perfectly happy with the rear-wheel drive versions.  

Driving Experience

As there’s no start button, you simply hop in, flick the drive selector and you’re off.

Out on the road, the Elroq handles nicely. The suspension has been tuned to soak up lumps and bumps, but it’s not too soft and allows for some spirited driving on a country lane. You can get adaptive suspension, but the standard set-up is perfectly acceptable. Don’t bother. The bottom line is that the Skoda Elroq is good to drive both on urban roads and the motorway. It’s also nimble enough with an excellent turning circle to make town driving a doddle. 

You can’t manage one-pedal driving, which is a shame, but the adjustable regenerative braking isn’t too severe and fits the car’s performance nicely. Some cars nearly throw you through the windscreen when you lift your foot off the throttle. The higher spec models (Sportline upwards) allow you to adjust the regen via steering wheel paddles. 

Interior

The Skoda Elroq is aimed solely at couples and growing families. There’s sufficient room back and front and the seats are comfy. It’s also a pleasing place to be with nice looking materials around the cabin. Quietly understated but in a good way and feels solid too. The 470-litre boot is plenty big enough for those holiday trips. 

The central 13-inch touchscreen dominates everything. It’s good to see that Skoda has learned from the mistake that VW made with its early units, which controlled everything and were a pain to scroll through whilst also trying to drive the car. The system in the Elrog is clear and has permanent symbols for heated seats, temperature, sat nav, audio etc, plus a slider bar for volume along the bottom. Lower down there are some physical buttons which look after drive modes, central locking and air distribution. The driver gets a neat 5-inch display. 

Should you buy one?

This is a car that’s so easy and simple to get along with that I can see it being the ideal entry point for those of you thinking about taking the all-electric plunge. Utterly painless to own but still looks good and is nice to drive, making it a perfect family tool. Go for the Elroq 85 and you get excellent range, but I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to save the cash and go for the Elroq 60.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been rather sad to see someone take my test car away. I already miss it.

words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Skoda