Skoda has shrunk the Enyaq electric SUV to create the Elroq, which promises the same interior space and range in a cheaper and more city-friendly package. Is it worth considering?
2025 Skoda Elroq
It took a while for Skoda to launch its first electric car in Australia, the Tesla Model Y-sized Enyaq arriving four years after Europe due to a series of production delays, discussions with head office, and model upgrades.
It seems that when it rains, it pours, as Skoda is already preparing to launch its second EV in Australia: the smaller Elroq, due in August or September, only a few months behind Europe.
At just under 4.5 metres long, it’s about 17 centimetres shorter nose to tail than the Enyaq, and similar in size to the popular BYD Atto 3, or a petrol-powered Skoda Karoq.
But Skoda promises mid-size SUV-like space inside, as the mid-section of the body – where the passengers sit – is shared with the Enyaq, sitting on the same wheelbase and floorpan.
Is it the Goldilocks of European electric cars? Drive was invited to test a pre-production Elroq around a closed racetrack – as it cannot be driven on public roads by anyone other than company employees – ahead of its formal showroom arrival.
How much is a Skoda Elroq?
Two variants of the Elroq will be available initially: the 85 Select entry grade, and the 130 Edition, which has no defined end date but is pitched as a launch offering, named after the 130 years since Skoda was founded as a bicycle manufacturer.
European customers are offered Sportline and RS editions – the latter with dual-motor all-wheel drive, rather than one single motor in the 85 Select and 130 Edition – but are yet to be locked in for Australia.
Prices start from $54,990 plus on-road costs for the 85 Select, and rise to $64,990 for the 130 Edition.
The entry-level variant is $15,000 cheaper than the larger Skoda Enyaq. The gap closes to $5000 when opting for the flagship Elroq, which is better equipped than a base Enyaq.
However, the Select is $10,000 more expensive than a top-of-the-range BYD Atto 3, which has a shorter driving range (529km vs 420km) and less power but more equipment, including leather-look trim, power-adjustable seats, and a 360-degree camera.
A Tesla Model Y RWD is $58,900 – with a shorter driving range and warranty, and similar interior space, but a larger body and more standard features – while the related VW ID.4 is $59,990, again with more features, a longer range and a bigger body than the base Elroq, but two years less warranty.
The Elroq will also face off against the Kia EV3 Air Long Range ($53,315) and Hyundai Kona Electric Standard Range ($54,000), which are smaller and generally not as well equipped as the Select trim.
Standard features in the Elroq Select include 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a 13-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 5.0-inch instrument display, a rear-view camera, wireless phone charging, dual-zone climate control, black fabric upholstery, heated front seats and steering wheel, and keyless entry and start.
The 130 Edition adds 21-inch alloys, matrix LED headlights, scrolling LED rear indicators, an augmented-reality head-up display, and power-adjustable front seats with massaging.
It also includes white leather-look and black fabric trim, orange seatbelts and stitching, tri-zone climate control, a 12-speaker Canton stereo, 360-degree camera, power tailgate, auto parking, and more.
| Key details | 2025 Skoda Elroq |
| Price | 85 Select – $54,990 plus on-road costs 130 Edition – $64,990 plus on-road costs |
| Rivals | BYD Atto 3 | Kia EV3 | Tesla Model Y |
How big is a Skoda Elroq?
At 4488mm long, 1884mm wide and 1625mm tall, the Skoda Elroq is similar in length to many popular small SUVs, including BYD’s popular Atto 3.
But it shares its wheelbase with the larger Enyaq – and is actually wider, thanks to plastic wheel-arch flares – so space inside, especially in the rear seats, is cavernous by class standards.
Adults more than six feet tall (183cm) can fit behind a similarly sized driver with more than a hand’s width of knee room, plus plenty of head room – though toe room is tight with the front seats set low.
Unlike many electric cars, the Elroq’s rear outboard seat bases are angled upward to give passengers ample underthigh support – though said padding could be broader – and the floor is flat, a benefit of EV-specific underpinnings.
That said, a plastic tray can be slotted into the centre of the floor, with cupholders and additional storage space – joining the front seatback map and phone pockets, a fold-down centre armrest with two cupholders, two USB-C ports, air vents, bottle holders in the doors, and even sunshades for the rear-side windows.
It’s a similarly positive experience in the front seats of the Elroq, where the smaller car differs from the Enyaq through unique trims and finishes, rather than changing any of the components or switchgear.
Flagship 130 Edition variants swap the Select’s all-black cabin for a mix of white leather-look material and black fabric on the seats, offset by orange seatbelts and contrast stitching that makes the cabin pop.
White leather-like material is used on the dashboard in the 130 Edition, too, and there are soft-touch surfaces on the doors and armrests, plus metallic highlights – but scratchier materials are used lower down on the dashboard.
The front seats are firmly bolstered but supportive (including under-thigh) and, based on our initial time behind the wheel, comfortable. 130 Editions include seat heating, massaging and memory functions, plus power adjustment.
Outward visibility is good, and the driving position gives a good view of the road ahead, with ample adjustment in the steering column and leather-trimmed wheel to get comfortable.
Many of the vehicle’s functions are included in the touchscreen – and Skoda persists with a touch-sensitive volume control slider under the screen that isn’t illuminated – but there’s a row of hard piano keys for functions such as the auto parking and driver assist settings.
There’s plenty of storage for smaller items – across the flock-lined door pockets, a modest-sized centre console storage box, a deep slot next to the gear selector, and more room underneath – while amenities include two USB-C ports and a ventilated wireless phone charger.
Much like the rear seats, the boot is large, with a quoted 470-litre capacity that expands to 1580L with the second row folded.
As with other Skodas, there are plenty of practical touches, from an umbrella in the driver’s door to a charging cable storage pocket on the underside of the parcel shelf, bag hooks in the load area, and velcro-attached rails to prevent items in the boot rolling around.
There is no spare wheel, nor any under-bonnet storage.
| 2025 Skoda Elroq | |
| Seats | Five |
| Boot volume | 470L seats up 1580L seats folded |
| Length | 4488mm |
| Width | 1884mm |
| Height | 1625mm |
| Wheelbase | 2765mm |
Does the Skoda Elroq have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
The Elroq’s 13-inch touchscreen is shared with the Enyaq, and runs new-generation software that’s quicker and easier to use than earlier Skodas, accompanied by wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The climate controls run through the touchscreen, but key functions such as the temperature and heated seat controls are pinned along the bottom of the display.
At the top of the screen, there’s a row of customisable shortcuts for a variety of vehicle functions – from drive modes to parking sensors – though the icons are small, and our experience suggests they’re not the easiest to hit on a bumpy road.
Ahead of the driver is a 5.0-inch instrument display that shows key functions, but drivers of the 130 Edition will more likely rely on the augmented-reality head-up display projected onto the windscreen.
Skoda doesn’t offer connected services – such as a phone companion app with remote locking and pre-conditioning – on its cars in Australia.
What safety technology does the Skoda Elroq have?
Skoda is yet to detail every safety feature planned to be fitted to the Elroq, but it has confirmed it will offer autonomous emergency braking with intersection awareness, lane-keep assist, lane-centring assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a door exit warning system.
There are also set to be seven airbags, including front-centre coverage to prevent head clashes in severe side-impact collisions.
We will test the effectiveness of these systems when we get the Elroq on Australian roads later this year.
What is the range of a Skoda Elroq?
Skoda claims a 529km driving range in mixed driving for the Elroq based on European WLTP lab testing. An energy-efficiency claim is yet to be published for Australia.
The short and closed-course nature of our preview drive means we were not able to get a fair indicator of real-world energy consumption.
DC fast charging at up to 175kW is offered, which in Europe is said to enable a 10 to 80 per cent recharge in a claimed 28 minutes.
It is expected AC home charging at up to 11kW will be offered.
| Energy efficiency | 2025 Skoda Elroq |
| Battery size | 77kWh (usable) |
| Driving range claim (WLTP) | 529km |
| Charge time (11kW) | 8h (claimed 0–100%) |
| Charge time (50kW) | 1h 5min (estimated 10–80%) |
| Charge time (175kW max rate) | 28min (claimed 10–80%) |
What is the Skoda Elroq like to drive?
Our time behind the wheel on this preview drive was limited to a few laps of a smooth racetrack – where the only big bumps are the kerbs – but it was enough to come away with a positive impression of the Elroq’s driving character.
As we’ve come to expect of a Skoda, it has the dynamism expected of a European car – especially a rear-wheel-drive one – but with a more supple, comfort-oriented edge.
The two launch variants share a single 210kW/545Nm electric motor on the rear axle, which delivers strong performance for a family car that’s not far off a hot hatch of a few years ago, combined with the instant response expected of an electric vehicle.
Zero to 100km/h acceleration takes a claimed 6.6 seconds – only one tenth off the Skoda Octavia RS turbo-petrol sports wagon – so power certainly isn’t a weakness of the Elroq, even though it’s estimated to weigh (in Australian trim) more than two tonnes.
The lack of bumps makes it hard to gauge how the Elroq will handle the daily grind, but running the wheels over kerbs suggests suspension supple enough to absorb potholes and speed bumps, but not too soft and ‘floaty’ that it will become uncontrolled at Australian country roads.
It doesn’t list adaptive damper functionality on the spec sheet, so what you see with the suspension is what you get.
The Elroq handles neatly, resisting body roll well, and feeling more agile than its two-tonne mass and SUV-sized footprint would suggest.
The steering is accurate and well weighted, though there isn’t a huge difference between its Normal and Sport modes, both are on the lighter side and well suited to a family car.
Drivers can choose between two levels of regenerative braking strength – through D and B on the stubby gear shifter – but neither is a full ‘one-pedal’ mode that can bring the car to a full stop without needing to touch the brake pedal.
Said brake pedal is also soft at the top of its travel, and requires a firm push to pull the car up, a common trait of other cars on the VW Group’s MEB electric-car platform – all of which, Elroq included, use old-school drum brakes at the rear.
Braking performance is reasonable once the driver pushes their foot far into the pedal, but the stress-testing environment in which we tested the Elroq isn’t representative of a one-off emergency stop that you might need to carry out on a public road.
| Key details | 2025 Skoda Elroq |
| Engine | Single electric motor |
| Power | 210kW |
| Torque | 545Nm |
| Drive type | Rear-wheel drive |
| Transmission | Single-speed |
| Weight | 2100kg (estimated) |
| Spare tyre type | Tyre repair kit |
Should I wait to buy the Skoda Elroq?
We will reserve our full judgement until we get the Skoda Elroq on public roads, but our first impressions of this new electric SUV are positive.
It’s small on the outside yet spacious on the inside, packs in plenty of technology, offers strong performance by class standards, and handles as well as you’d expect of a European car.
That’s all backed by a seven-year warranty, and a balance of pricing and equipment that, while not as affordable as some rivals from China, doesn’t leave buyers with a cut-price experience.
If you’re in the market for an electric family SUV that’s not too big – yet can fit plenty inside, and go the distance – the Skoda Elroq is worth waiting for.
The post 2025 Skoda Elroq review: Preview drive appeared first on Drive.