2025 Skoda Elroq review: Prototype drive

Skoda Australia is releasing its second battery-electric vehicle in Australia, and it’s landing in the thick of the market.

The 2025 Skoda Elroq will land in September, having previously been earmarked for a July introduction. It’s a small-to-medium size electric SUV based on the same MEB architecture as the larger Enyaq – though it’s 170mm shorter in length.

Much like the Karoq is to the Kodiaq, the Elroq offers segment-busting space in a city-friendly package, with over 500km of WLTP driving range as standard for similar money to some key Chinese-made competition.

A pair of variants will be offered at launch, an entry-level Select and a high-grade 130 Edition to commemorate 130 years of the Czech brand. Sportline and RS variants exist overseas, and are on the radar for an Australian introduction at a later date.

Pricing starts at a relatively sharp $54,990 plus on-road costs, pitting the Skoda EV against key electric SUVs like the BYD Sealion 7 and Tesla Model Y – while both are physically larger vehicles, the Elroq claims to have interior space in the rear that is competitive with larger vehicles in this space.

Ahead of its September on-sale date, we got a very quick stint behind the wheel of a pre-production prototype at Luddenham Raceway in New South Wales. While this isn’t indicative of how it’ll drive on public roads, we got some early insight into the Skoda Elroq’s performance, handling, and interior packaging.

First impressions can be tough – so has Skoda’s new EV crossover Czech-ed all the boxes?

How much does the Skoda Elroq cost?

The local range will start from $54,990 before on-road costs, with the 130 Edition commanding a $10,000 premium at $64,990 plus on-roads.

While the base Elroq comes with keyless entry and start, a big 13-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and heated front seats in addition to a full suite of active safety systems; to get premium features like Matrix LED headlights, a head-up display and powered front seats you need to get the 130 Edition.

All of the latter set of features are standard in the physically larger Volkswagen ID.4 Pro, which rides on the same platform and is priced from $59,990 before on-road costs. The BYD Sealion 7 also lines up favourably against the Skoda with the same starting price and more equipment, though it’s slower from 0-100km/h and offers less range.

It’s unclear at this stage whether Skoda will offer the Elroq 85 Select with an optional package to bring some of the above features or a premium sound system to the base grade.

To see how the Skoda Elroq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Skoda Elroq like on the inside?

It’s very ‘Baby Enyaq’ with a different colour scheme, and I say that having driven to this event in an Enyaq Sportline.

The general architecture is all the same, with plenty of padded and stitched soft-touch surfaces lining the dashboard, centre console and doors, and even the displays are the same as the Elroq’s larger sibling.

You’ll notice a different colour scheme in this high-spec prototype as well as the ‘SKODA’ script on the steering wheel. The former is Elroq specific and is known as the ‘Lodge’ interior globally – it should form the basis of the 130 Edition.

Tellurium Grey leatherette with orange top-stitching is quite eye-catching and unique, even with an increasing amount of Chinese brands toying with different colourways.

Further, Skoda is touting the eco-friendliness of an increased amount of interior materials, with the ‘TechnoFil’ fabric upholstery made from 75 per cent recycled ‘Econyl’ fibres, created from nylon waste like fishing nests, fabric scraps and carpets destined for landfill. Bolstering the orange stitch accents are orange seatbelts.

This distinctive colour scheme may not be to all tastes, but the general fitout of the cabin is quite nice as in the larger Enyaq, and the upmarket presentation lends to an air of quality and plushness to the cabin.

Ahead of the driver is a 5.0-inch Digital Cockpit like other MEB-based vehicles from Skoda, Volkswagen and Cupra. It’s a clean, if basic driver display that shows speed, trip computer and driver assistance widgets.

Skoda has a nice mix of physical and touch-capacitive switchgear throughout the cabin, including hard shortcut buttons below the central touchscreen for drive modes, assistance features, demister and automated Park Assist.

Storage is good too, with the same mix of cupholders, cubbies and storage shelves for your odds and ends as the Enyaq. The stubby shift-by-wire selector also carries over, as does the 13-inch central touchscreen.

Given we spent such a short time in the Elroq, as well as its strong resemblance inside to the Enyaq, didn’t spend much time doing proper cabin tear downs, so full impressions will need to wait.

Despite being about 170mm shorter in length than an Enyaq, the Elroq offers plenty of space in the rear for even adults thanks to its 2765mm wheelbase, which is identical to that of its larger sibling.

I am 6’1″ and I had plenty of head, leg and knee room behind my own preferred driving position, and Skoda’s ‘Simply Clever’ touches like the rear storage console, multi-pocket seatbacks and large door bins bolster the family-friendly credentials.

That rear console is removable, and there’s rear air vents as well as rear USB-C charge ports. The prototype was fitted with heated outboard rear seats and a third zone of climate control, though only dual-zone has been confirmed for our market.

One feature that is definitely coming to Australia is a manual sunshade in both rear doors, allowing you to block out the sun – or haters – if you have little ones wanting shade during a snooze or added privacy.

Behind the rear seats, Skoda quotes 470 litres of boot capacity which expands to 1580 litres with the second row folded. As is the Czech way, there are more ‘Simply Clever’ features to keep your cargo area organised.

There’s various netting and velcro dividers to keep things from moving around, an adjustable parcel shelf that can also be used as a divider, and the adjustable boot floor can hide cables away in the trays below. Note there’s no spare wheel.

To see how the Skoda Elroq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

No ‘frunk’, nor is there an electric motor under here. Like the larger Enyaq, the Elroq will launch as a RWD-only model.

The ’85’ designation comes from the Elroq’s gross battery capacity (85kWh), which is the larger of three battery packs available globally in the non-RS versions.

Skoda Australia says it’s looking into the potential for one of the smaller battery packs to come to Australia, likely the ’60’ with its 59kWh (net) battery and lower output 150kW rear electric motor.

Global specs for the Elroq 60 indicate a driving range of around 430km on the WLTP cycle, with a slower 0-100km/h claim of 8.0 seconds.

The faster Elroq RS, which is also under consideration for Australia, gets a 250kW dual-motor electric drive system and a larger 84kWh battery – 0-100km/h in the performance flagship takes just 5.4 seconds.

To see how the Skoda Elroq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Skoda Elroq drive?

I’ll preface this section again with the fact I only drove the Elroq for a handful of laps around Luddenham Raceway, and not on public roads.

This short, relatively tight circuit allowed us to test the Elroq’s performance and handling characteristics but not a whole lot else. For full impressions, we’ll need to wait for the production vehicle to launch in a few months.

Still, Skoda loaned me an Enyaq RS to drive from Sydney Airport to the event, so I was pretty in tune with the larger car’s characteristics before jumping into the Elroq.

From the get-go, the Elroq doesn’t feel like it’s that much smaller of a car than the Enyaq – its 1884mm width, for example, is actually 5mm wider than its larger sibling.

Global specifications indicate the Elroq is around 50kg lighter than the Enyaq in equivalent ’85’ spec, which isn’t all that much in the scheme of things.

Most noticeable are the shorter front and rear overhangs, which make each end of the Elroq closer to you. It almost positions the wheels at each corner of the vehicle, giving this quite a wide and planted stance.

There’s solid shove from the single electric motor at the rear, and it offers similar characteristics to the Enyaq Sportline as well as the VW ID.4 Pro, both of which share this motor and the MEB platform.

Immediate torque response and a strong mid-range make this feel quicker than its 6.6-second 0-100km/h time might suggest up until the 80km/h mark, and then acceleration tapers off a little as you exceed triple figures.

It’s plenty quick for an SUV of this size, and there’s an even faster RS version on the horizon – complete with a 250kW dual-motor electric drive system which cuts 1.2s off the 0-100 time.

The pre-production test vehicle was fitted with massive 21-inch wheels, which were shod in 255/40 Hankook tyres that offered plenty of grip on the smooth Luddenham track.

The smooth surface didn’t give much of an idea of how the Elroq rides on public roads though, and it’s unclear whether adaptive damping will be available in Australia like it is in other models.

Steering feel and roadholding was pretty good though, after some pointers from the supervising professional driver, I tackled Luddenham’s curves and hairpins with a bit more heat, and was impressed with the Elroq’s cornering abilities.

The big, low-set battery pack no doubt helps to give the Elroq a low centre of gravity, while the rear drive motor and large footprint give it a more athletic feel from behind the wheel.

General feel and weighting of the steering rack was also pretty good, and while you’d never actually drive an Elroq on track the setting gave us the opportunity to push it closer to its limits. It corners pretty flat for what is described as an ‘SUV’ and offers a lot of grip.

The cabin was generally pretty quiet on the smooth racetrack surface, but a better idea of sound insulation will come when we can take the Elroq on a proper mix of public roads. Same goes for the suite of assistance systems.

To see how the Skoda Elroq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Two grades of Elroq will be offered from launch in Australia. The pre-production vehicle used on test was largely indicative of the high-spec 130 Edition.

2025 Skoda Elroq 85 Select equipment highlights:

• 19-inch Regulus alloy wheels
• Keyless entry, start
• 13-inch touchscreen infotainment
• Wireless App-Connect
  • Apple CarPlay – Wireless
  • Android Auto – Wireless
• Wireless smartphone charger incl. ventilation
• Dual-zone climate control
• Heated front seats
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel – heated
• Heated, folding, auto-dimming side mirrors
• Mode 3 (Type 2) charging cable
• 1 x door-mounted umbrella

Elroq 130 Edition adds:

• 21-inch Supernova alloy wheels
• Matrix LED headlights
  • Dynamic headlight range control
  • Dynamic cornering lights
• Premium LED tail lights
• Head-up display incl. AR function
• Intelligent Park Assist
• Power-adjustable front seats
  • incl. electric lumbar
  • incl. massage function
  • incl. memory function
• 360-degree parking cameras
• Canton 12-speaker audio
• Power tailgate
• ‘Premium’ interior finishes
• Rear sunshades

To see how the Skoda Elroq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Colours

Up to five exterior paint colours will be offered depending on variant.

Elroq 85 Select:

• Timiano Green
• Moon White Metallic
• Graphite Grey Metallic
• Race Blue Metallic

Elroq 130 Edition:

• Timiano Green
• Moon White Metallic
• Graphite Grey Metallic
• Race Blue Metallic
• Red Velvet Metallic

Skoda Australia hasn’t detailed which colours will be standard or be offered at a premium, nor what kind of charge premium paint would incur.

To see how the Skoda Elroq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Skoda Elroq safe?

The Skoda Elroq is yet to receive an ANCAP or Euro NCAP safety rating, though the vehicle only commenced production in January and just started hitting European roads.

Standard safety features include:

• 7 airbags
• Travel Assist
  • Adaptive cruise control
  • Traffic Jam Assist
  • Adaptive Lane Assist
  • Emergency Assist
• Front Assist – AEB
  • incl. Turn Assist
• Side Assist
  • Blind-spot monitoring
  • Exit Warning
  • Rear cross-traffic alert

To see how the Skoda Elroq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Skoda Elroq cost to run?

The Skoda Elroq will be covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre new vehicle warranty in Australia.

Skoda Australia has also promised “affordable servicing” to go with its Skoda Choice guaranteed future value and finance program, though the finer details of the ownership program are still to be confirmed.

For reference, the larger Enyaq has 24 month/30,000km service intervals, and a pre-paid service plan that offers up to 10 years of coverage for $1950.

To see how the Skoda Elroq lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Skoda Elroq

Our brief stint behind the wheel of the Elroq shows it feels a lot like a baby Enyaq.

We need to drive it properly on real Australian roads to be sure, but if its larger sibling is anything to go by – and it basically shares all of its running gear with the Enyaq – it should be an equally good thing but in a more city-friendly package.

The sharp base pricing could put Skoda on more consideration lists too, given it will be positioned in the thick of the EV market – though an allocation of around 350 units for this year means supply will be limited for now.

Like the Karoq, it offers segment-busting interior packaging, mature driving manners and plenty of tech – even if local vehicles will miss out on connected technologies and navigation as we’ve seen in other MEB products in Australia.

It’s early days, but the signs are positive – Czech in again with us in September.

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