European brands have spent the past few years watching the affordable electric SUV segment fill up around them. Most of the continent’s biggest names arrived late to the fight, scrambling to put together competitively priced models that could hold their own against fresh entries from China and the established Asian players.
The VW Group’s new Skoda Elroq is one answer to that problem. It won’t be sold in the US, but it is available across Europe and several other markets including Australia, where we recently tested it in entry-level Elroq 60 guise. The rivals list reads like a roll call of the segment: Kia EV3, Nissan Ariya, Tesla Model Y, Geely EX5, and plenty more. To hold its own against that lineup, it needs to be more than competent.
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Slotted between the large Enyaq and the smaller Epiq, the Skoda Elroq doesn’t initially announce itself as a standout in this crowded segment. Spend a little time behind the wheel, though, and it actually reveals itself to be quite a compelling proposition.
QUICK FACTS
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Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
In Australia, three versions of the Elroq are available. Sitting at the base of the range is the Select 60, priced from AU$49,990 ($36,300), including all fees. Sitting above it in the range is the Select 85 available from AU$59,990 ($43,500), while the range is topped out by the AU$69,990 ($50,800) 130 Years Edition.
Positioned beneath the bodywork is a 59 kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery pack, while power comes from a single electric motor delivering 150 kW (201 hp) and 310 Nm (229 lb-ft). Crucially, the Elroq is rear-wheel drive, unlike rivals including the Kia EV3 and Geely EX5, which are front-wheel drive. In theory, this should eliminate any torque steer concerns and help deliver more engaging and enjoyable driving dynamics.
The price of the Elroq 60 is competitive, although certainly not class-leading. A more well-equipped Geely EX5 Inspire is available for AU$50,061 ($36,300), while the base Kia EV3 Air – Standard Range is available from AU$46,990 ($34,100), and the Air – Long Range is $52,990 ($38,500). Nevertheless, it’s nice to see something from Europe that largely matches the competition from Asia.
A Fresh, Modern Cabin
Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
Stepping inside the Elroq for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised by just how spacious it is and by the overall fit and finish.
Modern EV interiors are growing increasingly homogeneous, and while the cabin of the Elroq is far from industry-shifting, it does have some intriguing elements that make it feel somewhat special.
The highlight of this base model is the fabric upholstery adorning the dashboard, armrests, seats, and center console. It’s a welcome point of difference from much of the competition that relies exclusively on hard black plastic or soft-touch leather. While it may not come through in photos, the fabric looks a little like dark grey denim, although it’s much softer than any pair of jeans you may own. Alongside the upholstery, the two-spoke black steering wheel is quite interesting.
Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
In terms of tech, the Skoda includes a 13-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a small 5.0-inch instrument cluster display. The cluster screen isn’t anything special, but it’s better than some rivals that don’t have one at all.
The central touchscreen houses all of the important car controls, and yes, that includes the climate control. There are some controls, like temperature and media shortcuts, pinned to the bottom of the menu, but it’d be nice to have shortcuts for fan speed as well. Below the central air vents are physical buttons for several driving settings and the front and rear demisting functions.
The overall build quality in the cabin is top-notch, but it’s a real shame that this base model has only manually adjustable seats, with no configurable lumbar support. This alone will likely some turn off some prospective buyers, particularly given that some rivals from China do have these features. Like with other Skoda models, an umbrella has been neatly fitted into the driver’s door, just like a Rolls-Royce.
As Skoda’s designers have avoided falling into the trap of trying to make the Elroq look too sporty with a teardrop-style roof, there’s more than enough head and legroom for adult passengers in the second row.
Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
Most vehicles in this segment aren’t designed to tug at the heartstrings of enthusiasts like ourselves. Taking a step back and viewing the Elroq 60 as a vehicle to appeal to everyday buyers looking for something that feels premium, the Skoda ticks a lot of boxes.
First is efficiency. Skoda claims the Elroq 60 can average 15.9 kWh/100 km over the combined cycle, which should give it a theoretical range of 395 km (245 miles). During my week with the car, I averaged exactly 16.0 kWh/100 km, just shy of the claim, and driving across a mix of urban and rural settings.
In a world where more expensive EVs are now promising driving ranges exceeding 800 km (497 miles), a sub-400 km range of the Elroq 60 may not seem that impressive, and it’s not. However, it’s important to note that this is more than enough for the daily driving duties of the vast majority of people looking for an SUV like this, especially one that’s large enough to ferry kids around in.
As for charging, the Elroq 60 supports DC speeds of up to 165 kW. Again, that’s far from class-leading and means that topping up from 10-80 percent takes 24 minutes. This is better than the popular Kia EV3, however, which takes around 29 minutes to charge its 58.3 kWh battery from 10-80 percent. Plugged into an 11 kW AC house charger, and the battery can be fully charged in about 6.5 hours, so an overnight charge is all most owners will ever need.
Performance is also solid. Owing to the rear-wheel drive layout, there’s none of the torque steer found in some of the competition. All owners will experience smooth, unfettered power. Admittedly, the Elroq 60 isn’t particularly brisk, needing around 8 seconds to hit 62 mph (100 km/h).
Dynamically, the Skoda feels excellent. Body roll has been kept to a minimum thanks to the excellent suspension setup, yet it remains compliant enough for daily use on even the roughest roads. Shod in Hankook tires, there’s more than enough grip on offer to hustle the Elroq through corners at an impressive clip, and when it does reach the limits of adhesion, it remains easy to control.
Very few electric cars on the market have particularly engaging or communicative steering, but for most drivers, that’s not a concern. What is nice is how light and direct the steering is, working just as well on the highway as it does in a cramped shopping mall car park.
Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
Braking is an area where the Elroq 60 could be improved. Left in Drive, there’s no regenerative braking on offer at all, meaning the SUV will simply coast – seemingly endlessly. If you do want some regen, you’ll have to drive in B mode, which offers plenty of stopping power but crucially does not include a one-pedal driving mode, which is unfortunate. It’s also a shame there aren’t more ways to tweak the regen level on offer. Things could be worse, however, as some of the competition require you to dive through multiple menus on the central display to adjust the regen level.
Read: New Elroq vRS Is Skoda’s Quickest Production Car Ever
Among the key safety features fitted as standard to the Elroq 60 are autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot alert, lane-keep assist, and lane-centering assist, as well as front and rear parking sensors and an optional 360-degree camera.
I found the adaptive cruise control and lane-centering to function flawlessly on well-marked highways, and it’s quick and easy to turn the lane-centering on and off using the steering wheel controls if you’d prefer to remain in charge.
Verdict
The Skoda Elroq 60 helps prove that established European brands are up to the task of competing with the Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean rivals in the world of cut-price EVs.
This isn’t the type of vehicle that’ll ignite a burning passion among owners to go for a midnight cruise just for the fun of it, but it does exactly what it should and at a good price. Skoda has never been a massive volume seller in Australia, only delivering around 5,000 units last year. If locals can look beyond some of the glitz and glamor and tech gizmos found in some of the competition, they’ll find a very adequate EV with the Elroq 60.
