Skoda Elroq vRS review: The thinking person’s hot crossover

With 335bhp and a 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds, the Skoda Elroq vRS is the Czech brand’s fastest production car yet. Have the extra electric horses ruined one of the most-liked EVs on sale today? EV Powered heads somewhere north of Prague in Czechia to find out…

The Skoda Elroq is one of those EVs that seems to be universally liked. After all, since the Elroq was announced as Mlada Boleslav’s mid-sized crossover in October 2024, the Czech carmaker has shifted some 70,000 of them. In April this year, the Elroq was Europe’s best-selling EV, seeing off the likes of the highly-acclaimed Renault 5 and Kia EV3.

It’s not hard to see why the Elroq has been such a success. Like its big, all-electric brother, the Enyaq, the Elroq has a gentle, honest, drama-free character. Both cars are a pleasant contrast to some of the more gimmick-heavy, high-firepower offerings on sale today. The Enyaq and the Elroq are both very much the “The Nice Thing” defined.

It’s at this point that I should come clean. I’ve been a Skoda vRS fan for ages. I have a model in my office of the Octavia WRC – or the ‘Czech Tank’ – which I recieved for Christmas over 20 years ago. While excited about the announcement of the Elroq vRS, I was somewhat concerned that the extra power and under-the-skin changes would take away from what made it the thinking person’s choice in the first place.

After a day with the Skoda Elroq vRS some 100 kilometres away from the Czech capital, I needn’t have worried. Nonetheless, the car left me pondering whether I’d take one over the Abarth 600e Scorpionissima; our benchmark for small, performance EVs.

Design, interior, technology

It’s handsome, isn’t it? While certainly not as rakish as the likes of a Peugeot e-3008 or as mouthy as the aforementioned Abarth, the Elroq looks purposeful courtesy of Skoda’s ‘Modern Solid’ design philosophy.

Even with the vRS-specific Mamba Green paint, gloss black exterior detailing, optional 21-inch ‘Vision’ aero wheels, and more aggressive bumpers, the Elroq vRS can be described as tastefully restrained. Even Skoda’s ‘Tech Deck’ face, a design cue I’m still not fully sold on, works here – after all, Skoda’s vRS division is all about delivering understated, unassuming performance.

More than once, the EV Powered team has remarked on how Skoda is producing the best-made interiors of the Volkswagen Group-owned brands, and the Elroq is no different. Everything feels well-screwed together, and fingerprint-unfriendly piano black surfaces have been ditched in favour of tactile fabrics.

In piquant vRS trim, the Elroq gets carbon fibre-effect trim, black alcantara seats with vRS logos, and Mamba Green stitching aplenty. Despite being comfortable and well-spaced, the Elroq vRS’ cabin comes across as rather humourless. A bit like a Czech train ticket inspector when you attempt to dodge the fare on the Prague metro.

Thankfully, given Skoda’s aversion to gimmicks, there are physical buttons to flick through the drive modes, demist the screens, disengage driver aids. The 13-inch screen in the centre of the dash, plus the driver display binnacle are crystal clear and simple to use.

I’m not sure whether it’s because I’ve recently driven a raft of Peugeots and currently have a Tesla Model 3 on press loan, but the Elroq’s steering wheel felt massive and far too big for the car’s size. Maybe that’s just me, though.

With the rear seats up, the Elroq vRS has a 480-litre boot. With the rear seats down, this grows to 1,580 litres. Given Skoda is the brand who prides itself on its innovative history and beinfg “Simply Clever”, a net positioned underneath the parcel shelf is used to store the charging cables as opposed to stuffing them under the floor. Both the driver and passenger doors remain home to two individual umbrellas. Because that’s what Skoda does.

Battery, motor, performance

The Skoda Elroq vRS borrows its 335bhp twin-motor, AWD layout from the Enyaq vRS. Both cars are built on the VW Group’s dedicated, all-electric MEB platform, and come with an 79kWh battery. The Elroq also benefits from a MacPherson-strut front and multi-link rear suspension arrangement for a more spirited drive.

Switching between ‘Comfort’ mode – best-suited to tackling the pockmarked blacktop of rural Czechia – and ‘Sport’ to enjoy the country’s winding and somewhat glorious B-roads, the difference between the two is… not massive. In Comfort, the Elroq vRS is an absolute doddle to drive – it’s comfortable, and it’s very much Skoda doing what Skoda does best.

As for sport mode, the Elroq vRS’ chassis feels somewhat stiffer, but it’s certainly more warm than hot. During the car’s development, Skoda’s vRS department certainly hasn’t lost its knack for making something brisk yet still comfortable. As such, the steering is quite light, and the brake pedal somewhat long.

How the Skoda Elroq vRS delivers its performance is where it’s most impressive. It’s a totally linear experience, and whips you forward with minimal effort thanks to 402lb ft of torque. The likes of slower cars, cyclists, and lorries are dealt with with minimal fuss. In fact, more than once I caught myself having to ease off, because I find the idea of dealing with The Czech Constabulary rather concerning. Nonetheless, the car doesn’t lend itself to being scary at all. Thanks to the AWD and stability control, everything remains sure-footed and no nasty surprises are thrown up.

The Elroq vRS claims a range of 340 miles, and we returned a respectable 3.8 miles per kilowatt hour over the course of the day. Range anxiety shouldn’t be a thing, either, as the Elroq vRS comes with pre-loaded the vRS with Plug & Charge functionality. Meanwhile, the navigation system throws up suitable charge point suggestions when a destination has been set.

With DC fast charge, the Skoda Elroq vRS 84kWh battery can be charged from 10 percent to 80 percent in 26 minutes. Meanwhile, AC charging is possible up to 11kW, making a full charge from zero to 100% possible in around eight and a half hours.

Price and specification

The Skoda Elroq vRS is priced from £46,650. Order books opened earlier this month, and deliveries are scheduled for later in the summer. Like all Skodas, it comes well-equipped but there are still plenty of options.

Velvet Red metallic paint comes at a £410 premium, while the 21-inch aero wheels are an additional £620. Further options include a £1,100 Maxx Package with remote parking assist and tri-zone climate control, a £1,100 heat pump, an £805 black roof box, and a £198 lockable bicycle rack.

For reference, the bigger Enyaq vRS is priced from £51,660 for the SUV, and £53,560 for the Coupé.

Verdict

At the start of this review, I said I was left considering whether I’d take the Skoda Elroq vRS over the Abarth 500e Scorpionissima. While the Abarth is a much more engaging drive, I would imagine that the Italian’s firm ride and rattly cabin would wear thin in the long term.

Don’t get me wrong, the Skoda Elroq vRS isn’t perfect. The cabin is way too dark, and even in Sport mode, it remains quite a soft, if not rapid proposition. Yet as I hurtle towards my late 30s and start getting things like “bad back”, the more I begin to appreciate aspects of a car such as comfort, practicality, and understatement.

And for those reasons, I’m very much sold on the Skoda Elroq vRS. It strikes the balance between performance and being a usable, quality item. It is, as Skoda would say, “simply clever”.

Skoda Elroq vRS specs

Price:

£46,650
Transmission: Dual-motor, all-wheel drive
Battery: 84kWh
Power: 335bhp
Torque: 402lb ft
Top speed: 111mph
0-62mph: 5.4 seconds
Range: 340 miles
Consumption: 3.8 miles/kWh
Charging: Up to 180kW