2025 Skoda Elroq review

The Volkswagen Group (which encompasses Skoda) has been on a jag of EV releases in 2025. Earlier this month it offered the motoring press a preview of the Skoda Elroq SUV, scheduled for release in September.

The Elroq follows on from Skoda’s first EV offering, the performance-orientated Enyaq coupé, which arrived in late 2024 with a $69,990 sticker price.

The Elroq is designed to be more practical and affordable, while still delivering EV-style performance, but that also pushes it into a much more crowded marketplace. Does it have what it takes to stand out?

How much does the Skoda Elroq cost?

When it makes its debut in September 2025, the Skoda Elroq will be offered in two spec levels, the 85 (for $54,990 plus on-roads) and the 130 ($64,990 plus on-roads). That’s puts it at the pricier end of the small SUV segment – substantially more than the Geely EX5 and ($40,990) and Kia EV3 ($47,600), a fraction more expensive than the Hyundai Kona EV ($54,000) and on par with the BYD Sealion 7 ($54,990).

There’s quite a bit of bracket creep between small and medium SUV segments and the Elroq is on the larger end of small, so it could also be cross shopped with models such as the Tesla Model Y ($55,900) and Leapmotor C10 ($45,888).

What is the Skoda Elroq like inside?

For many years, Skoda has excelled at making pleasant interiors and the Elroq isn’t an exception. Like many EVs, it employs recycled materials (such as PET bottles and old fishing nets) for the extra eco-touch, but nothing feels cheap or scratchy and this is perhaps the least ‘VW’ Skoda yet as far as styling goes (although the shared DNA remains unquestionable).

It sits somewhere between sporty and practical, the seats in the pre-production models we tested clad in two-tone leather and fabric with colour-coded stitching and seatbelts. The leather-wrapped steering wheel gives a pleasantly luxurious feel and there’s no question ditching the old Skoda badge in favour of lettering has lifted the Elroq’s visual appeal.

The five-inch digital instrument cluster and 13-inch infotainment display are well positioned and feature high-resolution graphics with sensible layouts and iconography. A row of physical buttons below the central screen offers welcome shortcuts to air con, demisters, central locking, and the main parking and drive modes.

Skoda calls the Elroq “segment busting”, and while that’s a touch hyperbolic, it does present as a small SUV with plenty of space, or a medium SUV on the compact side. It feels smallest when sitting in the second row, where leg and foot room are fine but not generous. The rear seats also lack some shape, but the front bucket seats are well sculpted and offer the ergonomic comfort we’ve come to expect from Skoda.

The 470-litre boot is substantial for the segment and it’s versatile, with the rigid cargo blind able to be removed and slotted between wheel arches to double as a shelf. Folding down the rear seats increases capacity to 1580 litres. Like an increasing number of EVs, however, the Elroq doesn’t offer additional storage in the frunk.

How safe is the Skoda Elroq?

The Skoda Elroq hasn’t been put through its paces at the ANCAP crash testing facility yet, but Skoda does have a good track record of five-star ratings and the Elroq doesn’t want for safety equipment.

In addition to seven airbags it has adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assistance, adaptive lane assistance, collision avoidance assistance, side assistance with exit warning, and rear traffic alert.

What powers the Skoda Elroq?

An 82kWh battery powers the Elroq, delivering energy to a rear-wheel drive electric motor that produces 210kW and 545Nm. This translates to a 0-100km/h time of 6.6 seconds and a range of 529km (WLTP). It supports DC fast charging up to 175kW, as well as 11kW AC charging.

What is the Skoda Elroq like to drive? 

The Elroq is the first Australian model to feature Skoda’s updated design language, which the company calls ‘modern solid’. The shape is not an enormous departure; changes come mainly in the finer details, such as narrower headlights and ‘SKODA’ in capped lettering replacing the traditional badges on the bonnet and steering wheel.

The Elroq’s exterior design also incorporates a number of aerodynamic features to reduce wind resistance and turbulence and improve range. Expect brisk rather than alarmingly fast acceleration – like most EVs, the Elroq has all the torque you need from rev one, and the power swells right up to motorway speeds. It’s quiet, of course, and sound insulation is good save for a bit of tyre noise (especially with the larger wheels fitted).

No one’s going to mistake the Elroq for a VW Golf R in corners, but with rear-wheel drive, a comparatively wide track, and a low centre of gravity, the Elroq handles very competently for two-tonne SUV. It kept its shape during some spirited track driving at Luddenham Raceway and, while we didn’t get a chance to test it over speed humps or similar suburban obstacles, VW Group EVs have generally demonstrated good bump absorption.

What equipment does the Skoda Elroq come with?

Nothing about the 85 suggests bare-bones base model. As standard it gets 19-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, a 13-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging including ventilation to keep the phone cool, dual-zone climate control, and heated front seats, steering wheel and side mirrors.

Stepping up to the 130 delivers 21-inch alloys, a head-up display, powered front seat adjustment with memory and massage functions, a 360-degree surround-view camera, premium 12-speaker Canton audio, a powered tailgate, sunshades for the rear windows, matrix LED headlights and cornering lights, and premium interior finishes.

The Elroq is covered by a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with a separate eight-year/160,000km warranty for the battery.

Open Road’s take on the Skoda Elroq

The Elroq delivers no real surprises and that’s both its strength and its weakness. Skoda fans interested in going electric will find it an excellent all-round package, with ample performance and handling, plenty of goodies as standard, and the typical Skoda attention to comfort and practicality. What it doesn’t offer is a compelling reason to purchase over and above the myriad other brands in an increasingly saturated market.

What we liked:

• Fresh styling inside and out.
• Good performance and handling.
• Comfort and practical touches.

What could be better:

• Only adequate space in the second row.
• Pricey in such a hotly contested segment .
• No spare wheel limits touring ability.