Škoda Elroq: Test-driving the two faces of Czech EV ambition

Škoda may have a reputation of infancy with many Australian drivers, but it isn’t a young brand. Founded in 1895 in the Czech Republic, it started off manufacturing bicycles under the “Slavia” brand.

Fast-forward 130 years and Škoda is releasing its second all-electric SUV into the Australian market. The Elroq is a medium-sized SUV that finally brings some company to the larger Enyaq, which up until now was the only all-electric offering from Škoda in Australia.

The Elroq comes in two iterations. The base model Select 85 and the 130 Years Edition. Both share the same rear-mounted motor and 82kWh battery (the same platform found on Volksagen’s ID.4 and Audi’s Q4 e-tron). Škoda claim a WLTP range of 529km. The higher spec benefits mostly obvious inside the vehicle, with added features such as an AR head-up display, better audio, premium finishes, and tasteful badging to remind you that Škoda has been making vehicles since Queen Victoria was still around. It also offers some extra safety features such as an area-view camera and intelligent park assist.

Škoda invited The Driven to the Australian launch of the Elroq, which included a drive program from Sydney down to Wollongong and back. Not quite a trip to Prague, but scenic enough to judge this new Czech contender in the hotly contested medium-SUV segment.

Škoda in-keeping with its personality offer Elroq as a sensible and practical option for those looking into the medium-SUV market. Some cars demand a trip to the autobahn or Sydney’s Eastern Creek racetrack, the Elroq is not one of those vehicles. Instead, it wants you to meet it on a practical school run, or perhaps a slightly ambitious Bunnings trip with a detour to the coast.

Škoda are not looking to turn heads with the Elroq, but instead offer the comfort and reassurance of familiarity. The interior and exterior look like a car you’ve driven before, not a rocket ship EV from the future that demands a PhD in touchscreen interface design to operate. Think of it like that go-to bottle of red when you want something easy to drink, reliable, familiar, and well-priced.

The Elroq also debuts Škoda’s new ‘Modern Solid’ design language. That translates into clean lines, a squared-off stance, and slim LED headlights. It’s not flamboyant, but it does look purposeful.

Driving down some of the beautiful coastline south of Sydney, the Elroq doesn’t feel flashy, but it’s competent. Going around some of the bends near the national park, the car hugs the road reassuringly and with general ease. The 85 Select’s 19″ wheels offering a particularly smooth drive compared to the 130 Edition’s 21″ alloys. Škoda’s engineers clearly didn’t try to make it sporty, they made it comfortable, which feels almost radical in 2025.

For a vehicle in the medium-sized SUV segment, the Elroq looks on the smaller end of that spectrum. A pretty generous 490-litre boot isn’t quite what the Model Y offers, but is enough for most. The rear seats can also comfortably seat adult humans, a key feature for families looking for their next car.

During the trip Škoda did offer a surprise glimpse into their plans for the next couple of years, which includes an updated Enyaq (late 2025), the Elroq RS (Q2 2026) offering AWD and more performance, the smaller Epiq (2027), and the Vision 7S (also 2027), which will be their flagship large, 3-row electric SUV.

For now though in a segment full of shouty EVs promising to change your life, the Elroq does something far rarer. It doesn’t shout, or bloat, it just does what it says on the tin. For me it’s a welcome addition to the Australian EV space.

MY25 Elroq Specification Sheet