Car buying editor, Ryan Gilmore, is the temporary custodian of the Skoda Elroq to see if Skoda’s smaller family EV is as promising as it looks on paper.  

Update 1: Welcome

Introducing in our the Skoda Elroq SE L 60

Welcome to our long-term test of the Skoda Elroq, and to say there are some big shoes to fill is an understatement. It’s Skoda’s second electric car, coming right off the back of our former car of the year winner and all-round masterpiece, the Skoda Enyaq.

It sits in the compact electric SUV class, which means it’ll be butting heads with the likes of the Kia EV3, Volvo EX30, and MG S5. No pressure, Skoda. We’ve been impressed by its polish, space, comfort, and interior on previous tests, but how well will it translate into day-to-day life? To find out, I – childless, partner, no home charger – and later on, my colleague and Head of automotive testing, Alan Taylor-Jones – with child, partner, and home charger – will be living with an Elroq to see what’s what.

What you get with a Skoda Elroq SE L 60

We’ll be running two Elroqs during our long-term test, and we’re starting with the SE L 60, the second-cheapest spec with a 59kWh battery and a base price tag of £33,360 at the time of writing. So, about the same as an entry-level Kia EV3 or Volvo EX30.

Our lower-middle-spec Elroq features dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and steering wheel, a reversing camera and parking sensors at the front and rear. A nice but not particularly jaw-dropping list of extras.

The boot includes the Transport Package, a £250 option designed to get the most from the 470 litres of boot space, with nets, an adjustable boot floor, and a cable bag. I spent a good 15 minutes connecting all the nets to the mounting points and setting everything up into the type of organised space that would make Mrs Hinch proud, and concluded that these are useful additions if you can stomach the idea of spending more than a Nintendo Switch on storage solutions.

Our first Elroq is finished in Energy Blue, the only free colour, and features snazzy Regulus anthracite alloy wheels, a £550 option, for a total bill of £34,165.

First impressions

This is a remarkably easy car to live with and the smattering of (mostly) sensible bits you’d expect to find if you’re familiar with a modern Skoda. It’s reassuringly predictable to drive if a little bland. I’ve likened it to a pair of M&S socks – it won’t get a pulse racing, but it’s dependable, high quality and stable.

The driver assistance tech isn’t an interfering pain like it is in a lot of its rivals either. I don’t even bother turning it off most times because it doesn’t scream and jerk the wheel, it calmly suggests and politely bongs. I like that.

I like the interior for the most part too. It feels nicely upholstered and perfect for a life of commuting, holiday drives and school runs. There are nice touches that help with the overall polish, the lined door pockets prevent any rattling, and I like the adjustable central armrest. Small things I know, but they do make up for the fact it appears to have been trimmed with office carpet tiles.

I like the name too. It’s the Electric Karoq because it’s the same segment as the Karoq and so primed for puns that I’m keeping a list. My favourite is ‘Elroq down to electric avenue’ but I also like Dwayne ‘Elroq’ Johnson. Annoyingly I haven’t been able to mangle the English language or my reports enough to include them anywhere else.

Any negatives so far?

Their biggest irritant so far is the reliance on touchscreens. Everything is controlled via it, and it’s a distraction. The haptic control for temperature and volume isn’t very pleasant to use, and there are no physical buttons for the heating other than a shortcut for the control menu under the touchscreen.

If you’re running hot and you’ve managed to adjust the air con – provided you haven’t melted by that point – you’ll be met with a meek gust of wind. Admittedly, a 30-degree day isn’t a common occurrence here in the UK, but the Elroq didn’t blow me away unless I put it on maximum, and even then, it wasn’t as good as in the Toyota Prius or Renault 5 E-Tech I’ve also driven during the great heat wave of 2025.

A final grumble is that there appear to be two wireless charging pads nestled under the screen – but they aren’t. I found that out the hard way after an hour’s drive and still only 5% phone battery.