• WLTP driving range of up to 360 miles
• Excellent charging speeds across the line-up
• But a heat pump is an expensive option, and only available on select versions

What are the running costs?

There are three versions of the Elroq available, each with a different size battery; which you choose will be influenced by the amount of driving range you need and the price you are prepared to pay. The entry-level 50 model features a 52kWh battery and allows for a 232-mile electric range, according to the official WLTP guidance.

Based on our efficiency figures, we expect 180 miles to be achievable on a full charge in mixed driving. That’s not a lot compared with many rivals, but if you don’t travel too far and are based in an urban environment, it could be worth choosing. The best bit is the keenly priced entry-level RRP: £31,500 is cracking value for a car of this type, especially one that’s so remarkably practical.

The mid-range 60 model packs a more generous 59kWh battery. This is expected to be the UK bestseller, with a claimed 260-mile WLTP range, slightly more power and only a small increase in price. Our testing suggests more like 200 miles is realistic in mixed driving, with even a full charge only indicated 212 miles during our test period – and this was in glorious weather. If you spend a lot of time on the motorway, in our UK testing we’ve found you have to be gentle to get even 180 miles out of it; the predicted driving range does at least adjust quite quickly, which makes planning charging stops straightforward.

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For maximum distance, and perhaps especially if you do a lot of motorway miles, you’ll need the Skoda Elroq 85 model, which boasts a claimed 360-mile range. In our UK testing we’ve found that you’ll easily see more than 250 miles from this variant, even in a British winter when driving range can drop quite sharply. We averaged a little over 3 miles per kWh during a long weekend of mixed driving; this is similar to the efficiency we’ve achieved in other variants, rising closer to 3.5 miles per kWh in warmer weather.

Even so, that long-legged promise is slightly less range than the Kia EV3 and Renault Scenic offer in big battery form, as these are claimed able to travel up to 375 and 379 miles WLTP, respectively. A heat pump, which helps to maximise the range of an electric car, is an £1,100 option on all versions of the Elroq, which doesn’t help its on paper capability.

The Skoda Elroq is, however, one of the fastest-charging cars in its class, with DC rapid charging speeds up to 175kW. And while you get slightly less than this on smaller battery models we’ve still experienced these charging at over 150kW on the UK public network. Every version can charge from 10 to 80% in less than half an hour in this situation.

Using a 7kW AC charger (such as a home wallbox), it will take between eight hours for the small battery and 12 hours for the largest battery to get a full charge. So if you’re plugging in at home every night to take advantage of the cheapest EV charging tariffs you should wake up each morning to a fully replenished family SUV.

Servicing and warranty

The Skoda Elroq comes with a three-year warranty, which has no mileage limit in the first two years, but is capped to a maximum of 60,000 miles in the third year. Skoda’s warranty lasts the same time as Renault’s at three years, though the French firm has a more generous 100,000-mile limit. Kia leads the way here, with its EV3 provided with a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty. That’s an impressive guarantee, whichever way you look at it – and the Elroq’s is nothing more the mediocre by modern standards.

You can upgrade the Elroq’s warranty to four or five years for additional cost – £400 and £630, respectively. Skoda is also offering an EV inspection service, pollen filter and brake fluid change for £366. Service and maintenance costs mirror those of the larger Enyaq. 

Reliability

It is too early for us to say how reliable the Skoda Elroq will be. However, here’s hoping it won’t be plagued with the electronic gremlins as other recent VW Group vehicles have been.

If you’ve already bought an Elroq, why not leave a Parkers owner review to help others. We’ve also just taken delivery of a long term test car we’ll be running for six months. That should be enough time for any gremlins to show themselves.