2025 Skoda Elroq 85 Corporate

Smaller, more city-friendly and slightly more affordable.

The Czech brand has quietly built one of the strongest reputations in the industry by doing something surprisingly rare in the modern car world: building cars that simply make sense. After spending time behind the wheel of the Elroq 85 Corporate, it quickly becomes clear that Skoda may have found a very sweet spot in the EV market. Because this car doesn’t try to reinvent the electric SUV. Instead, it simply tries to be one of the most usable ones.

Design: the first Skoda with the “Modern Solid” look

The Elroq isn’t just another model in Skoda’s growing EV lineup. It also introduces an entirely new design language called Modern Solid. At the front, the familiar Skoda badge disappears. Instead, the bonnet now carries a clean Skoda wordmark, giving the car a much more contemporary appearance.

Aerodynamics have also clearly been a priority. Smooth underbody panels, aero-optimised mirrors and subtle air deflectors help the Elroq achieve a drag coefficient of 0.26, which plays an important role in its impressive electric range.

Our test car arrived in Graphite Grey, which is perhaps the safest choice in the colour palette. But if you really want the design to stand out, Skoda offers far more expressive colours such as Race Blue and Velvet Red, which suit the car much better.

Interior: simple, logical and very Skoda

Unlike many newer EVs that hide everything in touchscreen menus, the Elroq still offers plenty of physical controls, and that alone makes daily driving noticeably easier. There are physical shortcut buttons for things like driving modes, safety systems, parking sensors and climate controls. That means you can disable the sometimes overly enthusiastic warning sounds with a single press instead of digging through menus.

The same philosophy continues with the adaptive cruise control switch on the steering column. It works exactly the way you’d expect: you can use it as adaptive cruise control, a traditional cruise control, or even as a speed limiter. Interestingly, the system feels almost identical to what you’d find in something like our Audi A6 from 2017. And honestly, that’s meant as a compliment. It’s simple, intuitive and works exactly the way it should.

Even the steering wheel reflects that approach. Instead of haptic controls or glossy piano-black surfaces, you get proper physical buttons that are easy to operate while driving. There’s virtually no high-gloss trim on the steering wheel either, meaning no fingerprints and no annoying reflections in sunlight. The only glossy panel sits beneath the infotainment screen, and since you rarely touch it, it never becomes an issue.

Technology: modern but not overwhelming

The Elroq balances practicality with modern technology rather nicely. At the centre of the dashboard sits a 13-inch touchscreen infotainment system, standard across the range. It’s paired with a 5-inch digital cockpit behind the steering wheel.

Interestingly, Skoda has also integrated ChatGPT into its voice assistant Laura, allowing the system to answer more complex questions and respond more naturally.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration are both available, along with wireless smartphone charging. But the most important thing is that the technology never becomes overwhelming. It remains intuitive and easy to use, which is something not every modern EV can claim.

Space and practicality: classic Skoda strengths

Despite its compact exterior dimensions, the Elroq feels surprisingly spacious inside. That’s largely thanks to the MEB platform, which places the battery pack in the floor and frees up interior space.

Passengers in the rear benefit from generous headroom and legroom, while the boot offers 470 litres of luggage space, expanding to 1,580 litres when the rear seats are folded down. There are also up to 48 litres of additional storage compartments spread throughout the cabin.

And of course, the Elroq features Skoda’s signature Simply Clever solutions. Think folding luggage hooks, a removable ice scraper with tyre tread gauge, clever cable storage solutions and even a sustainable umbrella hidden in the driver’s door.

Performance and range: strong numbers across the board

The Elroq lineup offers several powertrains, but our test car was the Elroq 85 Corporate. That means you get:

• rear-wheel drive

• 286 hp

• 545 Nm of torque

• 77 kWh net battery capacity

Acceleration from 0-100 km/h takes 6.6 seconds, which is more than quick enough for a compact family SUV. Range is equally competitive. According to WLTP figures, the Elroq 85 can travel between 530 and 570 kilometres on a full charge, depending on configuration and driving conditions.

Charging is handled via DC fast charging at up to 175 kW, allowing the battery to recharge from 10% to 80% in about 28 minutes. Energy consumption sits between 15,5 and 17,5 kWh per 100 km, which places the Elroq among the more efficient electric SUVs in its class.

Driving impressions: smaller than the Enyaq, but more playful

Behind the wheel, the Elroq immediately feels familiar if you’ve driven the Enyaq. The electric drivetrain is smooth and quiet, and the instant torque makes urban driving effortless. But thanks to its shorter wheelbase, the Elroq actually feels a little more agile than the larger Enyaq.

In fact, it sometimes feels noticeably more eager and responsive, especially on tighter roads or in city environments. Another highlight is the incredibly tight turning circle (only 9,30 meters), which makes manoeuvring through narrow streets or parking garages surprisingly easy.

Combine that with the rear-wheel drive layout and the Elroq feels more dynamic than you might expect from a practical electric SUV.

Comfort: keep the 19-inch wheels

Our test car was equipped with 19-inch wheels, and that’s probably the ideal setup. Larger wheels are available, but if comfort matters, sticking with the standard size is the smarter choice.

With the 19-inch wheels, the suspension remains comfortable and well balanced, absorbing road imperfections without feeling too soft. One small downside concerns the driving position.

Compared with the Enyaq, the seating position feels slightly tighter. During longer drives the driver’s right knee can occasionally touch the dashboard, which is something taller drivers might notice. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s worth mentioning.

AutoNext Take

The Skoda Elroq might quietly become one of the most important electric SUVs in Europe. It combines everything Skoda does best (practicality, clever features and efficiency) with a modern electric drivetrain and competitive range.

It’s comfortable, spacious, easy to drive and refreshingly logical in a world where many EVs are becoming unnecessarily complicated. If the Enyaq introduced Skoda to the electric era, the Elroq might be the model that brings EVs to an even wider audience.