Skoda Elroq Edition 85 long-term test: the perfect car to fight badge snobbery

Verdict

If Skoda is still the victim of badge snobbery, then the incredibly impressive Elroq should put the argument to bed once and for all. It’s a capable, comfortable and fun-to-drive SUV that is sure to impress anybody that sits behind the wheel. It’s very good indeed, and that’s why it was our overall Car of the Year for 2025. Let’s hope it continues to shine.

• Mileage: 4,032
• Efficiency: 3.8mi/kWh

You know how it goes – you’re outside washing your car when your neighbour arrives home. He wanders over and the usual small talk about the weather and what Joan from number 43 got up to last week begins. However, he knows I’m a motoring journalist, so it’s only a matter of time before the conversation ends up drifting towards cars. 

He notices the lack of a test car on my driveway and says: “What are you getting next?” I reply and tell him I’m getting a Skoda Elroq, and then I see something: a slight look on his face that suggests something isn’t right. I ask what’s wrong and he says: “Ummm… I wouldn’t want a Skoda. They haven’t got the best reputation, have they?”

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I’m genuinely stunned. Has he been living under a rock for the past 25 years? I thought the Czech brand had long since shaken off its cheap and cheerful past, mainly because nearly every Skoda I’ve driven since joining Auto Express has been great. I assured him that Skodas are really good these days, but he didn’t look convinced. 

Well, regardless of what my neighbour thinks, I was genuinely excited to be getting an Elroq. It arrives after getting some glowing reviews from my colleagues, which resulted in it being named 2025 Car of the Year at our New Car Awards earlier this month. You can’t get a much higher accolade than that. 

Part of the reason it was honoured was the fact it does everything the already excellent Enyaq does, while costing less. It has almost made its big brother redundant in some ways and that’s something I am particularly interested in, because I ran an Enyaq Coupé last year. 

I loved it and thought it was the perfect car to convince families who are undecided about whether to go electric or not. So is the Elroq really that good in comparison? It’s still early days and I’ll certainly have a more definitive answer as the months progress, but it’s hard to disagree. The Elroq does everything well. And I mean everything! 

The model we’ve got is an almost top-spec Elroq 85 Edition (only Sportline sits above) and it’s packed with kit. It’s got pretty much all you could need, but this comes at a cost. For a car that’s supposed to be a cheaper alternative to the Enyaq, the £47,140 asking price (with options) does seem steep. But, knock off a few of the extras and you’d be paying a lot less.

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I’ve already covered over 4,000 miles since taking delivery of the car, mainly due to a daily commute between my Oxfordshire home and West London. Every one of those miles has been a pleasure, because the Elroq is as much at home on a winding country lane as it is on the motorway. It really is a good car to drive. You get plenty of feedback from the steering, it’s got a decent turn of acceleration when needed, and it’s also extremely comfortable and refined. 

The cabin is also beautifully finished too, and looks especially striking in Loft trim with the orange seatbelts really standing out. Everything feels high in quality and there’s not a hint of scratchy plastics or niggling rattles, although that might change in time.

So do I have any gripes? It’s really hard to fault the Elroq, but being extremely picky, I’ve been averaging around 3.8 miles per kWh, which is slightly down on the 4.0 miles per kWh quoted by the brand. That’s also from optimal summer conditions, so the efficiency is sure to drop slightly as the weather cools off. That said, they’re decent figures for what is still a chunky SUV, and I can easily get 300 miles of range from a full charge.

So far the Elroq has been a joy, but now it has a tougher test – to convince my neighbour that there’s no shame in owning a Skoda!

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

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