► The Elroq gains a vRS version
► The four-wheel-drive Elroq in UK
► But can Skoda turn up the fun?
We rate the regular Skoda Elroq as one of the best electric SUVs you can buy. Practical, sensible and safe, it’s everything Skoda is renowned for and makes for an exemplary family car.
But while perfectly good in every area, all of those descriptors don’t exactly scream excitement, do they?
That’s where the new Elroq vRS comes in. Skoda has a habit of making speedy versions of its sensible cars, so it didn’t take a brain surgeon to work out that a hotter Elroq vRS would follow. But is it finally a car you can purchase with your heart?
At a glance
Pros: Excellent pace, generous equipment, great seats, very spacious
Cons: Soggy steering for a sporty version, spongey brake feel, relatively tame styling treatment
What’s new?
The Elroq vRS takes the title of Skoda’s fastest-accelerating road car to date, courtesy of its dual-motor powertrain. It’s the only all-wheel-drive Elroq you can buy in the UK, too, with Brits not getting the ‘85X’ version other regions in Europe have. Every other version of this SUV is usually RWD.
Small mechanical changes include retuned steering and lower suspension. VW’s latest dynamic chassis control (DCC) setup is also included as standard, rather than the £650 option it usually is.
Visually the vRS gets revised front and rear bumpers, different alloys and the option of Skoda’s high-vis Hyper Green colour, but if you don’t spec that it really doesn’t look much different to a standard Elroq. There isn’t even a vRS badge on the rear…
What are the specs?
As already mentioned, the vRS is the only Elroq available with all-wheel-drive in the UK, getting a small front motor to join the existing rear motor. It’s the same setup you’ll find on the larger Skoda Enyaq vRS and various other MEB-based EVs across the Volkswagen Group.
Total outputs are 335bhp and 501lb ft of torque, up 53bhp and 100lb ft compared to the Elroq 85, though the majority of that performance is still sent to the rear wheels. Accelerating to 62mph takes 5.4 seconds – 1.2 seconds less than the previous most powerful Elroq. Its top speed remains at 111mph.
The vRS gets a slightly different battery to other Elroqs, too, with an 84kWh capacity (rather than the usual 82kWh), which gives a claimed rage of 339 miles, not far behind the 355 miles achievable from the ‘85’ version. With maximum DC charging speeds of 185kW, a 10 to 80 per cent charge can be completed in 26 minutes if hooked up to a quick enough charger. If plugged in at home to a 7kW wallbox, it’ll take around 12 hours to get that battery fully charged again.
How does it drive?
The standard Elroq is already good to drive, but far from exciting, and unfortunately the vRS just doesn’t feel a big enough step up compared to the standard Elroq. Performance is very brisk off the line, with effortless delivery available from the offset courtesy of that newly found four-wheel-drive system. But a standard Elroq 85 is more than quick enough – 50bhp isn’t really that much more in the EV world.
But the addition of DCC as standard is a worthwhile addition, as even on the optional 21-inch alloys the ride is perfectly liveable. There’s a firm edge, yes, but it’s still able to soak up bumps well, and with the breadth of comfort to sportiness that the latest version of DCC brings, depending on which mode you’re in.
Settling for the smaller 20-inch alloys is the best choice where comfort is reserved but you have to make do with an ugly set of rims that look like they’ve been rattle-canned. That said, refinement is a big plus point, even at motorway speeds.
We were lucky enough to explore central Wales in the Elroq vRS, taking advantage of some properly good roads and there’s enough drive sent to the rear wheels that you can feel that bias when pressing on, but it’s well-controlled– even with DSC in Sport, Skoda makes sure it never gets lairy. But, while it felt quick and a great way to cross country quickly, it didn’t feel all that exciting; the steering in particular felt wooly and soggy when you were having some fun, where you could waggle the wheel mid-sweeping corner and precisely nothing would happen to the direction you were heading.
Quick and accomplished? Absolutely. Sharp and zippy like a proper performance car? Not really.
What’s it like inside?
The interior of the vRS is a far brighter and bolder affair than any other area of this Elroq, namely with its bright lime green stitching and piping that runs all over the seats, door cards and dashboard. Excellent part-suede seats are also fitted as standard, along with a three-spoke steering wheel (Elroqs usually only get two).
It helps to give the vRS a slightly sportier feel, though much of the interior is the same as any other Elroq, and that’s most certainly a good thing. The quality is fantastic and the presence of some physical switchgear – and proper steering wheel buttons – makes this Skoda’s interior easier to interact with than a Volkswagen ID.4 GTX or Cupra Tavascan, for example. A large 13-inch touchscreen and digital instrument cluster are standard, as is a head-up display with augmented reality overlaid into it – ideal when using the navigation.
The vRS is also every bit as practical and useful as a standard Elroq. The 470-litre boot is larger than the number suggests courtesy of typical Skoda ‘Simply Clever’ features. A favourite of mine is the net below the parcel shelf that’s ideal for storing EV charging cables out of the way. If you’ve ever lived with an EV and had the faff of emptying a boot to find some cables you’ll no what a game-changer this can be.
Rear seat is also plentiful, with all but the tallest adults able to get comfortable back here. Because of how spacious it is, it practically makes the Enyaq defunct, unless you need a really big boot.
Before you buy (trims and rivals)
The vRS sits at the top of the Elroq line-up, with prices starting from £46,560. While you can buy the cheapest version of this Skoda for £31,500, it’s worth drawing a comparison to the 85 Sportline version, which is available from £41,545.
A £4,000 premium sounds a lot but it’s worth totting up the value of all the extra kit you get, ignoring any sporty elements for a second. With electric and massaging front seats included, along with a head-up display, Canton sound system and 360-degree camera system and metallic paint, the combined cost of adding those features to a Sportline model would amount to roughly the same as that premium.
While the Elroq vRS is smaller than the larger and £5,000 more expensive Enyaq vRS, we reckon it makes a lot more sense, and in the process makes that car seem rather pointless in Skoda’s line-up.
As for rivals, there aren’t too many sportier SUVs in this segment, we’d recommend looking at the Mini Countryman SE All4 which, courtesy of a massive recent price cut, now starts from under £40,000. It’s quicker than the Skoda, and more fun to drive, though uses a small battery and will do around 80 fewer miles to a charge.
Verdict
If you want a sporty and fun electric SUV, the Elroq vRS isn’t that car. It’s quick and still a good all-rounder to drive, but so is the standard Skoda Elroq, which is the car you should go for.
The vRS doesn’t feel a big enough step up, both to drive and visually. But if you want an ‘every option box ticked’ Elroq that has the bonus of all-wheel-drive without any practicality limitations, we can see why you’d choose it.