For most people interested in cars, it’s easy enough to spot an electric car in a car park as they don’t have same grille that you would see in petrol and diesel cars. Generally, the front of electric cars are bland, but not so with the Skoda Elroq that I drove last week.
My test car came in a lovely shade of red and at first glance you might not classify it as an electric car. There is no grille at the front, but the front of the car is definitely not as bland as many other EV’s. Attractive lights, coupled with some nice touches along the front of the car add, up to a very attractive frontal look. And the rear of the car is not dull either.
Bland is certainly not a word you would associate with the Elroq, which is very stylish and yet another excellent car from the Skoda brand which has proved very popular with Irish motorists in recent years. It’s the first compact EV in the Skoda range, a smaller sibling to the larger Enyaq.
As usual, the first question I’m asked when driving an EV, is the range. Well, as it all depends on the battery size: 52kWh battery equals 370km, 59kWh equals 427km and the top of the range Elroq 85 version that I drove with a 77kWh battery, should get you close to 560km with a full charge. On a full charge I got close to 540km.
As usual with most new cars, the infotainment screen dominates the dash. But in the Elroq, the 13-inch central touchscreen is attractive and more user friendly than many the screen in many models I have driven in recent months.
The dash has a lovely, curved look to it and is black. The seats and roof line are also black which makes for a very dark interior. I have been critical of this ‘black look’ in some of my previous reviews, but a colleague pointed out that the designer probably wanted that ‘black look’ in the interior
Plenty of room for three adults in the back seat and decent leg room. You get decent sized boot, officially 470-litres of space, but as usual with most new cars, electric, petrol or diesel, no spare wheel.
Skoda were the first brand to prove a simple clip on the windscreen to hold your parking ticket (the ones you pay for) and that tradition is continued in the Elroq, which is the equivalent of the petrol version Karoq.
I have often said on these pages, that colour is so important when choosing a new car. And I felt that the red paint gave the Elroq a major lift on the Monday morning that I picked up from the Automotive Team in Sandyford.
Black side mirrors and two black roof rails provide a nice contrast to the exterior red colour.
It’s a neat motor and I really enjoyed my time in the comfortable Elroq. It’s competitively priced and well speced. Would I buy one? Yes, I would, but in truth I suppose we would all prefer a car with a very long range. However, this version is ideal for urban driving. You also have plenty of safety features and extras.
Prices start at €36,545, while the top of the range Elroq 85 version that I drove will cost you €53,560. As usual with electric cars road tax is only €120.
