Car of the Year Awards 2025: Family Electric SUV of the Year
This class embraces a useable driving range and fast charging tech, but the best must also be hugely practical and loaded with great tech...
Skoda Elroq 85 Edition
No one could accuse Skoda of rushing things when it comes to the rate at which it introduces new electric vehicles (EVs). Its first, the Puck, was created way back in 1941, but then this wasn’t followed up until 2019, when we got the Citigo-e city car. There was less of a gap to the Enyaq SUV, but it was still a three-year wait. And now, a further three years down the road, we have the smaller Skoda Elroq SUV.
The thing is, though, when you rush you tend to spill your coffee or stub your toe, whereas by taking its time, Skoda has got its electric SUV, the Elroq absolutely right.
It may be smaller than the Skoda Enyaq iV, but that’s reflected in the pricing, which starts at just £31,500. And even if you go for the biggest battery available (badged as the 85) and our recommended range-topping Edition trim, you’re looking at £38,650. That’s around £6000 less than you’ll pay for the equivalent Enyaq, and also means the Elroq undercuts every version of the Kia EV6 – the car that won this category at last year’s What Car? Awards.
Practicality is another strength, with the Elroq offering enough rear space for a six-footer to sit behind a similarly tall driver without feeling cramped. Plus, the floor is completely flat, so there’s plenty of room for feet, even when there are three people on the rear bench.
Only the boot really gives away the fact that this is a smaller car than the Enyaq, although it’s still far from poky, at 470 litres, and the £250 Transport Package helps you to make the most of the room you do get; it brings a height-adjustable boot floor and a handy net beneath the parcel shelf in which you can stash the charging cables.
What there isn’t is any sign of cost-cutting inside the Elroq. Skoda has gone for a pleasing mix of soft-touch plastics and fabric trim. Meanwhile, the driver’s seat offers excellent support and lines up perfectly with the steering wheel and pedals.
You’ll also enjoy sitting in that seat because of the way the Elroq drives. It feels very nimble in town, thanks to a 9.3-metre turning circle that is actually smaller than the Skoda Citigo-e’s, despite that car being almost a metre shorter. What’s more, the ride is well controlled, the Elroq corners with composure, and it’s a quiet motorway cruiser. Even the brakes (usually a weak point of VW Group EVs) offer a reassuring level of consistency – unlike those of the Renault Scenic.
An official range of 360 miles shames some cars that cost half as much again and adds to the Elroq’s credentials as a great way to cover big distances. And if you have to stop to top up the battery, a respectable peak charging rate of 175kW means you could be under way again in as little as 28 minutes.
It’s clear, then, that Heinz was right all along: the best things come to those who wait.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
