2026 Skoda Elroq Sportline 85 Review

Skoda has added another electric option to its range in the form of the Elroq. It’s more affordable than the Enyaq, does that make it better? 

Skoda has always tended to have genre-busting vehicles in its line-up. That’s not a bad thing, it’s not quirky like Citroen, but their models tend to span traditional segments, making them a bit harder to pin down. Much is the same with the new Elroq; it’s like a ‘high sided’ hatchback, but we guess you’d call it a mid-size SUV. Apparently the name stands for electric Karoq. Which is also a bit confusing because it has nothing in common with Karoq, which sits on another platform and is ICE powered. Elroq is based on Enyaq, but is just a bit shorter overall, so it probably should have been called the Enya, right? Anyway, it’s another car spun from the Volkswagen MEB electric platform with the motor on the rear, and there are two Elroqs available.

There’s the Elroq 60, which has a 150kW/310Nm motor on the rear with a 59 kWh battery, giving it a 394km range, and it is priced at $69,000. And then you get the Elroq Sportline 85, which we have here. This gets a larger 77kWh battery with a more powerful 210kW/545Nm motor. So it’s quicker, hitting 100 in 6.6s, 1.4s ahead of the 60, and with its larger battery, has a longer 529km range. And it costs another $10k.

That puts Elroq in a more, shall we say, discerning price bracket than the raft of Chinese offerings. As well as being a bit smaller than the Enyaq, it is cheaper, the larger electric Skoda now starting at $89k, while they’re asking $99k for the RS.

While it is smaller than Enyaq, it’s not by much. It’s 170mm shorter overall, but has a similar length wheelbase. Skoda is good at maximising interior space, and they’ve done a good job with Elroq. Crack open the boot and you’ll find a decent 470L hold, filled with Skoda’s natty storage solutions. There’s a handy net up under the parcel tray/cargo blind for your charge cables, compartments on each side for small things, some kind of a hammock-like contraption (though that one might be a tad too clever) and a fitted boot mat that you can flip over when you have wet or grubby stuff to load. The parcel tray itself can be repositioned to form a two tier boot, which is clever. There’s no spare wheel, yet there’s a little bit more storage under the boot to make up for the lack of a frunk upfront.

Split folding is easy to achieve if you’ve got something a bit longer to tote, and you get a semi-flat load floor. There’s even a ski hatch. 

You’ll find an easy entry to the rear accommodations, and while there’s not acres of leg room, it’s family friendly with three kids across the back fitting without arguments. Well, once you get rid of yet another of Skoda’s storage solutions that slots in below the console.

The seat is rather comfy, even if the back rest doesn’t recline, and there’s all the usual kid safety features including Isofix, and a tether point at the bottom of the front seat (handy for securing rear facing carseats). 

Upfront, it’s Enyaq like with a similar dash and centre console layout with yet more thoughtful storage. Skoda loves storage solutions, there’s just so many of them. We like the charge pad, which is positioned in front of the slightly too small cup holders, securing your phone out of your sight. And there’s yet more storage under the high set console, making up for the tiny glovebox. 

You might like that the cabin design leans more toward conventional than gimmicky/minimalist and that it’s well made. The balance of hard plastics and softly lined surfaces tips more in favour of the latter. The Sportline seats are good too, with heating and massage functions. 

It’s not just the extra grunt and touring you get with Sportline. It’s been specified in a way to drag people up from the base. You get extras like traffic jam assist for the adaptive cruise, rear side air bags, adaptive LEDs, better seats with the Suedia coverings, phone charger, tints and acoustic glass. All things you should probably expect in the $70k base model really.

Some might wonder if the infotainment system is up to the task for a $80k machine, given it lacks any form of online connectivity that competitors have. But if you don’t know what you’re missing, you’ll be fine. It has okay voice control, it’s quick enough and with a few hard buttons helping out, it’s not too distracting. But where’s the sat nav and surround view camera?  

Skoda’s are always functional, and this is too with a sound driving position, good outward vision and easy operation. It’s on when you jump in, while drive is selected via the semi-conventional shifter. While it might have 545Nm, it doesn’t feel quite that stroppy. It’s refined and easy, the throttle well tuned for smooth progress. 

Tap the Mode button to dial in Sport and you’ve more instant access to the Newtons, making it feel more, eh, sporty. Being rear drive, it can make better use of that thrust, and with a little help from the well-tuned traction control, can get away swiftly. Brake regen can be introduced in stages via the paddles, or there’s a B mode, though it’s not quite one pedal drive. As to progress, the ride tends a little more toward sporting, with a few bumps transmitted, especially from the rear end. But it’s preferable to the soft and unsettled tune of some Chinese EV brands. Its overall efficiency is pretty good, averaging around the 15kWh/100km mark.

The MEB platform is not an overtly sporting one, but it’s stable and predictable. The Elroq points okay, the steering is well assisted, with an okay connection too. Fire it around a bend, and Elroq resists understeer well while the substantial 2.3 tonne weight is felt more under braking than in the corners. It’s a good highway cruiser; quiet, quick and easy with the brake regen slowing you calmly for corners. The active cruise works proficiently, though some might miss the lane centring feature on motorways. And the safety overlords are behaved, the lane keeping gently adding its influence only when required. 

Elroq is an accomplished machine, but at the price, it lands in a crowded space that includes the Model Y, Polestar 2 Performance, Sealion 7 Performance, Ioniq 5, the new EV6 and the Zeekr 7X Long Range, among others. And you can get the VW ID.5 GTX, with 250kW, for similar money. That’s a lot of options vying for such a small slice of the market. Buy Elroq for its practicality and ease of use/simplicity, though we reckon some of those rivals have more x-factor about them. We’d probably opt for this over the more expensive Enyaq though, unless you really need that extra boot space.  

Skoda Elroq Sportline 85
$79,000  /  16.5kWh/100km  /  0g/km
0-100 km/h 6.6s
Ambient cabin noise  70.0dB@100km/h
Motor output  210kW
Max torque  545Nm
Battery  77.0kWh
Range  529km
Drivetrain  Single-speed auto / RWD
Front suspension  Mac strut / swaybar
Rear suspension  Multilink / swaybar
Turning circle  9.3m (2.1 turns)
Front brakes  Ventilated discs
Rear brakes  Drum
Stability systems  ABS, ESP, TV
Safety  AEB, ACC, BSM, LDW, RCTA, ALK, AHB
Tyre size  f-235/50R20  r-255/45R20
Wheelbase  2765mm
L/W/H  4488 / 1884 / 1654mm
Track f-1587mm  r-1562mm
Luggage capacity 470-1580L  
Tow rating  750kg (1000kg Braked)
Service intervals 12 months / 15,000km
Service plan  3yrs / 45,000km / $1095
Warranty  5yrs / 150,000 km
ANCAP rating  Not rated
Weight (claimed)  2316kg