Skoda Elroq: E-SUV about to make its debut

The Karoq is currently the Skoda brand's most successful SUV in Germany. With 12,162 first registrations in the first five months, it has achieved success that other brands in this segment can only dream of. At the same time, it is neither visually nor technically outstanding. It is probably a mixture of conservative design, dimensions which, at around 4.4 m in length, are only slightly longer than Golf-class models, and prices that are still reasonably digestible. There are some indications that the Karoq will continue to find buyers with these features. In the fall of 2024, Skoda will present a similarly designed model that will differ significantly from the Karoq in one respect in particular. The Elroq will only be available with an electric drive.

Plenty of space

The proportions make it clear that the Elroq makes use of the freedom of a more compact powertrain. At just under 4.5 m, it will be slightly longer than the Karoq, but with a wheelbase of 2.77 m, it promises a similar amount of space to the significantly larger Enyaq. The luggage compartment of the Elroq is said to offer 470 to 1580 liters. There are no pictures of the dashboard yet, but Skoda will stick to a conservative design here. The instrument cluster measures five inches, the screen in the middle is always 13 inches. For an extra charge, Skoda offers a head-up display with augmented reality.

Two assistants are to provide support when parking. Firstly, it should be possible to park the Elroq autonomously from a maximum distance of four meters via an app. Skoda has not yet revealed how large the gap needs to be. On the other hand, the approach to up to five parking spaces can be saved so that the SUV can then navigate to them on its own. The other assistants remain within the familiar framework. Matrix light and adaptive cruise control are among the most important assistants that can be taken for granted in this class today. There is no advance information on how far Skoda will approach highly automated driving. Presumably it will remain at Level 2, as hardly anyone in this segment would pay the current and foreseeable surcharges.

Drives and batteries

Four drive systems are planned for the time being to cover different needs.

Skoda is also missing the opportunity to equip these electric cars with a 22 kW AC charger, which could make life more comfortable in many driving profiles. However, consideration has been given to preconditioning the battery, which intervenes automatically in route planning or can also be triggered manually. Volkswagen's modular electric toolkit lacked this for a long time, but the Group has now responded. Skoda is currently only specifying the range, which should be a maximum of just over 560 km in the WLTP. This figure is likely to refer to the model with 210 kW drive and 77 kWh battery.

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Skoda Elroq (6 Bilder)

Positioning on the market

The base model with a 52 kWh battery will be available from around 35,000 euros. On the one hand, this is significantly more than Opel has calculated for the battery-electric Frontera, but on the other hand it is less than Hyundai, for example, is currently charging for the least expensive Kona. So there is a lot to suggest that the Elroq will bring movement to the compact e-SUV market. The fact that, apart from the drive, it will continue much of what made the Karoq (test) so successful also speaks for itself. Internally, however, it will have to face another opponent, as Volkswagen is planning an E-SUV family that will be available from €25,000. The Skoda seedling of this offensive is to be called the Epiq and could be launched on the market from next year.

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(mfz)