THIS IS THE NEW ELROQ: SKODA’S ALL-ELECTRIC, 296BHP ANSWER TO THE RANGE ROVER EVOQUE
Wanting a Skoda Enyaq that’s not as big as… a Skoda Enyaq? We’ve just got fresh details of the brand’s first all-electric A-segment car, the Elroq, which’ll be built upon Volkswagen’s MEB platform and debut this autumn at a rumoured starting price point of circa £35,000.
A choice of four powertrains will be offered which scale from 168 to 296bhp, with a top speed of 100 or 112mph depending on the motor chosen, and the option of all-wheel drive in the range-topper.
Skoda also quotes as many as 348 miles between a sub-28-minute scone and tea break for a 10-80 per cent recharge. You’ll also have the option of leisurely top-ups at home since an 11kW wall box will be supplied, but that’ll require a bit more than scones and tea we reckon.
Moving on to the design, the Elroq will preview Skoda’s new language dubbed ‘Modern Solid’. It means the face ditches the thick, cladded grilles of old and adopts a new ‘Tech-Deck’ theme which focuses on sharpening up the bigger elements, like the LED Matrix lights, while repositioning some of the smaller ones, like the bonnet lettering.
Elsewhere, you’ll spot a restructured layout to the vehicle's arc points, which begin with a revised A-pillar and stretch right back to the rear spoiler. Between all that, customers will also have a choice of funky 19-21in five-spoke alloys to fill the shrunken wheel-well space. Makes the Elroq look quite taut, no?
The cabin adopts a similar level of refresh, and places even more precedence on sustainability. So the mostly dark grey upholstery, for instance, has been made from 'Recytitan' fibre, while bits of recycled fibres have been thrown in too. There are also about a million pockets and cubbyholes to form part of Skoda’s new ‘Simply Clever’ storage solutions.
Plenty of space, then, to access the standard 13in infotainment screen and 5in digital cockpit, with those being further complemented by an optional head-up display and ‘Augmented Reality’ technology.
And tucked away within all that is a variety of safety systems, including a new Intelligent Park Assist that can be remotely toggled. It means that you can control the vehicle from up to four metres away to complete the manoeuvre itself, via the associated MySkoda app. That same app can also be used for other services, such as remote air conditioning and control/management of charging transactions.
The new Elroq will become the first of six new battery electric vehicles scheduled for release by Skoda over the next few years, which will also include the tiny-but-big-but-tiny Epiq.