Long-term test: Skoda Elroq vRS

Verdict

The Skoda Elroq vRS is a great all-rounder, with plenty of pace and even more space. But it’s hard to justify it over the lesser models in the range, especially the superb Edition 85.

• Mileage: 13,087
• Efficiency: 3.3mi/kWh

I’ve really enjoyed my time with the Skoda Elroq vRS, but I’m starting to think the boot might be haunted. Strange things have been happening, and it’s tried to cause me serious harm more than once.

The main issue is that the boot keeps trying to close on my head whenever I’m loading or unloading anything. Almost every time I reach in, I suddenly hear beeping and have to jump out of the way as the tailgate rapidly closes. It’s quite concerning, especially if my kids are sitting on the boot lip changing their shoes, or I’m trying to get something heavy out. It’s literally a case of diving out of the way as the boot closes by itself.

22

It must be due to an over-sensitive ‘virtual pedal’ underneath the car. I assume I put my foot in exactly the right place to activate it and it will then start to close no matter what. 

What makes it more bizarre though, is that the system will not work when you actually want it to. I can stand there waving my foot about beneath the bumper and… nothing. But as soon as my head is inside the boot, the Elroq sees an opportunity and will try and attack me. I can’t make sense of it. 

Used - available now

2019 Renault

Koleos

69,800 milesAutomaticDiesel1.8L

Cash £12,672

View Koleos

2022 Ford

S-Max

26,624 milesAutomaticPetrol2.5L

Cash £23,946

View S-Max

2016 Kia

ProCeed

62,945 milesManualPetrol1.4L

Cash £5,295

View ProCeed

2020 MINI

3-Door Hatch

59,000 milesManualPetrol2.0L

Cash £12,745

View 3-Door Hatch

The other thing that makes me think the boot is possessed is items just seem to move about on a journey. The charging cable likes to come free of its net on the bottom of the parcel shelf on even the most sedate runs, and hangs down like a snake when the boot is open. 

When the parcel shelf isn’t weighed down by the charging cable, it likes to wriggle free from its moorings and rattle about. Oh, and there’s also the constant wailing and screaming – but that might just be my kids fighting over what song to play next. 

Maybe the boot has been such an issue for me because it’s the only thing that I don’t like about the Elroq. It’s not that the boot is small – at 470 litres, it’s bigger than most rivals’ – but the shape means it’s hard to fit large items. It’s tall but not deep, so suitcases can be very awkward to squeeze in and Skoda’s ’Simply Clever’ features often just get in the way. 

22

However, it’s no great compromise to make, because the small(ish) boot is the result of a gigantic cabin. I previously ran a larger Skoda Enyaq, and I honestly can’t see any difference between the two sister cars when it comes to interior space. The Elroq is a master of practicality, and the space inside is probably its very best feature. It offers all the room a family will ever need. 

The Elroq vRS’s interior is also incredibly stylish and would shock anybody who hasn’t seen inside a Skoda for the last 15 years. I criticised the clever features in the boot, but the ones in the cabin make much more sense. As spring arrives and the sun finally starts to show itself, the integrated window blinds are especially useful. My kids can pull them up and shade themselves without any complaints – a huge benefit, I can tell you!

It’s now time for the Elroq vRS to leave our fleet, though, and I’ll be sad to see it go. I’ve enjoyed all the vRS has to offer – its speed is intoxicating and effortless, yet it still returns a decent 3.3 miles per kWh through the colder months. However, having had an Edition 85 beforehand, that’s the model I’d go for. Less power is a small price to pay for a better ride and lower buying and owning costs.

Skoda Elroq vRS: second fleetwatch report

22

The Skoda’s bright lights don’t impress me, but my daughter has taken to them like a swan to a lake

Almost any high-spec car has a dazzling light show these days, and that’s the case with our Skoda Elroq vRS. As soon as you approach it with the key, you’re greeted with dancing lights across the car’s front.

It’s not something that impresses me, but my daughter is quite taken with them. When I drop her off for a ballet lesson, she treats them as if she’s on the stage and does a little performance in front of them.

Skoda Elroq vRS: third report

22

Pace and practicality perfectly combined, our man reckons

• Mileage: 8,782
• Efficiency: 3.4mi/kWh

On your marks. Get set. Go! It’s not surprising to find out that the Skoda Elroq vRS is a quick car that will leave most rivals trailing from the lights, but it’s the way it does it that keeps me smiling.

Officially, the Elroq vRS will sprint from 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, but in reality it feels faster. Plant your foot on the accelerator, and it will launch from a standstill and just keep going. There’s no let-up in power at any point, with the dual motors pulling the car forwards at an impressive rate. I’ve found it hugely entertaining and highly addictive. 

22

But the one thing that really makes the Elroq vRS stand out for me is that the power delivery never upsets the car’s composure. We live in a world where even family EVs can boast almost 1,000bhp, and I recently drove the Lotus Emeya 900. Although it’s a truly sensational car, at times it almost felt dangerous if you prodded the pedal at the wrong moment. It took a lot of concentration to drive it to its full potential. 

The Elroq vRS is nothing like that. It’s the Czech brand’s most powerful ever production model with 335bhp, yet it feels as if it’s got just the right amount of performance, and really hits the sweet spot between fun and fear. 

Skoda’s vRS cars in the past have never been all about record-breaking numbers, instead focusing on affordability (which we’ll come to later) and driving fun. And that’s pretty much what the Elroq achieves as well. Yes, there are some compromises when it comes to the ride and I often find the car becomes a little unstable over bumpy or undulating roads, but it’s something you get used to and can quickly make corrections on the steering to counter. 

What really makes the Elroq vRS so impressive is that it’s a very similar car to the Volkswagen ID.4 GTX, with an identical power output and battery set-up, yet it’s miles ahead of its relation in almost every way. How has Skoda taken such a similar product and made it so much better? Where the GTX fails dynamically, the vRS excels.

Away from outright speed, the Elroq is a superb all-round family car. So good in fact, that it’s pretty hard to fault. My only real bugbear is the microsuede seats. They look and feel great, but are a complete nightmare to clean. My two children, Hugo and Matilda, regularly drop crumbs, which they then grind into the upholstery whenever they brush them off. The seat fabric acts almost like Velcro, so I’ve resorted to keeping a hand-held vacuum cleaner in the car, because it’s the only way to really get it clean.

22

And then there’s the price. As I’ve mentioned previously, vRS cars of the past were considered almost an entry-level way of starting out on performance-car ownership, but there’s no way this hot Elroq could ever be considered cheap. It costs almost £50,000, so you’ll need deep pockets to get one on your driveway, which is a shame because price is one of the main reasons the standard Elroq (which starts at just £33,560) won our 2025 Car of the Year award.

On the other hand, the vRS comes packed with kit and, as a reader recently pointed out to me, if you were to spec up an Edition 85 or SportLine model to the same level, the vRS actually works out slightly cheaper. So not only would you be saving money with the hot Elroq but, in effect, you also get extra power and four-wheel drive for free. Perhaps it’s not quite as expensive as it first appears after all.

Skoda Elroq vRS: first fleetwatch

22

Our 2025 Car of the Year has been so good I’m considering buying one

Every so often a car comes along that’s so good you just fall in love with it. Four years ago, I drove our 2021 Car of the Year – the Hyundai Ioniq 5 – and liked it so much that I ended up buying one. Now, I’m getting the same feeling for the Skoda Elroq that I’m currently running on our fleet. Our 2025 Car of the Year has been so impressive during its time with me that I’m seriously thinking it might be the car to replace the Ioniq 5 on my driveway.

Skoda Elroq vRS: first report

22

Accident gives us a chance to compare flagship vRS with 85 Edition

• Mileage: 3,032
• Efficiency: 3.7mi/kWh

Car safety is one of those things we tend to take for granted. In fact, a recent poll conducted here at Auto Express asking people to list their priorities when buying a new car had safety listed second from last. However, how many of us would actually admit that safety isn’t important?

22

I ask this question because it’s become a hot topic in the Baiden household. My wife was travelling back from the school run and preparing to turn into our driveway, when a motorcyclist failed to notice until it was too late. He desperately tried to avoid a collision, but ended up ploughing into the Skoda Elroq Edition 85 we’re running on our fleet, causing extensive damage. Thankfully nobody was injured and everybody was able to walk away, but my wife and son were a little shaken up by the incident. One thing she said afterwards stood out, though: “I felt very safe in the Elroq”.

The Skoda hasn’t been tested by Euro NCAP yet, but the structurally similar Enyaq received the full five stars, so it’s safe to assume its little brother will also get top marks. Knowing a car will offer good protection in an accident gives enormous peace of mind, and the Elroq certainly provides that, based on our experience. It’s just the latest thing in a long list of items that our reigning Car of the Year excels at.

The sad thing is that the resulting damage meant our white Edition 85 had to go back to Skoda for repairs, but the silver lining is that we now have a top-spec blue vRS model for the next couple of months instead. 

The standard Elroq is a fantastic car and it’s hard to pick any faults, but the hotter Elroq vRS arrived in the summer to some initial lukewarm reviews. I was keen to see if they were justified and if there was really such a difference between them. The price tag – our car is only just shy of £50,000 – is obviously a huge sticking point, but it’s really the only negative thing I’ve found so far.

As the most powerful production Skoda ever, with 335bhp, it really does provide a jump up in performance from the 282bhp Edition 85. Based on reviews I had read, I was expecting any noticeable difference between them to be minimal, but it’s not. Put your foot down and the vRS is quick in a straight line. It’s even good fun when the roads get twisty, but the stiffer suspension is an acquired taste. A bumpy road can cause lots of head-bobbing and swaying, but it never feels out of control.

22

And it’s not as if that extra performance seriously dents the efficiency either. Skoda quotes an official range of 339 miles, just 15 miles less than the Edition 85 (although the vRS battery is 2kWh larger), and I’ve got close to that figure. I’ve averaged around 3.7 miles per kWh so far, and that’s been a mixture of motorway commutes and shorter town trips.

Long-term tests are less about performance and efficiency, and more about what the car is like to live with day-to-day, though, and this is where the Elroq really stands out from the crowd. As with other models in the Skoda line-up, the vRS really excels inside, because there’s a huge amount of space for a family, with plenty of room in the back seats for my children to do their thing without constantly kicking the seats in front. 

The materials used are also of a high quality and the screen and interface work without a hitch. Anybody who hasn’t sat inside a Skoda for the past 20 years will be genuinely stunned by what the brand has done.

I’ve been impressed with the Elroq vRS so far, but would I pick it over the 85 Edition model I had before? Simple answer, no. The 85 Edition is £10,000 cheaper and was pretty much faultless during its time with us.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

Our dealer network has 1,000s of great value new cars in stock and available now right across the UK. Find your new car…