Skoda Elroq vRS review

The Ko'okiri Body Plunge – a 125-foot drop slide at Universal's Volcano Bay water park in Florida – delivers an adrenaline rush you might want to experience a handful of times in your life, but every day? We doubt it. The Skoda Elroq vRS on the other hand aims to be a thrill ride you do want to experience regularly.

It gains more power (a sports-car-like 335bhp) as well as four-wheel drive. However, like the larger Skoda Enyaq vRS, this isn't a complete reinvention. It retains a keen focus on being a comfortable, usable, family-friendly electric SUV. 

Does that leave it a bit lukewarm next to most sports SUVs (electric or otherwise), or does it excel in its best-of-both-worlds approach? This review has the answer, plus we can tell you whether the Skoda Elroq vRS is really worth the premium over the regular Elroq.

What’s new?

- July 2025: Skoda Elroq vRS goes on sale as the top-op-the-range, performance model with 335bhp

- May 2025: hot new high-performance Elroq announced, and will feature LED Matrix headlights, a sports chassis, unique vRS alloy wheels and an illuminated ‘Tech Deck’ front end

When you deploy the full 335bhp the Skoda Elroq vRS has to offer you’ll see off 0-62mph in 5.4sec – that’s identical to its bigger Enyaq vRS sibling when completing the same sprint.

For more context, that’s slower than the sub-4.0sec times achieved by the Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Performance, as well as the Brabus versions of the Smart #1 and #3. You’ll also find a couple of petrol-powered alternatives are quicker, including the Audi SQ2 (4.9sec).

So it's sprightly but not blisteringly quick. To drive as a whole, though, it has notable strengths, with its best attribute being the Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) adaptive suspension system. DCC is optional on cheaper Elroqs but comes as standard on the vRS.

In Normal mode, the ride strikes a good balance between suppleness and control. There’s a firm edge to it, but is far more composed and comfortable than the jigglier Abarth 600e and Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce.

In its softer Comfort mode, the vRS ends up wallowing a bit more, while Sport firms things up enough to introduce a mild level of fidget, especially at high speeds. Thankfully, it’s far from brittle or tiring, plus, you can dive into Individual mode and select from a wider range of settings to fine tune the compromise you’d like.

On a twisty road the Elroq vRS demonstrates a good level of composure, thanks to its controlled body lean, good grip levels and accurate steering. It certainly leans less than the softer, taller #1 and EX30. However, as competent as it is to drive, it's not a car you'll want to push to its limits very often – doing so won't put a big smile on your face.

The fly in the ointment is that the vRS isn’t drastically better than a regular Skoda Elroq, since a lot of its ride and handling abilities can be found in even the cheapest versions.

The steering, for example, while precise, doesn't give you a greater sense of connection with the front wheels, and the brake pedal is a bit spongy. Those factors can rob you of some confidence on a twisty road. It’s also worth mentioning that the Audi SQ2 is more agile still.

More positively, the vRS is a quiet cruiser. It’s barely any louder than a regular Elroq – and, for reference, that car proved fractionally quieter at 70mph than the Kia EV3 and Renault Scenic in a What Car? comparison test.

There’s also the range, which at 339 miles puts the vRS only 11 miles behind the Elroq 85. That stacks up very well against the 248 mile range of the #1 Brabus and 280-mile range of the EX30 Twin Motor.

“I reckon with better steering feel and stronger brakes, the Elroq vRS could really excel on a twisty road.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

The Skoda Elroq vRS has an identical interior to the regular Elroq, bar some Alcantara material on the dashboard, doors and armrests (and lines of lime-green colour highlights dotted around) helping it give a sportier feel.

The seats, which feature vRS-specific touches, are supportive yet comfortable. The driving position is good too. Both front seats have electrically adjustable lumbar support and there's a massaging function for the driver's seat, although it’s worth noting that the Smart #1 Brabus places you higher up for more of an SUV feel.

Forward visibility is fine but rear visibility is a bit restricted due to the relatively small rear window. Mind you, that’s an issue that blights many of the more streamlined SUVs.

If you’re already familiar with the Elroq’s interior, the vRS includes the big (13in) infotainment touchscreen that has sharp graphics and a relatively intuitive layout, with handy configurable shortcut tabs. It’s easier to operate than the rather confusing menu system in the #1 Brabus and Volvo EX30.

Disappointingly, the Elroq vRS also has climate controls built into the touchscreen. We’d prefer physical buttons and dials because they’re easier to use while driving, but at least the temperature icons are permanently on display. What’s more, there is at least a physical shortcut button to take you to the main climate-control screen.

Interior quality is, for the most part, excellent. There are some scratchy plastics lower down in the interior, but no more than you’d find in most rivals. It’s easily a step above the slightly cheaper Abarth 600e and Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce, although the EX30 Twin Motor in Ultra trim is even better.

“There's plenty of Alcantara in the interior of the Elroq vRS, so I think it's a shame you can't have an Alcantara steering wheel.” – John Howell, Deputy Reviews Editor

The Skoda Elroq vRS has lots of handy storage cubbies between the front seats, plus its door bins are large and lined with felt so your possessions don't rattle around when you're driving along.

The driver and front passenger have plenty of room, but its rear-seat space impresses; even a six-footer will be comfortable sitting behind a similarly tall driver.

What’s more, the Elroq has a completely flat floor, allowing three passengers to sit side by side in relative comfort. In some ways, it makes you wonder why you’d feel the need to upgrade to the larger Skoda Enyaq vRS.

The vRS has a 470-litre boot and that’s about par for the course next to other family SUVs. However, when compared with similarly priced performance electric SUVs, the Elroq vRS beats the slightly smaller Smart #1 and Volvo EX30.

We managed to squeeze six carry-on suitcases into the boot of the Elroq (below the parcel shelf), which is the same as the EX30. There’s also no storage under the Elroq’s bonnet, which you do get in some similar-priced alternatives, including the EX30. The #1 also has a sliding rear bench to help you juggle between luggage and rear leg space.

As standard, the Elroq vRS comes with a height-adjustable boot floor as well as a net under its parcel shelf designed to store the charging cable. Both of those features are part of an optional package on most versions of the regular Elroqs.

“As a family car, I can recommend the Elroq vRS much more than I can the Junior Elettrica Veloce.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

There aren’t really any direct rivals that compete with the Skoda Elroq vRS on both space and price. It’s only slightly more expensive to buy than the Smart #1 Brabus and Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Ultra, but these are technically smaller and from the class below. For anything bigger, you could look at the Enyaq vRS that costs about 10% more. A petrol-powered Audi SQ2 costs the same, but the vRS will cost significantly less for company car drivers paying via salary sacrifice.

The Elroq vRS is essentially a trim level in its own right and gets plenty of equipment as standard, including 20in alloy wheels – or 21in rims if you pay extra (we wouldn’t) – metallic paint, a head-up display, a premium Canton sound system and that excellent DCC suspension. 

There are just two optional packs available. We'd recommend the Winter Package because it’s well priced and adds heated rear seats and a heated windscreen.

The Maxx package is more expensive and less useful. Its main draw is a dedicated climate control zone for the rear-seat area and a self-parking function. 

A heat pump is also on the options list, which is a bit disappointing given the Elroq vRS is far from a cheap electric car. This should improve the battery’s efficiency during winter, but it's expensive so we'd think twice before adding.

The Elroq vRS can charge at speeds of up to 185kW, allowing for a 10-80% charge in 26 minutes. Using a regular 7kW home EV charger takes around 12 hours.

The Skoda Elroq achieved the full five star rating when it was crash tested in 2025 by the safety experts at Euro NCAP. It offered a good amount of protection for occupants in a frontal impact and has lots of safety kit, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), traffic-sign recognition, a driver attention warning system, blind-spot monitoring and plenty of airbags.

The Elroq is too new to feature in our latest What Car? Reliability Survey, although Skoda finished mid-table in 16th place (out of 30 brands) in the overall manufacturer league table. That's above Volvo but behind Kia.

The vRS comes with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, which is par for the class but less generous than the seven-year cover from Kia. The main battery is covered by a separate eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty. If the battery falls below 70% of its original capacity during that time, Skoda says it will fix the problem free of charge. 

“The vRS isn’t really any more expensive than petrol-powered alternatives. In fact, I was surprised to see its list price matches the slightly smaller Audi SQ2.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Buy it if…

- You want something that’s both quick and comfortable

- You want something that’s spacious for the size

- You want something that’s well equipped

Don’t buy it if…

- You’re expecting it to handle as well as a petrol SUV

- You’re want the quickest acceleration

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