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. 

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

For more context, that makes the Elroq vRS is quicker than the Peugeot e-3008 Dual Motor, but much slower than the Volvo EX30 Twin Motor Performance (0-62mph in 3.6 seconds). You’ll also find a few petrol-powered alternatives are quicker, including the VW T-Roc R (4.8 seconds).

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 comfort mode, the ride leans on the firmer side (especially if you opt for the larger, 21in wheels), but it’s never crashy, harsh or thumpy. It’s more composed and comfortable than the jigglier Abarth 600e and Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce.

Dialling things up to sport mode makes the suspension noticeably firmer. However, the ride still remains tolerable. 

On a twisty road you’ll want Sport mode for its more tied-down feel, but even in Comfort the Elroq vRS displays very little body lean. Again, it demonstrates excellent composure, thanks in part to the great suspension but also good grip and a power delivery that favours the rear wheels.

In other words, you can feel the Elroq progressively push itself out of corners – more so than you can in the e-3008 Dual Motor. Is it drastically better than a regular Skoda Elroq? Well, no – a lot of its ride and handling abilities can be found in even the cheapest versions.

There are also a few gripes. The steering, while precise, doesn't give you a great sense of connection with the front wheel, and the brakes are a bit spongy. Those factors can rob you of some confidence on a twisty road. The Junior Elettrica Veloce has more communicative steering and a sharper front end, making it feel more agile. It’s also worth mentioning that the might lighter T-Roc R is more agile still.

Overall, the Elroq vRS – like the Enyaq vRS – isn’t a car you'll want to push to its limits very often – doing so won't put a big smile on your face – but it is generally competent to drive.

And in the spirit of going back to the good points, 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 paltry 215-mile range of the Junior Veloce. 

“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 lots of lime-green stitching).

The seats, which feature vRS-specific touches, are supportive yet comfortable. The driving position is good too, although it’s worth noting that some other electric SUVs – including the Kia EV3 – seat 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've driven the latest Skoda Enyaq you'll be familiar with most of the interior, including the big (13in) infotainment touchscreen. It has sharp graphics and a relatively intuitive lay-out, with handy configurable shortcut tabs.

The infotainment system is easier to operate than the rather confusing set-up in the Mini Countryman Electric. That said, the EV3 and Renault Scenic have even better infotainment systems

Disappointingly, too, the climate controls are built into the touchscreen. We’d prefer physical buttons and dials (like you get in the EV3 and Scenic) because they’re easier to use while driving, but at least the temperature icons are permanently on display. What’s more, there is at leasst a physical shortcut button to take you to the main climate-control screen.

Interior quality is, for the most part, excellent, with the additional Alcantara helping give the vRS a sportier feel that inside other Elroqs. There are some scratchy plastics lower down in the interior, but no more than you’d find in most rivals, including the EV3 and Scenic, as well as the Abarth 600e and Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce.

“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 it's rear-seat space that really impresses; even a six-footer will be comfortable sitting behind a similarly tall driver – unlike in a Abarth 600e and Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce. The rear seats offer more under-thigh support than you’ll find in a Renault Scenic, too.

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 rivals. Its luggage capacity beats the Kia EV3 (460 litres) and Junior Elettrica Veloce (400 litres), although it;s down on the Scenic (545 litres) and obviously the larger Enyaq vRS.

We managed to squeeze six carry-on suitcases into the boot of the Elroq (below the parcel shelf) compared with seven in a Scenic. There’s also no storage under the Elroq’s bonnet, which you do get in some similar-priced alternatives, including the EV3 and Tesla Model Y.

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

Whether the Skoda Elroq vRS is well priced or not depends on your point of view. That's because it's cheaper than larger alternatives, such as the Kia EV6, Peugeot e-3008 and Tesla Model Y, but also more expensive than smaller alternatives, including the Abarth 600e and Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce. There isn't anything sporty and electric that's a perfect like-for-like rival.

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 adaptive suspension. Both front seats have electrically adjustable lumbar support and there's a massing function for the driver's seat.

There are just two optional packs available. We'd recommend the Winter Package for buyers who often carry rear passengers., because it’s reasonably priced and adds heated rear seats, a heated windscreen and dedicated climate control zone for the rear-seat area.

The Maxx package is more expensive and less recommendable. Its main draw is a self-parking function. 

A heat pump is also on the options list, which is a bit disappointing given the 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 hadn't been tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP at the time of writing. However, it 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 was also too new to feature in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, although Skoda finished in 13th place (out of 31 brands) in the overall manufacturer league table. That's above Tesla but behind Kia, Renault and Volvo.

The vRS comes with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. 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 undercuts an equivalent Cupra Ateca.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

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