The Czech manufacturer has enjoyed huge success with the Enyaq SUV, but will history repeat itself with that car’s smaller sibling? John Challen heads to Mallorca to find out.

WHAT IS IT? Compact electric SUV   HOW MUCH? from £31,500    RANGE? 360 miles  How long to charge 10-80%? 24 minutes (175kW DC charger)

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Part of any winning formula is to start with what you know – and what works. Having notched up more than 200,000 sales with the Enyaq – and 250,000 orders – Škoda has used that vehicle for the basis of its latest EV, the Elroq.

The name is derived from ‘ELectric KaROQ’ but, in reality, it feels more like a slightly smaller Enyaq. It uses the same platform as that car (also adopted on the Volkswagen ID.4 and Ford Explorer), which means one of the plus points is plenty of space inside, especially for rear passengers.

The new car gets a new face, Elroq adopting Škoda’s new design language, called ‘Modern Solid’. It was difficult to pin down exactly what that means behind some very company-centric marketing-type speak, but it has resulted in the brand’s badge disappearing from the bonnet (replaced by lettering) and only appearing on the wheel centres. Design is obviously subjective, but the Elroq does have a grown-up feel to it and is clutter-free inside and out. There are LED lights front and rear, new body colours and a few touches, deemed ‘rugged’, to make the car stand out.

Inside, the cabin is clean and clear – and offers arguably a better execution of controls than others in the Volkswagen Group. There’s a nice mix of buttons and haptic controls via the 13.0-inch touchscreen, with sensible shortcut bars along the bottom of the screen – in physical form – and a customisable one at the top. Škoda has clearly thought about its drivers and what they actually want, as opposed to what works for a manufacturer.

As with most models – especially these days – there is more than a nod to sustainability, with seat material that is 75% recycled products (fishing nets, plastics, etc). Other recycled materials are found elsewhere inside the car’s cabin. Those seats, by the way, are very comfortable and supportive – and we felt refreshed after a couple of hours spent driving over a mix of mountain roads and motorways.

There are four Elroq versions in total – 50, 60, 85 and 85x – but the UK will only take the first three. Whether a four-wheel-drive vRS version will follow in the future was neither confirmed nor denied. The most popular is likely to be the 60, featuring a 63kWh battery – there are also 55 and 82kWh packs fitted in other models – which offers a more-than-adequate (in most cases) 250 miles of driving range from a full charge.

Despite its size, Elroq musters a turning circle of just 9.3m, making it more than suitable for urban environments as well as A-roads. Škoda’s engineers have tried hard to ensure the car is as efficient as possible, with a number of innovations added – and components optimised – to help achieve a drag figure of just 0.26Cd, better than the Karoq by 0.3Cd. The Czech manufacturer has also added in technologies such as intelligent park assist, which allows drivers to store five familiar parking manoeuvres that the vehicle can carry out on its own (with some driver input from outside the car, of course).

Which model is right for you?

The Elroq range offers four trim levels from Škoda, kicking off with the SE (from £31,500), which is fitted with a 55kWh battery and offers a WLTP range of 230 miles. Standard kit includes 19-inch wheels, LED front and rear lights, 13.0-inch touchscreen, plus a rear-view parking camera with sensors.

Move up to the SE L and there’s a larger battery (63kWh) that helps boost the WLTP-deemed range to over 250 miles. Extras for your money (SE L starts at £33,350) include two-spoke heated steering wheel with paddles for brake recuperation levels, heated front seats and sat-nav.

For an extra £1,100, drivers can get into the Edition model, which is available with two battery options (in the 60 and 85 versions) – the 63kWh one from the SE L and an 82kWh pack that helps achieve a maximum range of 360 miles (WLTP). Extras over the SE L include a different wheel design, dark chrome roof rails and privacy glass with acoustic side windows. There’s also adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and wireless smartphone charging (15W) with cooling.

The flagship – as in many other Škoda models – is the Sportline, which starts at £37,400. An extra £3,000 might dissuade a lot of drivers, but there are larger wheels (20-inch), matrix LED headlights, a three-spoke heated multifunction steering wheel, and progressive dynamic steering.

The verdict

With the Enyaq selling in big number, Škoda is expecting big things from its second electric SUV – and it is right to do so. The car’s larger sibling is a great starting point from which Elroq has been built and the platform engineering has ensured there is lots of space, especially for rear passengers.

Inside, there is plenty of storage and, of course, Škoda’s Simply Clever touches, including a handy cable net in the boot, screen cleaner and even a QR code – also in the boot – that lets drivers know all about the features.

Out on the road, the Elroq is very comfortable – ride and handling is decent, the seats offer plenty of support and the steering has a good amount of feel. A compact electric SUV is never designed to be a pure driver’s car, but our route around the hills of Mallorca showed that it was a very capable vehicle. At motorway speeds there’s arguably a touch too much road and wind noise (coming from the wing mirrors), but not enough to leave a sour taste. What is also quite pleasing is that there is little difference in performance between the 60 and 85 models that we tested – both have plenty of power in all conditions.

SUVs are dominating the EV space right now – and will no doubt continue to do for some time. With the Elroq, expect Škoda to have another winner on its hands.

The Lowdown

Key fleet model: SE L 60

Thumbs up: Spec, trim level choice, infotainment, quality

Thumbs down: Road/tyre noise, tough competition

Seven-word summary: Škoda’s smaller SUV offers plenty of positives

Also consider: Ford Explorer, Renault Scenic E-Tech, Volkswagen ID.4