► Skoda’s new compact electric SUV previewed
► Elroq is the EV equivalent of the Karoq
► Revealed later in 2024
Skoda has released a first preview of its new Elroq compact electric SUV, which signals the next wave of its EVs.
Set to be revealed in full in the autumn, the Elroq will slot beneath the Enyaq and above the upcoming Epiq, and it gets a new design that will be rolled out onto future electric Skodas.
What’s the new look about?
There isn’t too much to learn from the dark-lit image Skoda has put out of its new Elroq, but there are clear details that are different to its current crop of cars.
Most striking is the new lighting arrangement across the front of the car, with a range of LED elements of different shapes and sizes coming together to form a light bar. New ‘SKODA’ lettering also replaces a traditional badge.
The Elroq is also the first Skoda to get a new design language described as a ‘Tech-Deck Face’, which is described as a ‘modern interpretation’ of the usual Skoda grille, which is said to give the car a flatter and wider appearance. This will go on to be applied to various other electric cars from the Czech firm in the coming years, previewed in the image above.
Anything else we know so far?
No surprise that the Elroq will be based on the Volkswagen Group’s dedicated MEB electric car platform. No battery or range details have been given, but expect it to use similar size batteries to the Enyaq, with an option of 58kWh or 77kWh.
The Elroq will also serve as Skoda’s electric equivalent to its popular Karoq crossover (pictured above), with slightly longer dimensions at 4.5m, but beneath the 4.65m-long Enyaq. How long the petrol-powered Karoq will remain on sale for, or if there will be a combustion-powerred replacement for it is unclear.
When will the new Skoda Elroq arrive?
Skoda hasn’t given a firm date for when the Elroq will be revealed but has said it will have its ‘world premiere’ in autumn 2024 in what is a very busy year for the firm with the arrival of new-generation versions of the Superb and Kodiaq.
First deliveries will likely not commence until 2025, however.
What’s next after the Elroq?
It’s now been three years since Skoda introduced the Enyaq as its first purpose-built EV, and while it’s proven successful, aside from the addition of a sleeker Coupe model and slightly warmer vRS model, little has changed with Skoda’s EV offensive.
The arrival of the Elroq signals the start of a much broader push to EVs, however, with Skoda promising ‘six battery-electric models in the coming years’. We know one of these will be the new Epiq, a smaller Kamiq-sized option that Skoda is promising will cost ‘around €25,000’ when it’s unveiled in 2025. Skoda previously said that these cars would arrive by 2026, but seems to have removed the date from its plans, signalling that this might have been pushed back. Two of these cars will be a facelift for the Enyaq and Enyaq Coupe, however.