From really humble beginnings in Britain, Skoda has evolved through Volkswagen Group membership into one of the most diverse and desirable brands you can afford to buy.
OK, their cars are no longer the off-cuts of a one-time communist cut-price country, but they now stand wheel to wheel with the best big brands from Europe, so you have to pay comparable prices. And that’s not a bad thing.
Skoda is often seen as the poorer relative of its parent group but the reality is that all their engineering has a sound base, it’s just delivered in a different and for many, a more affordable manner.
With all manufacturers eyes on zero emissions legislation and plugging into pure battery technology, Skoda’s latest pure electric models are not only state of the art, but at less cost than most European-made rivals.
There are four pure electric Skoda Elroq SEL, Edition, SportLine and vRS models with choice of motors and battery packs to suit particular needs priced from £33,560 to £46,560, and our test car towards the top of the series came in at £41,610 before it was fitted with the optional £1,100 Heat Pump, iV universal charging cable, Advanced Package at £2,250 and tow bar with adaptor for £750. All these took the on-road price to £46,310.
Skoda Enyaq Coupe and SUV models also come with pure electric powertrains but cost more in some cases and some may feel fall outside the family sector.
The Elroq SportLine 85 has a 286ps single speed motor driving the rear wheels, can recharge from a 175kW source to 80% in a reasonable 20 mins and then get on its way delivering 545Nm of pulling power which gives it a sub-seven seconds sprint to 62mph and onward to about 111mph when conditions permit.
That’s sports car like speed from what is essentially a five-door, five-seat family suv good for up to 357miles as we found out on test and which actually bettered the official stated figure.
Its mechanical smoothness from starting to sprinting away was quiet and impressive save for a mild electric hum, some continuous road rumbles and occasional bump-thump from the suspension.
The ride was firm without being too hard and it generally coped well with any surface but was at its best on motorways.
The handling was a little dead in delivery to the driver’s hands but the turning circle was good and there was no vibration or kickback while the brakes really hauled down speed with very little effort and a lot of feel.
As is common these days, a series of driving modes ensures the Elroq is economical but you have to select it from the default normal mode or utilise the sport and individual settings instead.
Much of the selection and other features is done through the 13-inch touchscreen with a few buttons underneath for the most commonly needed adjustments such as temperature, navigation, phone and music and it’s a good mixture. Standard equipment include a raft of advanced driving and safety aids which are intended to reduce accidents and keep drivers licences as clean as possible, but they need familiarisation.
The column stalks worked wipers/ wash and the automatic intelligent headlights with their very bright, far seeing beams.
Visibility was generally good but our test car was fitted with additional camera and sensors to ease parking and protect the occupants, had a head-up display and for added comfort included a massage programme in the electrified front seats.
Access was very good to the cabin and big boot area and it was a very roomy car for a family and their weekend luggage.
The driver has everything to hand or foot and once set up the secondary controls became just that, secondary to the driving job in hand.
Personally, some may find the interior a bit bland, utilitarian, but everything fitted together beautifully and the shut lines were pin tight and there were no extraneous noises to intrude on a trip.
The Skoda Elroq SportLine is a good family car with the possibility of low running costs, near silent performance and a high degree of sophistication and refinement.
And that’s a long way from Skoda’s UK starting point.
