The Skoda Elroq Has an Ingenious Gadget to Check Tire Wear

Whenever Skoda introduces a new model, I'm always searching for "Simply Clever" features that make ownership just a little bit easier. They're not merely marketing fluff, as most of them are truly useful. The new Elroq is chock-full of these goodies, but there's one that caught my attention. It's the tire wear gauge that doubles as an ice scraper.

Now, I know what most Europeans will say: Skodas have had that for a few years already. Indeed, I have it on my 2017 Octavia. But mine is located inside the fuel door. On the Elroq, the Czech side of the VW Group has moved it within the tailgate. There's a dedicated compartment on the left section of the hatch where you stick the two-in-one tool made from sustainable materials.

The long list of Simply Clever items includes everything from the usual Rolls-Royce-esque umbrella in the driver's door to a warning triangle in the tailgate. In addition, there's a net under the parcel shelf to store the charging cable along with folding hooks on the sides of the cargo area. Although it's fully electric on a dedicated platform, the Elroq has a big hump in the middle. But at least the central tunnel has a cargo box with built-in cup holders for the rear passengers. In the luggage area, Skoda crammed in two upper storage trays above the usual pockets.

We're also pleasantly surprised Skoda hasn't abandoned physical buttons just yet, as there's a row of hard keys below the air vents. The buttons on the steering wheel, driver's door, and to the left side of the dashboard to control the lights are also "old-school," instead of frustrating touch-sensitive keys. Inside the cargo area, there's a QR code linking to the vehicle's available equipment and functions.

Thankfully, that massive 13-inch infotainment hasn't prompted Skoda to get rid of the digital instrument cluster, which sits below an optional head-up display. Although this is the brand's first model to embrace a new design language, dubbed Modern Solid, the Elroq keeps the attributes that have made Skodas so popular in Europe. It has the biggest trunk in its segment, offering 16.6 cubic feet (470 liters) with the seats up. Fold the rear bench and the volume grows to 55.8 cubic feet (1,580 liters). Several compartments inside add another 1.7 cubic feet (48 liters).

The Elroq a compact electric crossover positioned below the Kodiaq, which is Skoda's equivalent of the ID.4. Oddly enough, VW doesn't have its own version of the Elroq just yet, although the ID.3 hatchback indirectly fills that role. Much like Skoda's gasoline crossovers, it gets a split headlight setup, whereas the bigger Enyaq has one-piece lights. The rear design looks like it was heavily borrowed from its bigger brother.

The Elroq comes in rear- and all-wheel-drive flavors with single- and dual-motor configurations, respectively. The base Elroq 50 model makes do with 168 horsepower and 229 pound-feet (310 Newton-meters) of torque. It's followed by a midlevel Elroq 60 rated at 201 hp and an identical 229 lb-ft (310 Nm). Step up to the Elroq 85 and you get 282 hp and 402 lb-ft (545 Nm), delivered to the rear axle.

At the top of the range sits the Elroq 85x with an extra electric motor installed at the front axle, enabling all-wheel drive. Skoda isn't sharing power figures just yet, but mentions the AWD variant will go on sale later in 2025. Depending on the version, the EV comes with three battery sizes featuring a usable energy content of 52 kWh, 59 kW, and 77 kWh.

The biggest battery is reserved for the Elroq 85 and 85x, and supports charging at up to 175 kW. It takes 28 minutes to replenish the battery from 10% to 80% using a DC station. The Elroq 60 takes 165 kW whereas the base Elroq 50 can be juiced up at 145 kW. In both cases, you'll have to wait 25 minutes to charge from 10% to 80%. AC is also supported, at a maximum of 11 kW.

If the range is your top priority, you'll want the rear-wheel-drive Elroq 85, as it can cover more than 348 miles (560 kilometers) in the WLTP cycle, which is known to be more optimistic than the EPA's estimates. Top speed won't be a selling point but, we do know the 85 models can do 112 mph (180 km/h) whereas the cheaper models max out at 100 mph (160 km/h).

At 176.7 inches (448 millimeters) long, 74.1 inches (1884 millimeters) wide, and 65.1 inches (1654 millimeters) tall, the Elroq is significantly smaller than the ID.4, let alone the Enyaq. Skoda claims the car weighs 4,297 pounds (1,949 kilograms), but doesn't specify weight by trim. If we had to guess, that number is probably for the base rear-wheel-drive version without options. This Timiano Green paint job is new and exclusive to the Elroq, while the wheel size varies from 19 to 21 inches.

Skoda wants €33,900 ($37,600) for the cheapest configuration, and points out the car costs roughly the same as the similarly sized Karoq with a combustion engine. The order books in 12 Euro markets open tomorrow, which is when the configurator will also go live. A limited-run First Edition gets a front light bar along with a black finish for the A-pillars and roof.

The VW Group sadly has no intentions of bringing Skoda to the US, but don't worry, we're getting Cupra instead. Expect SEAT's spin-off brand to sell a couple of electric crossovers in North America by the end of the decade.