Do you need a Skoda Elroq RS? Probably not - but you’ll want one anyway.

Do you need a Skoda Elroq RS? Probably not - but you’ll want one anyway.

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No messing about: the Skoda Elroq is one of the best products the Volkswagen Group has produced in the past 10 years. I don’t know what Skoda’s decision-makers are having for breakfast, but it’s clearly working. There isn’t a single model from the Czech brand right now that isn’t interesting and competitive.

Against that backdrop, the Skoda Elroq RS feels like a celebration. While other Volkswagen Group brands seem to be going through an identity crisis, at Skoda they’ll be popping the champagne.

Just look at it: the cheerful colours, the big wheels, the very healthy power figure, and a cabin packed with exclusive details. And it still keeps all the traits we already know from the “normal” versions of this 100% electric SUV.

I had the chance to drive it in Germany - as part of the first round of GCOTY - and in the next lines I’ll explain why there’s so much excitement around Skoda’s smallest (for now) 100% electric model.

Good taste with a sporty edge

When was the last time you got into a Skoda? If your answer is “more than 10 years ago”, you’re going to be surprised on every front. The interior is roomy, well put together, neatly laid out, and comes with genuinely convincing technology.

In RS form, things naturally become even more appealing for anyone who likes a sportier vibe: perforated Suedia microfibre upholstery, lime-green stitching, sporty front seats, stainless-steel trim, and the Design Selection RS Lounge package with an overall dark theme.

Add to that the solid build quality and the strong noise insulation already familiar from the Elroq range.

As for the boot, it’s one of the biggest in the segment: 470 litres. On top of that, it includes clever touches like dividers and a net to stow the charging cables. I honestly don’t understand why more brands don’t copy these Skoda solutions. I’m talking to you, Volkswagen…

See the image gallery:

Quick, but not extreme

From a driving standpoint, it isn’t the best electric car from the Volkswagen Group that I’ve driven - for that I’d have to mention CUPRA models on the same MEB platform. Even so, despite not being a pure-bred sports car, the Elroq RS manages to impress with the level of control and effectiveness it delivers.

It’s also worth remembering whose offspring this model is: back in the 1970s, Skoda was known as the “Porsche of the East”, thanks to the competition success of the Skoda 130 RS. But that story is for another day…

Its two electric motors - one on each axle - produce 250 kW (340 cv) with all-wheel drive, and the adaptive suspension with Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) lets you fine-tune the handling with real precision.

There are 15 possible damper settings, and you can genuinely feel the differences between the driving modes (Eco, Comfort, Sport and specific traction modes). You end up throwing the Elroq RS into corners with more confidence than you expected.

Do the maths and it’s highly capable. But it could be more involving. It does everything so well and so smoothly that you can feel like you’re simply “watching” events unfold. If this were an “RS Line” rather than an “RS” - in other words, a trim level rather than a performance version - I wouldn’t be shocked.

Acceleration is properly brisk: 0 to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds. Top speed is limited to 180 km/h, though it arguably deserves a little more. And even with 21-inch wheels and uprated anti-roll bars, the Elroq RS still does a good job of filtering out road imperfections.

The battery - 84 kWh gross (79 kWh usable) - debuts in this version and allows up to 549 km of WLTP range. Unfortunately, I didn’t drive it long enough to estimate realistic consumption properly. Partly because I was driving faster than recommended. We won’t talk about that…

What I can share is that after 40 km on a twisty road, at a very lively pace (read: fast…), I saw a consumption figure of 23 kWh/100 km. The good news is it supports charging at 185 kW - a high rate that can take the battery from 10% to 80% in just 26 minutes.

Do you really need an Elroq RS?

The “normal” versions of the Skoda Elroq are so good - they drive beautifully and have more than enough power - that choosing the RS is almost redundant. In the end, it comes down to priorities and personal taste.

Even so, it’s without a doubt the best version of this electric SUV that money can buy. It’s the quickest, the most interesting to look at, it gets the bigger battery, the strongest equipment level, and so on.

You probably don’t need one - nobody actually needs a car with more than 300 cv. But products like this aren’t about need; they’re about desire. Credit to Skoda for building a 100% electric SUV that falls into that category.

Oh… the price! I nearly forgot: 52 082 euros. If it helps, companies can reclaim the VAT in full.

Verdict