Long-term report: Skoda’s Elroq vRS arrives with a sporty flavour

Skoda’s history of producing performance vRS models stretches a long way. In fact, the first car to wear that now-famous moniker was the Octavia saloon, all the way back in 2001. It quickly set a trend for a range of cars that were understated and usable day-to-day, but which could still offer enough performance to keep the enthusiast interested.

More recently, Skoda’s push for electrification has seen the Czech manufacturer adapt to put that vRS feel into its electric models. First it was the Enyaq and, now, we’ve got this car – the Elroq vRS.

Based on Skoda’s latest and most compact electric car, the Elroq vRS is a car I’ve been quite keen to try, simply because I thought that the standard model was quite good in its own regard. But with an extra shot of power and a range of mechanical tweaks, this vRS version should be even better, right?

Well, that’s what I’m going to be finding out over the next few months as I spend my days with the Elroq vRS. I’ve been lucky enough to spec this particular car, too, meaning that I can’t blame anyone but myself for any trim-related foibles which might crop up.

Beginning from the outside, what do you think of the colour? It’s a colour called ‘Timiano Green’ and it stands out as one of the few more vibrant shades available on the Elroq vRS. You do have the eye-blasting ‘Hyper Green’ and a blue and a red, but aside from that, it’s all quite subdued. Since Timano Green is also a no-cost colour, I thought it was a good example of how to jazz up the look of the Elroq without spending any extra. That said, metallic colours aren’t too dear at £410 extra.

From there, I picked the £600 Winter Package. With its heated front and rear seats, as well as its heated steering wheel, it’s a no-brainer considering the time of year that I’ll be driving this car. The 21-inch Vision Anthracite wheels, at £620, wouldn’t be my usual pick – I’m traditionally a fan of smaller wheels for a comfier ride – but the standard 20-inch alloys are only available in black and I think they give the Elroq a little too much of an aftermarket parts bin impression.

More annoying is the £1,100 you’ll need to pay to get a heat pump included on the Elroq. This helps to boost efficiency during colder weather by helping the car to warm up more effectively without drawing too much from the battery, diminishing range in the process. Given that many new Chinese brands are arriving with cars equipped with heat pumps as standard – and for less money overall than the Elroq – I do think that this is a misstep. It’s one not reserved just for Skoda, either, but the wider Volkswagen Group. Volkswagen, Audi or even Cupra – they all charge for a heat pump.

And you’ll need it, too, going off my initial experience. The Elroq comes with a claimed electric range which, on paper at least, looks impressive. At 339 miles, it puts it within the longer-ranged vehicles out there and should mean that charging stops will be few and far between. However, during my initial time with the vRS, I’ve never come close to 300 miles, let alone 339. During the recent cold snap, I’ve seen the range tumble, too, with a 65 per cent charge showing around 160 miles. It’s pretty poor, considering other EVs that I’ve driven – I’m looking at the Polestar 2 here – could still deliver over 300 miles even during the depths of winter.

Which is a shame, because I really like the rest of the Elroq. It’s spacious, but isn’t so large that it’s cumbersome to drive about. There’s the added security of a dual-motor setup in the vRS, too, which means you’ve got some added traction to fall back on. With a 0-60mph time of 5.1 seconds, it’s reasonably quick, too, and in classic Skoda fashion, it’s altogether quite understated. I still can’t quite work out why there isn’t a vRS badge on the back, mind you, as has been the case with nearly all of this brand’s performance offerings.

Range aside, the Elroq is a great example of how an electric car could easily slot into daily life as, day-to-day, it’s a breeze to drive. I also love that this performance car comes with Dynamic Chassis Control – or DCC – as standard, which allows you to adjust the level of firmness. For me, that means making it as soft as possible all of the time to help combat the blight of potholes affecting nearly every stretch of road I drive.

Oh, and as with other electric vehicles, the ability to pre-heat the Elroq means that I’ve been smugly waiting inside for the car to de-ice while others have been hacking away at frozen windscreens outside. It’s all controllable via Skoda’s app which – touch wood – has been working without fault.

I’m looking forward to seeing how the next few months affect the Skoda Elroq vRS and I’ll be intrigued to see how that range gets on, too. I’m always up for a challenge, that’s for sure.