First look at smooth and sleek Skoda Elroq EV that’s packed with fancy equipment and costs £7k less than sister model

SKODA’S electric car range is adopting the budget airline philosophy.

The passengers travel cheaply, but luggage costs extra.

By the end of this year Skoda will have THREE electric motors.

We have been driving a prototype of the new Elroq that sits below the existing Enyaq and Enyaq Coupe.

They have the same wheelbase, the length between front and rear wheels. So legroom is just fine, for the driver and anyone behind.

But the new Elroq is 17cm shorter overall, mostly because the tail is shorter and boot smaller – 470 litres versus 585.

For that, you will save about £7,000 against the Enyaq. The Elroq will start at little over £30k when it launches late this year.

So d’you really need those extra three extra pieces of hand-baggage?

The Elroq will be available with all the same fancy equipment as the bigger car too. Except for a glass roof.

These pictures of the wrapped-up prototype show its proportions, but hide the sleek new nose.

It has a strip of LEDs right across the upper edge, with the headlamps below.

The interior is very like the Enyaq’s. A stitched upholstery strip runs across the dash.

All versions have a big 13in touchscreen. There are plenty of storage bins. All good.

Skoda has kept plenty of actual switches rather than pushing all functions on to the screen. Which actually makes it feel more expensive and easier to use than related VW models.

Ah, the relations. At least a dozen distinct cars from Skoda, VW, Audi, Cupra – and even the new Ford Explorer – all use a very closely related set of unseen parts.

It’s the same menu of motors, batteries, suspension and steering, electronics and more. Which means the way the Elroq drives is no surprise. Each brand only gets to do detailed tuning.

Skoda has opted for pretty cushy suspension, so it rides quietly and takes the edges off most potholes.

The steering is light so it feels handy in town, and has a very tight turning circle.

But on faster roads it could do with a stronger return to straight ahead.

The brake pedal is pretty squishy too. Sure, it stops you, but your foot sinks a long way. Still, they have time to tweak this before production.

Better news for acceleration, which is smooth and well-calibrated.

We tried the quickest rear-motor version, likely good for a real-world 260-300 miles range.

There is also a twin-motor 4WD, plus less powerful RWD ones with smaller batteries to give that entry price and about 190 miles.

It’s like easyJet’s policies for baggage, seating, boarding and catering.

Skoda makes you pay only for what you need.