I drove pure electric Elroq vRS at Sweet Lamb rally complex – it corners tidily & is mega comfy but there's one downside
ELROQ 'N' ROLL STAR I drove pure electric Elroq vRS at Sweet Lamb rally complex – it corners tidily & is mega comfy but there's one downside
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EVERYONE knows The Stig. He's the chatterbox racing driver from Top Gear.
But did you know there's another Stig who makes him look a bit slow?
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Stig Blomqvist is the man who cemented Skoda's motorsport credibility
Credit: Supplied
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The cabin is nicely appointed with microsuede upholstery
Credit: Supplied
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It'll do 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, one second quicker than a petrol Octavia vRS
Credit: Supplied
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What impresses most about this car is the handling
Credit: Supplied
Stig Blomqvist.
Absolute rally god.
He won the 1984 World Rally Championship at the wheel of an Audi Quattro.
He's also the man who cemented Skoda's motorsport credibility by finishing third on the 1996 Network Q Rally, in the snow, in a front-wheel drive Felicia, up against fire-spitting four-wheel drive Imprezas, Celicas and Sierra RS Cossies.
Proper giant-killing performance.
I remember sitting on a frozen tree stump in Kielder Forest watching the master in full flow.
Some bloke called Colin McRae piloted a Fabia WRC in 2005 and, for the last 15 years or so, Fabia has been hoovering up trophies in the second-tier WRC2 and other international championships.
The reason I'm telling you all this is because Skoda has properly earned the vRS — victory Rally Sport — badge it sticks on its spicy road cars. It's not a marketing gimmick.
It has years of motorsport expertise behind it.
So we thought we'd try the latest vRS, the pure electric Elroq vRS, at the famous Sweet Lamb rally complex in Llanidloes, mid-Wales.
5 Things you need to know about the new Skoda Elroq
It was a lot of fun.
We bolted on some all-terrain tyres, added underbody protection (we're not animals), and dialled down the traction control systems and, er, that was about it.
Pull the pin.
Elroq vRS is plenty quick enough off the line. The Czechs will tell you it's the fastest Skoda yet. But it's actually joint-fastest alongside the Enyaq vRS.
Two e-motors, one on each axle for all-wheel drive, pump out a meaty 340hp.
It'll do 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, one second quicker than a petrol Octavia vRS, and top out at 111mph.
But what impresses most is the handling.
For a heavy vehicle (batteries weight a bit), it corners tidily.
The steering is light but accurate. The body is well tied-down, neither rolling on corners or floating when the road crests and dips.
We tried the very green Elroq vRS on smoother, less dusty B-roads and it was just as pleasing. Fast or slow.
It should easily do 280 miles on a full tank and can recharge to 80 per cent in a 26-minute tea-and-pee break.
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I remember sitting on a frozen tree stump in Kielder Forest watching the master in full flow
Credit: Supplied
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Skoda has properly earned the vRS — victory Rally Sport — badge
Credit: Supplied
The cabin is nicely appointed. Microsuede upholstery. Lime green stitching. The seats are mega comfy and will warm and rub your back.
The door pockets are carpeted. So nothing rattles. That 13in touchscreen is fast and easy to use.
Mind you, I'm a big fan of the regular £31,510 Elroq, so the all-singing vRS was always going to be good.
My only grumble is the price. We're talking £46,560. That's Mercedes CLA money.
But at least you can release your inner Stig.
SKODA unveils an Octavia-sized electric estate called 'Vision O' next month.
But it's exactly that, a vision. The real car's still three years away and it will co-exist alongside today's petrol and diesel Octavias for as long as they're allowed to continue.
There's a dinky £22k EV called 'Epiq' coming in 2026, followed by a seven-seat EV that's previewed by the 'Vision 7S' concept.
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Skoda's Octavia-sized electric estate called 'Vision O'
Credit: Supplied
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