As affordable as the 2026 Kia EV3: Sub-$50K Skoda Elroq EV SUV comes in low to rival MG S5 and Hyundai Kona Electric
By Byron Mathioudakis · 19 Sep 2025
Skoda is stepping up by dropping the entry price of the recently-released Elroq SUV down to Kia EV3 money.Available from November and starting from $47,990, before on-road costs (or $49,990 drive-away), the newly-added 60 Select grade undercuts the existing 85 Select by $7000, making it the least-expensive European SUV electric vehicle (EV) in Australia.But the Volkswagen-owned Czech brand still falls short of matching the cheapest Chinese EV SUVs on the market, including the Chery E5 Urban from just $36,990, MG S5 Excite from $40,490 drive-away, BYD Atto 3 Essential from $39,990, Geely EX5 Complete from $40,990 and Leapmotor C10 Style from $45,888.Skoda said while the Elroq 60 Select has a smaller battery than the Elroq 85 Select at 63kWh instead of 82kWh, it remains larger than many of the aforementioned Chinese rivals.Compared to the 85, the 60’s range falls to 395km (from 529km), while using a less-powerful electric motor to drive the rear wheels (down from 210kW to 150kW) means acceleration times from zero to 100km/h slide from 6.6 seconds to 8.0s flat.However, equipment levels remain high, with keyless entry/start, walk-away central locking, LED headlights, digital instrumentation, a heated leather steering wheel, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, a 13-inch central touchscreen, reversing camera, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless phone charger, four USB-C ports, digital radio, a door-sited umbrella, heated and power-folding mirrors, 19-inch alloys and a seven-year warranty.On the safety front, the 60 Select includes seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with follow-to-stop ability, lane assist, rear cross-traffic alert, an exit warning system, fatigue monitor, front and rear parking sensors and turn assist.Plus, the Elroq is larger than many of the smaller SUVs it is priced against or near. Essentially a shorter version of the larger Enyaq, with the same 'MEB' EV architecture, wheelbase and front half of the body, it is classed as a mid-sized SUV as a result.Buyers with slightly deeper pockets can also opt for the 60 Select with the $6000 'Signature Pack', that adds matrix LED headlights, a head-up display, surround-view camera, 12-speaker premium audio package, powered front seats with driver’s memory and massage, powered tailgate, 20-inch alloy wheels and more.According to Skoda Australia Product Manager for Elroq Aline Carrullo, the Australian arm of the brand has been striving to create a more-competitive pricing statement in the EV space for some time and has only recently gained approval from head office in Mladá Boleslav.“It just makes our range stronger,” she told the Australian media at the Enyaq facelift launch in the Hunter Valley last week.“Skoda understands that Australia is one of the most competitive markets in the world… so we want to ensure that (Elroq) stands out for all the right reasons,” she said.Skoda Elroq price Australia: