New Skoda Elroq kicks of a design shift for the Czech brand

Skoda’s new Elroq small electric SUV is the start of a design shift for the Czech brand, which will move to separate the styling of its electric vehicles from its internal combustion engine car line-up. 

Skoda’s first EV, the Enyaq, took on the same wide-grilled look as the likes of the Kodiaq, Superb and Octavia, but the new addition to the range kicks off what the brand calls its Modern Solid design. 

“All electric cars will be coming in this design, and the combustion-engine cars will basically stay with the current design,” Skoda’s sales and marketing boss Martin Jahn told Auto Express. “It will be upgraded with the facelifts, but there will be, at least in this decade, a distinction between combustion cars and electric cars.

Jahn said the timing is right to change the EV look, compared to needing to be more conservative when the Enyaq was revealed in 2020. 

“I think at that time, people were not ready for the new futuristic design, and the reality proved us right as Enyaq has been very successful,” he said. “When Enyaq was introduced a couple years ago, the majority of our customers were still more traditional. Now we are moving into the more progressive customers that we need for this new phase, and the new design for the car. 

“We are evolving with our customers,” he continued. “The power of the brand is growing, and while we are still offering value for money, we are also selling more expensive cars, so we are attracting customers from higher-income classes. And I think with the development of electric cars, people are expecting more futuristic design.”

Expect the Enyaq to move to the Elroq’s more slender front-end look when its mid-life facelift is revealed during 2025.