Skoda Elroq News

Skoda has seemingly done the impossible - launch a European-built electric vehicle (EV) for less than its Chinese-made rivals.The newly-launched Skoda Elroq Select 60 is priced from $49,990 drive-away, dramatically under-cutting its rivals from established brands like Hyundai, Kia and Toyota. The smaller Hyundai Kona is priced from $54,000 (plus on-road costs) while the similar-sized, but Chinese-built, Hyundai Elexio is priced from $59,990 drive-away. Even the Toyota bZ4X starts at $55,990.Where the Elroq really stands out is when you compare it to its competition from China. The  Geely EX5 starts from just $40,990 and the Leapmotor C10 costs $45,888 but the more popular BYD Sealion 7 starts at $54,990 and the Chinese-made Tesla Model Y is priced from $58,900, with both of those prices excluding on-road costs, further widening the gap between the Elroq.So how did Skoda make the Elroq so cheap? Lucie Kuhn, Skoda Australia director, was adamant that the Elroq price is not subsidized from head office, as she suggests many Chinese models are. It's continuous work,” Kuhn said. “Of course the factory develops also, in terms of purchasing strategies, developing better materials. Maybe the technologies are also improving and you have some scaling cost opportunities. So it's also a matter of negotiations with our head office to get a price that is positive in the Australian market. Because what is it good for to price the car with a high price and sell few units, it's good for nothing.”Instead, it is part of a long-term play from Skoda, and parent company Volkswagen Group, to gradually increase its share of the EV market by bringing down prices to become more competitive.“ So our strategy from the very beginning was to firmly integrate the electric portfolio into our range and to make it a relevant part,” she said.Adding: “It's not necessarily the cheapest of the cheapest, but it was never the purpose. It was to create a model that provides European values like safety, high European production standards, social responsibility and this kind of stuff, for a really good price. That positively resonates with the customer and develops some real interest there in the market.”However, there is still a huge sales chasm between the Elroq and its Chinese rivals in terms of sales. Skoda, without the price-led Select 60 variant, sold just 253 Elroq last year, compared to 13,410 BYD Sealion 7, 3944 Geely EX5 and even 579 Leapmotor C10.Kuhn knows the addition of the more-affordable variant will not suddenly rocket the Elroq up the sales order, but is designed to set the brand up for long-term, sustainable growth.“I think it is not the purpose to go with Chinese pricing,” Kuhn said. “I think we have other values to offer compared to them and have other benefits maybe than the Chinese brands. We don't know what will happen with the Chinese pricing in the future because the Chinese business is currently quite heavily subsidized there from the government to, let's say speed up and accelerate the electromobility.“Taking it as a kind of benchmark for future pricing of all the other competitors is not the way we really want it to go. I think the price for a European product, considering the fact that the car has a seven year warranty and service pack, I would say it's really good.”

The mainstream mid-size SUV segment is one of the most hotly contested in the Australian market, as the prevailing family car of choice for so many.We’re truly spoilt for choice, with options available at many price points, and with the choice of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric, as well as from both old favourite brands and new challengers.While this has generally been a boon for buyers, it has also made this congested segment more difficult to shop in than ever before, so as part of our ongoing 2026 CarsGuide Car of the Year awards, we’ve distilled a top-10 shortlist of our highest-rated Medium SUVs starting under $60K.Our top three and winner will be announced on February 6, but you can see the alphabetically ordered shortlist below.The Cupra Terramar serves as the Spanish brand’s take on the Volkswagen Tiguan formula - a true mid-size SUV, although it offers a truly sporty take over the Tiguan’s more wide appeal.Priced from $53,990, it’s a surprising value player considering its sporty look and feel, although if you want the full performance on offer, you’ll have to spend north of the $70K mark to get the spicy VZ version.Still Cupra continues to impress us with its edgy designs and impressive driving dynamics compared to its other Volkswagen Group relations.Perhaps a candidate for the most improved model on sale in Australia, the new GWM Haval H6 moves up in the world from simply a value player to a more impressive mainstream offering.Packed with standard kit and tweaked across the board when it comes to drivability and tuning, this Chinese rival takes more direct aim at the segment-leading Toyota RAV4 than ever before.Available as a 2.0-litre turbo as well as a 1.5-litre hybrid in plugless or plug-in form, it also covers the gamut of powertrain options Aussie buyers are looking for.While the sharply-priced Lux is impressive value, the plugless hybrids are the pick of the range with their trim fuel efficiency and smooth electrified transmission.One of the original nameplates which kicked-off the mid-size SUV segment altogether, the CR-V continues to this day to be a stellar offering in the segment, with Honda as always doing an impressive job of moving with the times.The CR-V is also one of the better value options in Honda’s current range, priced much closer to its rivals than the HR-V or ZR-V which sit below it.Again, the pick of the range is the e:HEV hybrid, although you’ll have to fork out for the pleasure with the hybrid powertrain still only sitting atop the mid-sizer’s range, priced at $59,900 drive-away.While it exudes quality like other Honda models, it also isn’t as efficient as some of its rivals, and doesn’t offer a plug-in or all-wheel drive in its hybrid form.Another impressive car from Honda, the ZR-V is a right-sized SUV to fill the increasingly large gap between the ever-growing CR-V and the still diminutive HR-V below.Again sporting the same Honda characteristics of great build quality, sharp driving dynamics and a practical interior space, with a smaller overall footprint than some of its rivals the ZR-V should be on any buyers shortlist.However, while it is marginally more affordable than its CR-V sibling, the ZR-V suffers from the same problem of only offering the sleek and efficient hybrid system on only its top-spec LX variant, eliminating savings from its fuel sipping powertrain via a much higher starting price ($54,900 before on-roads).Hyundai’s current-generation Tucson now has a few years behind it, but continues to be a strong seller thanks to gradual updates and price tweaks which keeps it high on the consideration list alongside its Kia Sportage sister vehicle and the segment-leading Toyota RAV4.Now strongest-selling as a fuel-sipping hybrid, the Tucson continues to be offered in a range of variants at many different price-points, with both front- and all-wheel drive options.The latest major updates synced the mid-sizer up with the rest of Hyundai’s range in offering a new interior design approach with fresh software, and even an array of buttons and dials for climate and volume controls we always like to see.Nissan has been embattled by rivals in recent years, but its ever-improving X-Trail continues to deserve a look-in as possibly the brand’s most competitive current offering.Spacious, modern, offered with up to seven seats, and with an innovative electric-first e-Power hybrid option, the X-Trail has a lot to offer buyers as a rival specifically to the RAV4 or Honda CR-V.Plus, it gets ergonomic fundamentals right, as well as a good level of refinement and a solid array of well-calibrated safety kit to keep newcomers at bay.Czech brand Skoda, as always, flies under the radar, and the Elroq is certainly worth your consideration thanks to a myriad of factors, not least of which is its surprisingly sharp starting price of (now) $49,990 drive-away. Did we mention it’s fully electric?On top of that, the Elroq is right-sized, with a modest but well-utilised footprint, which is laden with the brand’s clever touches like plenty of storage areas, an umbrella hidden in the door, and plenty of storage organisation options in the boot.The Elroq rides on Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform and is offered with either a long-range 85kWh battery, and now a standard-range 60kWh option. All versions are rear-wheel drive, keeping them efficient, with the longer-range one said to travel up to 529km on the WLTP cycle.The Enyaq is the Elroq’s larger sibling in Skoda’s two-pronged mid-size electric SUV range, offering a sportier look and feel.Recently updated to wear the brand’s latest and more futuristic design language, the Enyaq also inherits a lot of the same brilliant packaging as its smaller sibling. It also offers the same battery variants, which are still relatively long range considering their capacities, with the smaller version travelling 410km on the WLTP cycle, and the larger one travelling up to 548km.Not as affordable as the Elroq, but still good value in the segment, the Enyaq has a lot of the right ingredients to tempt buyers away from other popular offerings in this electric space like the Tesla Model Y or Kia EV5.To be clear here, the RAV4 being considered for our Car of the Year is the current generation, as the next-gen model hadn’t arrived in time for consideration.As dated as this top-seller may be though, it’s remained a top-seller for a reason, namely that it’s well laid out, comfortable, versatile and backed by Toyota’s ever-sturdy reputation.Its quality finish and ever smooth hybrid drive are still some of the best on the market, emulated by many to varying degrees of success.The RAV4 still bests them all in the sales charts though, and some may even argue the styling of this outgoing car is more appealing than the new one, which will also bring with it a long-awaited plug-in hybrid.Zeekr’s long-awaited third model has proven to be its most hyped. The Zeekr 7X is a fully electric premium SUV at the price of a high-end mainstream combustion or hybrid one.Despite its keen price-tag, this is still an impressively specified vehicle, with plenty of high-end features, a big battery with long driving range, and dynamics on par with much more expensive rivals.It also impresses on the design front, with Zeekr’s studio in Sweden next door to those of Polestar and Volvo making the Chinese newcomer feel like much more than a first attempt.

The head of a long-lived car brand has questioned the actual level of threat from Chinese brands like BYD, saying they have more bark than bite currently in Australia.

Chinese auto giant Chery may have kick-started the Chinese push into the Aussie new-car market, but in recent years a slew of other challengers from China have joined it.How’s this for a laundry list of newcomers within the last few years? BYD, Deepal, Foton, Geely, a ramped up GWM Haval, JAC, Jaecoo, LDV, Leapmotor, MG, Omoda, Smart, XPeng and Zeekr, with Aion, Avatr, GAC, Jetour, Lepas, Lynk & Co, Skywell and others waiting in the wings.Phew! Talk about an onslaught… and that’s not even taking into account other arrivals like Cupra from Spain, a reinvigorated Mahindra from India and a reborn Smart from Germany (via China).So, as an established competitor in this market do you adopt a siege mentality, pull the doona over your head and hope it all goes away or embrace the fluidity and look for opportunity in chaos?Clearly Skoda Australia Director Lucie Kuhn is an opportunity seeker because when recently asked about the dynamics of the current market, she told CarsGuide, “The Chinese will be with us. We can’t avoid it.“I think it is obvious that for every OEM in the Australian market right now the situation will be quite challenging. “But it will be for everyone, it’s not only for Skoda. It will also be for the big players a challenge to face mainly an influx from China.“It’s a matter of how you take this topic. Do you perceive it as a threat or an opportunity?” she said.And Kuhn sees Skoda’s relatively small scale as a potential advantage.“When you operate in rather niche volumes the threat of getting somehow harmed is smaller than maybe for the brands that have really significant market share.“The Chinese will grow pretty strong and get their market share; this is obvious. The next three years will be intensive for everyone.” And when asked if the brand’s ‘clever’ positioning still does enough to stand the Czech brand apart with so many new players coming in, her position is clear.“We believe so. I think in (the next three years) we have something to offer, to empower the brand, to increase the awareness, to offer this European value, consistency in products, safety, servicing, the customer experience that is around it. “I am quite sure that we will keep going and growing our sales, as well,” she said. And with a recent product refresh up and down the local Skoda range her confidence appears to be well placed.New products coming into the local Skoda portfolio include the recently launched MY26 Kodiaq (now with a flagship RS version), updated Octavia RS, fourth-gen Superb and the just-arrived Elroq compact EV SUV arriving in tandem with the updated Enyaq medium EV SUV.And soon enough they will be joined by the city-sized Epiq EV SUV and a production version of the large three-row Vision 7S, both confirmed for Australian sale by 2027.

Skoda Australia Head of Marketing & Product Kieran Merrigan has confirmed a raft of new pure-electric and hybrid models for local sale over the next three years, including high-performance RS EVs, two plug-in hybrids and production versions of recently unveiled high-profile concept SUVs.

Skoda’s sleek new electric car is headed our way.

Skoda's Elroq gets a go-fast makeover, but will it hit Australian shores?

Skoda has talked initial specs for its Model Y-rivalling mid-size SUV

The fully electric Elroq is due in Australia in the second half of 2025 and will join the bigger Enyaq in its growing zero-emissions range.