Skoda Elroq vs Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo Activity

What's the difference?

The Skoda Elroq is a niche option in a boiling hot small SUV segment, but it makes sense as the next plank in Skoda’s multi-model EV strategy. It has the value, quality and performance to cut through. We think it’s a worthy newcomer.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer with accommodation and meals provided.

The Activity is a smooth-riding, comfortable tourer with a real touch of class, but it’s let down by the old-school entertainment system, its sometimes clunky and counter-intuitive design and engineering, and the lack of a kitchenette.

Having said that, this compact campervan is a more than adequate and classy introduction to the world of touring for those who want to dabble in the adventure-travel culture but not necessarily immerse themselves in it just yet.

Skoda’s aim with the Elroq is a contemporary, ‘solid’ design approach and while of course a car’s looks are always a subjective call I think it’s sleek and clean. 

In this case, perception is reality with the car recording a slippery 0.26 drag coefficient and a 2025 Red Dot Award in the automotive category is an impressive design feather in its cap. 

First thing you’ll notice is ‘SKODA’ type on the leading edge of the bonnet in place of the more typical winged arrow brand logo, which is a cool detail.

Functional pieces include active shutters to help balance aero efficiency and battery cooling as well as front wheel arch air curtain inlets on the outer edges of the nose.

The underbody has been smoothed and at the back 'separation edges’ help to manage exiting airflow, as does a roof spoiler with subtle mini aero pieces underneath it on either side.

The interior is understated and manages to combine visual interest with easy functionality.

A 13-inch media screen sits in the centre but happily there’s a row of physical shortcut buttons underneath for often-used functions. The ‘SKODA’ lettering replaces the logo on the steering wheel, too.

A two-tone treatment across the console, seats, doors and multi-level dash looks deluxe, as do bold orange seatbelts in the 130 Years Edition.

There’s also a heavy emphasis on the use of what Skoda says are “sustainable, practical and durable materials” in the cabin.

The ‘Loft Design’ interior in the 85 Select uses fabric comprising 78 per cent recycled PET plastic, while the ‘Lodge Design’ in the 130 Years Edition features synthetic leather and a fabric made from Nylon waste. The floor trim and mats also contain a high percentage of recycled polyester.

The Activity manages to avoid appearing too straight-up-and-down and boxy and for something based on its Vito stablemate, a van, that’s a mighty achievement. For an RV the Activity has plenty of presence without any undue bulkiness.

The pop-up roof with roof bed folds down to the roof-line quite neatly on its rear hinge for when the Activity is in motion, so it’s not an eyesore at all.

Of note is the fact the front seats swivel around to face the rear – obviously you only do that when the vehicle is stationary – and the three-seater bench at the very rear of the cabin lays flat, along with the second row, to make a double bed.

Overall, the Activity is a pleasant-looking vehicle, inside and out.

In terms of practicality up front there are big bins in the doors able to easily cope with larger bottles as well as a pair of cupholders in the centre console with a removable divider. They’re best for cups rather than bottles. 

There’s a decent glove box, a useful oddments tray behind the cupholders, a console box in the centre with a lift-out tray and a ‘false floor’ style door at the bottom to hide things, which is typically Skoda.

Wireless device charging is onboard and under the ‘flying buttress’ style centre console there’s a large storage bay with two USB-C sockets, plus there’s another pair of USB-Cs in the back. And don’t forget the obligatory Skoda umbrella housed in the driver’s door. Very nice.

The Elroq rides on the VW Group ‘MEB’ platform and although shorter overall it has the same wheelbase as its larger Enyaq sibling, so rear space is surprisingly generous.

For the record, the Elroq is just under 4.5m long, close to 1.9m wide and a little over 1.6m tall with a 2765mm wheelbase. 

In the back, sitting behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm position I have ample legroom, plenty of space for my feet and lots of headroom.

It would be a little tight for three full-size adults across the back; two is probably better. But a trio of up to mid-teenage kids will be swimming in it.

In terms of storage, again, there are pockets in the doors big enough for large bottles. There is a pair of pop-out cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest combined with a small tray for devices or other bits and pieces.

A removable tray, including a couple of bottle-sized holders sits on the floor in front of the centre rear position, which is terrific. Then you’ve got your map pockets on the front seatbacks. Nothing unusual there, but a thoughtful touch is a device-sized pocket on the back of them.

Both grades have adjustable ventilation for back-seaters with third-zone temperature control and drop-down side shades in the 130 Years Edition.

Boot capacity is a class competitive 470 litres with all seats up, nudging up to a generous 1580 litres with the 60/40 split-fold rear seat backrest lowered.

In typical Skoda fashion there’s a range of useful additions including a through-port door for lengthy items, side storage compartments, an intermediate position for the parcel shelf, multiple cargo fasteners, net pockets and a 12-volt socket.

There’s even a windscreen ice scraper housed in the tailgate and a charging cable tidy in the 130 Years Edition.

Bad news is there’s no spare wheel of any description, just a repair/inflator kit. But it’s worth noting the Elroq can tow a 1200kg braked trailer which is handy.

For starters, opening and closing the side doors is a breeze; the two sliding doors are both electric so once you have lifted the handle, the doors do the rest of the work for you.

There’s plenty of room inside – for front and rear passengers. The interior is all durable plastic, hard-wearing cloth and leather-trim (on the armrests etc) – well suited to a life of day-to-day family duties and touring fun.

Driver and front-seat passengers get adjustable armrests and some storage space – glove box, door pockets with a space each for a bottle – but, annoyingly, there is no centre console at all – but its absence is so the front seats can swivel around, as mentioned.

There are four bottle holders – two brackets, two indents – for rear passengers. Looking for more storage space? Check under the second-row seats for handy tucked-away recesses.

The media/entertainment system is not a touchscreen unit and is a real let-down; the 5.8-inch screen is small and the controls are via knobs and counter-intuitive.

Our Activity was $71,709 (as tested, with $8082 worth of optional extras on top of the base vehicle price, $63,627). 

The optional equipment included: 'Cavansite Blue' metallic paint ($1355), the aforementioned 'Driving Assistance Package' ($1345), fog lights ($309), 17-inch alloy wheels ($627), electrical sliding doors (left and right, $2264), seven seats ($1500), and a side-mounted silver awning ($682).

As standard it has two large double beds – the pop-up roof bed and the seats-folded-flat one – and you get the usual array of gear you’d expect in something like this – audio system (but no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto), daytime running lights, air con, etc – but you don’t get other stuff, such as a kitchenette, fridge or stove, that you might assume to be in something touted to be campervan-like. 

You do, however, have access to two batteries so you’re able to run your own fridge off of one battery, without laying awake at night in your roof-top bed worried about the main battery running out of juice.

The Elroq is powered by a single, rear-mounted AC permanent magnet synchronous motor sending 210kW/545Nm to the rear wheels only. 

Strong numbers for a single-motor EV; way higher outputs than the Elroq’s internal combustion and hybrid rivals and right up there with pricier Euro EV options in the category.

This Activity has a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (120kW at 3800rpm and 380Nm between 1400-2400rpm) with a seven-speed automatic transmission.

Both Elroq grades are fitted with a CATL-sourced 82kWh (77kWh net) lithium-ion battery for a claimed 529km (WLTP) range.

DC fast-charging up to 175kW is possible which equates to a 10-80 per cent charge in 28 minutes. AC charging at 11kW means eight hours for a 100 per cent charge. Mode2 and Mode3 Type 2 charging cables are included.

Claimed energy consumption on the combined cycle is 16.6kWh/100km and on the launch drive which took in city, suburban and freeway running we saw an average of 15.2kWh/100km, which is impressive given the mix of conditions covered.  

Because the Activity is a rear-wheel drive van, we didn’t venture onto anything more serious than well-maintained gravel roads, and even then we took it very gently. 

Fuel consumption is a claimed 6.3L/100km – we recorded 9.3L/100km over 150km of mostly bitumen with a smattering of easy gravel track. It has a 70-litre fuel tank.

Skoda claims the Elroq will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 6.6 seconds which is usefully rapid. There’s plenty of power and nearly 550Nm of torque available. But the car weighs almost 2.2 tonnes, so you’re talking strong rather than ‘extreme’ performance.

There’s plenty of acceleration on tap for the nip and tuck of the city and suburbs as well as easy cruising and overtaking on the freeway.

There are multiple drive modes including ‘Eco’, ‘Comfort’, ‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Individual’ to manage energy use and performance.

The Elroq sits on the same ‘MEB' battery-electric platform as any number of EVs in the VW Group portfolio and it has a strut front, multi-link rear suspension set-up. And it feels the bumps.

Even on reasonably smooth surfaces little bumps and thumps make their presence felt. The worse the surface gets, the more pronounced it is. Once you get out onto the smooth highway and freeway, of course it’s not an issue. And you may get used to it over time but it certainly is present.

Noise suppression tech along with low wind and tyre intrusion combine to deliver a calm interior environment, even by EV standards.

The Elroq steers nicely. It points accurately and the steering weight is quite light, although it’s not the last word in terms of road feel - the connection between your hands on the wheel and the tyres on the tarmac.

Speaking of which, tyres on the 85 Select’s 19-inch rims are Kumho Ecsta PS71 (235/55 fr - 255/50 rr) and the 130 Years Edition’s 21s are shod with Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 (235/45 fr - 255/40 rr), both EV-specific tyres designed to reduce rolling resistance for improved energy efficiency. They grip firmly and the car feels stable and nicely balanced in twisting corners.

All around vision is good. The A-pillars in particular aren’t as chunky as they can be in some modern cars, which opens up the view in front. Over the shoulder vision is good and the large rear window makes the internal rear view clear, as well.

As mentioned, the Elroq is reasonably hefty for its size and you want sturdy brakes to wash off speed, which come in the form of ventilated front discs clamped by twin-piston calipers.

Having said that, there are drums at the rear. Not unheard of on an EV where regenerative braking takes a fair amount of the load, harvesting energy in the process.

Nothing wrong with a well engineered drum and the brakes work perfectly well, even when tested constantly on downhill twisting sections. No hint of fade.

On the active safety front, this car is loaded with ADAS-style crash prevention tech but we didn’t feel any of it being overly intrusive. No lane-keeping wrenching at the wheel or reminders telling you to pay attention; it’s all fairly low-key.

Miscellaneous observations include the compact 9.3m turning circle, great front seats in both Elroq grades and the effectiveness of the augmented reality head-up display in the 130 Years Edition. As well, a 5.0-inch instrument display might sound crazy small but it works beautifully. The view to it and the graphics on the screen are crystal clear with three switchable layouts available.

Pretty damn good. For a big unit – 5140mm long (3200mm wheelbase), 1928mm wide, 1980mm high with a kerb weight of 2380kg – the rear-wheel drive Activity doesn't feel unwieldy on city or urban streets.

Its turning circle is 11.8m, which is better than plenty of large SUVs – and it can fairly punt along the open road, egged along by that 2.2-litre turbo-diesel.

The Activity’s seven-speed auto has a three-on-the-tree (Reverse-Neutral-Drive) and Park shifter stalk on the right-hand side of the tilt-and-reach-adjustable steering column. 

I haven’t spent a lot of time in Mercs of any sort, but once you’ve become used to the positioning of the shifter – and the fact your indicator and windscreen wiper stalks are one and the same, and to the left of the steering column – then it’s simple enough to work out how to get this Merc moving. Once you’ve used your hand to release the foot-engaged parking brake with the park-brake release handle below and to the right of the steering wheel, that is. (Exhale.)

On road, the Activity is a smooth sailor. Steering is light and responsive; the driver’s seating position is high and offers plenty of visibility out any window – as long as you don’t have the privacy curtains pulled shut. 

The driver and front passenger seats could, however, do with more under-thigh support. Our test example had five seats for travelling, with a bench seat for two or three people at the rear for when you are stationary; all seats are cloth.

Niggle: Lane-wander warning, part of the optional equipment list on our tester, is a bit touchy – it doesn’t allow for taking the race line through a corner – and sends a juddering sensation through the steering wheel to alert you.

The Activity has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating, based on crash tests of the Mercedes-Benz V-Class in 2014. There are airbags up front, but none for rear passengers, and the Activity has a reversing camera and parking sensors, front and rear, and forward collision alert as standard gear. 

Our tester also had the $1345 Driving Assistance Package ('Collision Prevention Assist', 'Blind Spot Assist', 'Lane Keeping Assist', rain-sensing wipers).

The Elroq is covered by Skoda’s seven-year, unlimited km warranty which is ahead of most mainstream players sitting at five years, unlimited km, with 24 months roadside assist included and renewed for a further year after each authorised dealer service. The battery carries an eight-year, 160,000km warranty which is the industry norm.

The option of guaranteed future value pricing is a plus with loan terms from 12 to 60 months as well as novated lease packages to take advantage of FBT reductions for efficient vehicles.

Service is recommended every 30,000km or two years, with each workshop visit costing $502, which isn’t bad given the maintenance interval. Six, eight and 10-year service packs are also available.

It has a three-year/200,000km warranty and a 24-hour roadside assist support package. Service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 25,000km.