Skoda India mulls bringing Elroq electric SUV to India

Skoda India is exploring the possibility of bringing the Elroq electric SUV to India alongside the Enyaq iV, which has already been confirmed for launch in the country. Moreover, the company is even exploring local assembly of both EVs here.

The Skoda Elroq is due for a global unveil later this year and will go on sale in Europe in early 2025. Once the feasibility study is concluded, Skoda may start assembling these SUVs locally in the last quarter of 2025.

“The Enyaq and Elroq are based on the same platform. It’s a different chassis, but  very similar. So, there is a big efficiency in the parts and components business, which we have calculated,” Skoda India brand director Petr Janeba told Autocar Professional.

However, Skoda is still exploring if it wants to participate in the government’s EV manufacturing policy that was announced earlier in March this year. As per the policy, participating companies must establish manufacturing facilities in India within three years and commence commercial production of EVs. As an incentive, companies investing in EV manufacturing units will be permitted limited imports of cars at a reduced customs duty rate. The policy states a minimum investment of Rs 4,150 crore, with no upper limit.

If Skoda participates in the EV policy, it will also help the carmaker meet the CAFÉ targets. Plus, Skoda will even be able to import some niche EVs at 15 percent customs duty, which is the same as that for CKD models. If the company doesn’t go ahead with the EV policy, it will start its EV operations in limited numbers, focusing on the Enyaq.

The Enyaq iV is based on the VW Group’s born-electric MEB platform, which also underpins the Volkswagen ID.4 and Audi Q4 e-tron. The Enyaq measures 4,648mm long and 1,877mm wide—it’s only slightly smaller than the Skoda Kodiaq but is strictly a two-row SUV. The company showcased the Enyaq in India at the Bharat Mobility Show this year. We will likely get the range-topping Enyaq iV 80x, which comes with a 77kWh battery and dual motors (one on each axle, simulating AWD) that make 265hp. The battery pack is said to support 125kW DC fast charging and can go 513km (WLTP) on a single charge.

While the Elroq’s production version has not been revealed, Skoda shared last week that the all-electric SUV is about 4.2 metres long and will be its first model to adopt the new Modern Solid design language. It will have four variants: Elroq 50, 60, 85 and 85x, with the models varying in battery capacity and corresponding power output ranging between 168hp and 295hp. There will be three battery packs on offer—55kWh, 63kWh and 82kWh—with RWD and AWD configurations and a claimed range of over 560km.