I drove the new Skoda Elroq – it’s a sharp-looking electric SUV with mega comfy seats and lots of clever touches

THINK about what you need a car for.

If it’s for doing local stuff with the kids, you need a car that’s short overall, so you can park it, but with room in the back seats.

That’s the £31,500 Skoda Elroq.

If you need to carry a load of clobber, you’ll need a bigger boot.

That’s the £39,000 Skoda Enyaq.

Honestly, that’s the only difference between the two.

They both look sharp – for electric SUVs.

They have the same wheelbase, the length between front and rear wheels. So legroom is just fine for the driver and ­anyone behind.

They have the same in-car tech and soft-touch textiles.

They have the same menu of batteries.

They have the same smooth acceleration and supple suspension.

It’s just that Elroq has a smaller bum. The boot is 470 litres versus 585 for Enyaq.

No-brainer.

Save yourself £7,500 and pack smarter.

Or get a roof box.

Elroq has just been crowned What Car? Family Electric SUV of the Year – so it’s not just me who likes it.

The cabin, much like Enyaq, has clearly been designed by someone who leads an actual life.

By that I mean sensibly placed switches and lots of storage for smartphones and slurpies and things.

The seats are mega comfy. The door pockets are carpeted. So nothing rattles. All versions get that 13in touchscreen with reversing camera.

Also, being a Skoda, there are lots of clever touches like a charging cable net under the parcel shelf.

Even cleverer, the parcel shelf can be lowered and used as a divider between the Friday big shop and muddy boots.

Elroq comes in three battery sizes. The smallest 52kWh battery will do 232 miles and the biggest 77kWh battery up to 350.

You won’t get anywhere near that in winter, of course. Batteries are like humans. They don’t like the cold. But we only recharged once all week – and if you can top up at home, you’re golden. Home charging costs pennies compared to the increasingly expensive public charging network.

While we are on the subject of cost, Elroq is actually cheaper than a petrol Karoq with an automatic gearbox. Finance from £277 a month.

This time next year, Skoda will launch its smallest and cheapest EV, a £25k crossover called Epiq.

Then in 2027 comes a seven-seat EV previewed by the Vision 7S concept.

Further down the line will be an Octavia-sized electric estate to sit alongside the petrol and diesel versions.

Oh, yeah. That reminds me.

The current Octavia estate has a whopping 640-litre boot and costs £28,370. Skoda’s real family hero from £276 a month.