There’s a very good reason why so many buyers gravitate towards Škoda when they want a smart, spacious and great-value car. It comes down to the details – the small, thoughtful touches that make everyday life easier. The kind of features that make you wonder, “why hasn’t anyone else thought of this?”

Skoda calls all its little trinkets of common sense “Simply Clever”, and makes a point of conjuring up a few more with every new car launch. One of our favourites remains the hidden umbrella. First introduced in 2001, the secret brolly is tucked away neatly in a waterproof compartment built into the door. It’s almost James Bond-like in its ingenuity and what we really like is that all Elroq and Enyaqs are fitted with one as standard.

And while we’re talking about surviving British weather,  how about a clip at the side of the windscreen to secure your car park ticket - so that it doesn’t blow away when you close the door. Which, let's face it, has happened to all of us.

​If, like us, you’re obsessed by storage, Skoda has you covered - literally. The Elroq comes with the option of a cable storage net that attaches to the bottom of the parcel shelf. Which, when you stop to think about it, is the perfect place to have it. Store your cables under the boot floor and you’ll need to take stuff out to get to them. Keep them in a frunk and you’ve got to faff with opening the bonnet catch to get to your cable. Having the cable stored under the parcel shelf gives you quick access and means that a dirty cable isn’t going to cover the rest of your luggage with muck.

You want more? Okay, how about the bottle holder in the centre console. Big deal, you say, most cars have one of those. Except this one is properly clever because it comes with a series of rubber bobbles that cleverly lock into the indentations you’ll find on the base of a plastic bottle. The result? Opening the lid of your bottle requires little more than a simple twist with one hand. No more trying to wedge a bottle between your knees or breaking your teeth trying to wrangle a bottle open. Genius. And while we’re talking about liquids, have you ever tried to fill up the washer fluid on your car and ended up glugging half of it into the engine bay? That’s not a thing with a Skoda, because when you flip open the lid to the washer reservoir, it transforms into a small funnel, meaning even the most clumsy of owners can make sure that the screenwash ends up where it’s supposed to. 

You’ll also find an ice scraper on the inside of the tailgate on the Elroq and the charging port of the Enyaq. Yes, we know that Skoda EV owners can pre-condition their cabins to easily melt away an overnight frost before they set off, but this handy gadget (standard on all models) also doubles up as a tyre tread gauge, so you can check the condition of your tyres before you set off.  You can see where the ‘Simply Clever’ line comes from can't you?

Drive any electric Skoda and you get the feeling that they’ve been designed by people who actually use cars and understand what owners want on a day-to-day basis. On the face of it, that sounds like a daft thing to say, but there are numerous features designed into the Elroq and Enyaq that make you wonder if Skoda designers look at the world in the same way that we do. 

In addition to all the Simply Clever features,  we’re talking about switches, ports and handles in the right places and storage areas that don’t require you to have double-jointed wrists to access.  

It's not just the useful stuff that makes Škoda’s buyers so loyal, though. Škoda has really perfected that balance of classy, and stylish, while still staying understated. The new ‘Modern Solid’ design language brings sharp, clean lines, and interior tech that includes the latest touchscreen features in a usable layout – plus great sound systems and natural voice commands. The result is genuine brand appeal – without sacrificing the core Škoda values of being affordable and user-friendly. And let’s not forget spacious - the Škoda Enyaq has been our favourite electric family SUV for years and, despite a huge amount of new competition, it still is. Not least because the boot is huge, with up to 1,710 litres.

Now, with the Elroq and forthcoming Epiq bringing that same smart, spacious and stylish thinking to the compact electric SUV and family car classes, Škoda’s recipe for genuinely thoughtful EVs that are designed to take the stress out of daily life is even more attainable. If you’re looking to switch to electric, and want an EV that’s smart, spacious and stylish – Škoda has it sorted.