Since 2013, ডkoda has been treating us with interesting one-off concepts created by students at াkoda Vocational School. The latest members of the family are Skoda Africa, an assembly version of the comic, with a modified body, an AWD powertrain from the Octavia, and a cooling device that draws drinking water from the air.
Skoda Africa is the eighth concept car in the apprenticeship program and the only one that took two academic years to complete due to epidemic restrictions. The ডkoda Comic was chosen as the basis for the project, which the students converted into a rally car after four months and 2,000 hours of work. Note that the name Afriq was chosen as a consent to the North African market, where Skoda is responsible for the activities of the VW Group.
See also: The Mountain Concept is the Squadron’s first take-up pickup truck
The humble comic has been converted into a three-door SUV and features a wide front and rear front fender, a rally-style front splitter, extra LED lights mounted on the bonnet, a roof scoop, a center-mounted exhaust pipe and a large carbon. Fiber rear wing. Like many of the ingredients mentioned above, the white and green Skoda Liver is taken from the Fabia Rally2 Evo. Finally, a set of 15-inch OZ wheels with grippy tires with increased ground clearance completes the exterior look.
Unlike the Karoq and Kodiaq found in the AWD variant, the smaller member of the ICE-powered Skoda SUV range comes exclusively in the FWD flavor. This setup would not be suitable for a rally car, so the students came up with another transplant idea by sourcing a full powertrain from an AWD Skoda Octavia. To fit the new powertrain on the smaller platform, the engine and gearbox were tweaked, and the exhaust system was modified.
Thus, Africa is fitted with a turbocharged 2.0-liter TSI petrol engine that produces 188 hp (140 kW / 190 PS) of power and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) of torque, which transmits power to four wheels through seven speeds. DSG transmission. While we would love to see a more powerful version of it from the Octavia RS, the regular 2.0 TSI is still a welcome upgrade compared to the 1.0 TSI and 1.5 TSI units of the road-going comic, especially when you weigh less than 1,350 kg (2,976 lbs).
Once inside, the cozy atmosphere of production-specific comics is gone, replaced by a motorsport-based cabin. The covered dashboard, bucket seat, six-point seatbelt and steering wheel are available directly from the Fabia Rally 2 Evo, while a full roll cage and a fire extinguisher have been added for safety. The students also added a navigation system by Garmin. Millennials will appreciate the fact that two cameras with a microphone can record the driving experience, allowing them to share it on social media.
The final technical highlight of the interior though is the water generator unit of the Israeli company Watergen. The device removes drinking water from the humidity of the atmosphere. This means that the driver and co-driver have access to fresh, filtered and mineral water on demand through the water supplier on the dashboard. Then there is no need to stop for refill.
Unlike previous concept cars in the apprentice program, ডkoda is not destined for African production and will remain one-time. However, if a comic is sitting in your garage, you can imagine getting the same upgrade, transforming it into a beef-up off-road fighter.
