Monday 23rd May 2022

Skoda Afriq concept takes Kamiq off-road

The Skoda Student Concept Car was forced into a Covid hiatus; now it's back, and in some style

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Remember the Skoda Slavia? That was the last Skoda Student Concept Car, a kind of Scala roadster that was nothing if not distinctive. There have been some real curios since the students of the Skoda Vocational School were first given the opportunity back in 2013/4 - the Mountiaq pick up and Citijet cabrio were particular highlights - but this might be the best one yet: the Skoda Afriq.  

 

Described as a “spectacular rally version of the Skoda Kamiq”, the Afriq has been given the full Dakar overhaul as part of the Student Concept Car project, with more involvement here from Skoda Motorsport than any previous one-off. It isn’t just spotlights and spoilers, either; the Afriq has had its rear doors welded up like a proper rally car, had a roll cage installed, gets bits borrowed from the Fabia Rally2 evo - seat, harnesses steering wheel - as well as a four-wheel drive, 187hp powertrain from the Octavia. Plus those fantastic green wheels and off-road tyres - wouldn’t be a Skoda rally car without green wheels. 

 

In all 2,000 hours was spent by 25 students on making a Kamiq into the Afriq. Apparently we would have seen the finished thing sooner, but Covid-19 delayed progress. Still, it could easily be argued this is much more worth waiting for than a Scala speedster. And the name? Afriq references the fact that Skoda has been responsible for the VW Group’s activities in North Africa (Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria) since January 2021. Skoda wants to be the leading European maker in both India and North Africa by 2030, and what better way to focus attention on that ambition than a unique rally car?  

 

Finally, while a Dakar-inspired Kamiq seems as likely for production as a W16 Octavia, there’s nothing to say that the small SUV couldn’t succeed the Fabia as Skoda’s Rally2 car when the time comes. If a Ford Puma can make it to the WRC, why can’t a Kamiq?

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• Skoda Slavia concept | PH Review
• Skoda Octavia vRS Bonneville | PH Heroes
  
  

[Kawasicki]

Cool project! Modern British B road spec.

It will fly along, no issue.

Which is bad, because that won’t engage.

So, it will be too good to be fun.

[pSyCoSiS]

That does look rather cool indeed!

[wpa1975]

They should make that, looks good

[blearyeyedboy]

I think the "Dakar car for the road" is an underrepresented niche. Nice work, Skoda students.

[808 Estate]

I like that.

Why has it got a pedal bin in the boot?

[Sion111R]

808 Estate said:

I like that.

Why has it got a pedal bin in the boot?

It’s not a pedal bin. Remember this is the student concept vehicle. It has two taps, one is clearly marked cider and the other lager.

Great concept.

[Bill]

Sion111R said:

It’s not a pedal bin. Remember this is the student concept vehicle. It has two taps, one is clearly marked cider and the other lager.

Great concept.

Very cool, although I'd want a road rally Kodiaq.

[Jack4688]

“ If a Ford Puma can make it to the WRC, why can’t a Kamiq?”

Because the Rally1 cars are spaceframe so they can effectively make the base car anything they want. Rally2s are production based so a Kamiq would pose an immediate disadvantage over using the smaller Fabia