SKODA

SKODA AFRIQ: the new creation of the students of the Skoda Vocational Training School is already a reality

The new Skoda Afriq was introduced. An interesting vehicle with genes of competition that arrives to demonstrate what the interns of the manufacturer are capable of. A unique example that takes as its starting point the Skoda Kamiq, the smallest crossover marketed by the Czech brand in Europe.

A total of 25 students participated in this project, in which, incidentally, the sports division Skoda Motorsport was also involved. We are facing the eighth conceptual model, or rather 'one-off', that was created. It is a very important initiative of Skoda from an academic point of view. Students went back to the 1970s to create Afriq. Let's get into the details.

Just take a quick look at the images released by Skoda to find the most distinctive features of the new Afriq. At first glance, the rally version of Skoda's urban crossover evokes the atmosphere of the legendary Dakar Rally. In addition, the name chosen to baptize the model also refers to Skoda's responsibility for the Volkswagen Group's activities in the North African region since 2021.

It took four months to build the car. The students dedicated around 2,000 hours to the project. One of the reasons for the heavy workload was the extensive modifications made to the bodywork of the basic Kamiq used as a base. The rear doors were welded directly to a safety cage inside, thus adding more rigidity. In addition, the fenders, wheel arches and bumpers are now larger.

The bodywork is painted in white and green and is decorated with numerous colored stickers. The sporty look is enhanced by the 15-inch OZ Racing wheels and additional headlights fitted to the front.

As for the interior of the new Skoda Afriq, we are quickly enveloped by an atmosphere filled with sportiness. The finishes and components are typical of a competition car. Materials and elements that were not strictly necessary were removed to reduce, as far as possible, the weight of the vehicle.

Special competition seats focus much of the attention on the passenger compartment. These are seats that are accompanied by six-point seat belts. Furthermore, and what is equally relevant, the steering wheel and dashboard come from the Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo. The equipment also includes a fire extinguishing system, a navigation system with a kilometer counter to allow rally navigation and a recording system with cameras and microphones.

On the other hand, and for the first time on a Skoda, a device was installed to extract drinking water from the circulating air. The driver and co-pilot of the Afriq thus have access to filtered and cooled drinking water at all times. It is a device signed by the Israeli company Watergen. Air from the atmosphere is sucked in, filtering out dust and impurities. This purified air undergoes a process of heat and cold exchange to condense water. This water is processed to make it drinkable. All components of this system are visible by opening the trunk lid.

Changes made to the design and suspension have direct effects on the measurements. The car measures 4,362 mm in length, 1,793 mm in width, 1,410 mm in height and has a wheelbase of 2,649 mm. The free height of the body from the ground is 180 mm. The chassis had to be modified in order to carry out the established modifications to the propulsion system.

Under the hood of the new Skoda Afriq is a 2.0-litre TSI 4-cylinder petrol engine, 190 hp and 320 Nm of maximum torque. A block coupled to a 7-speed dual-clutch DSG automatic transmission, as well as a 4x4 drive system. It's the same powertrain that we can find in the Octavia range. The exhaust system has been revised to accommodate all previously noted adjustments.

Relative to a standard Kamiq, the propulsion system used on the Afriq is much heavier. Largely by 4x4 traction. However, all the upgrades made by the students still allowed the Afriq to be around 100 kg lighter than the Kamiq.

Autonews