What's the news?
Skoda is going to show off a special pickup version of the Kodiaq, designed by 35 trainees and aspiring engineers and designers. The 'Skoda Student' car has been a regular staple for the past five years, and for this - the sixth Skoda Student concept - they're getting to play with the big-selling Kodiaq as the car's starting point.
Now, you would think that the perfect student car would include hidden compartments to smuggling cheap booze into halls of residence, and a built-in laundry hamper for when you're visiting home - and who knows, this one may have just those features - but from what we can see of the early sketches, the Kodiaq Picq-Up (that's what we're calling it, don't @ us...) could be one of the coolest looking Skoda concepts ever.
The sketches show that is has dramatically widened wheelarches and side-steps - almost like a 1960's Ford Flareside pickup - with massive, rugged, wheels and tyres. It's a little tricky to tell, but it looks as if it may be a two-door model, but with some sort of accessible rear passenger compartment behind, a sort of Kodiaq Super-Kab (again, don't @ us, we're having fun...).
All the work on the car has been done by students and trainees aged between 17 and 20, all currently studying at the Skoda Vocational School for Mechanical Engineering. Student Zuzana Otradovská emphasises that "the Student Car is a fantastic project" and asks, "Where else do you get this unique opportunity to build your own car as part of your vocational training, in a small team and with the support of experienced Skoda engineers, designers and teachers, all while being able to implement your own ideas and visions?"
The students were given a car design crash-couse by Skoda's Chief Designer Oliver Stefani and his team before starting on the project.
The School for Mechanical Engineering has been running since 1927 and has previously created such Skoda concept cars as the Fabia-based 'Funstar' pickup, and the Sunroq convertible, based on the Karoq crossover.