Škoda: Ready for the Rally 🎥

The Škoda Afriq could start immediately in a special stage of the Dakar Rally. The eighth apprentice car from the Czechs is a spectacular rally version of the Kamiq small SUV.

The project of the 25 trainees is a tribute to the home of the "Dakar", which at the same time is intended to refer to Škoda's responsibility for the activities of the Volkswagen Group in North Africa.

The experts from Škoda Motorsport were more intensively involved in the creation of the vehicle than with any other apprentice car.

Next Level 2030 for markets in North Africa
Since January 1, 2021, Škoda has been responsible for the VW Group's activities in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria. As part of its corporate strategy "Next Level 2030", Škoda aims to be the leading European car manufacturer in the growth markets of India and North Africa by the end of the decade.

The Azubi Car Afriq brings additional attention to this responsibility for the North Africa region.

Complicated conditions due to pandemic
The 25 trainees at the vocational school began work on the eighth trainee car project in the fall of 2020 and quickly decided on an all-wheel-drive rally version of the Kamiq.

However, due to the pandemic, the vocational students were initially only able to meet online, which prolonged the planning and design phase. The construction of Afriq took four months, and the trainees invested a total of around 2,000 working hours in it.

Racing use with a reinforced suspension
The body of the base model was extensively adapted for the rally study - the rear doors welded, the fenders, wheel arches and bumpers enlarged. In addition, the two-door model received a reinforced suspension.

The extensive adjustments for the implementation of the Octavia 4×4's all-wheel drive were time-consuming. In addition, the body had to be filled and all edges adjusted.

skoda.ch