Skoda L&K 130 ute concept revealed

Skoda has celebrated its 130th anniversary by building the Skoda L&K 130 ute concept, which has been created to support cycle teams on races like this year’s Tour de France.

Marking the 10th time Skoda’s apprentices have teamed together to make a one-off concept to show off their design, engineering and manufacturing talent, this time it was the latest Skoda Superb wagon that was gas-axed and transformed into a ute, mirroring what Subaru did back in 2003 with the production Outback-based Baja.

The work involved shortening the roof and roof rails and adapting the B- and C-pillars, while reinforcing the body.

Behind the second row of seats, engineers have bolted in a new bulkhead and added a rear screen.

Ensuring it is fit for purpose, the Skoda apprentices added a new tailgate that, at the push of a button, slides out on a rack to extend the bed.

When fully extended, the bikes slide from 35 degrees to fully horizontal, making it easier to load and unload.

When retracted, the L&K 130 ute measures in at 4901mm long – the same as the standard regular Superb wagon.

Enabling it to carry up to three bikes, there’s a further rack on the roof.

One final handy modification concerns how the right-hand door has been converted to slide, allowing the support team to easily pass items to the rider or even make small bike adjustments.

Inside, the ute concept features a dash-mounted tablet that helps the team track their riders, monitor the course map or watch a live TV feed of the race.

A radio and internet connection help the team maintain contact with the rider and team back at base.

Neat storage solutions include a roof net for smaller items and a large onboard cool box for keeping water bottles chilled, replacing the rear left passenger seat.

The latest 130th anniversary concept ties into Skoda’s beginnings as a bicycle maker in 1895 under the Laurin & Klement banner, which took its name from the surnames of its founders. Car-making only began in 1925.

Within, the cabin is finished in the red, gold and black inspired by the original L&K emblem. There are also 3D-printed L&K badges that are used inside and out, including on the steering wheel.

Under the bonnet, the 150kW plug-in hybrid Skoda Superb powertrain carries over unchanged, with the 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder combined with a 25.7-kilowatt-hour battery pack that sees it deliver a pure-electric driving range of up to 100km.

Said to have taken more than 2000 hours to design, develop, engineer and build, the one-off concept will be officially unveiled at this year’s Tour de France, which kicks off from July 5.

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