Skoda has built a Kodiaq pick-up truck

Every year Skoda tasks apprentices at its Mladá Boleslav HQ with designing, developing and building a one-off concept based on one of the company’s existing models. Results have been…mixed, to say the least (remember last year’s Karoq Convertible?).  

This year, though, the youths have cranked things up a notch with this – the Kodiaq-based ‘Mountiaq’. Yep, the apprentices’ sixth concept is effectively a Kodiaq pick-up. A bright orange one, no less.  

The Mountiaq took the 35 students 2,000 hours to finish. Work began last autumn, but production only started in January, ahead of a May deadline. After reinforcing the body, the students removed the Kodiaq’s roof, fitted a new rear panel and bed and shortened/widened the doors. Then they fitted running boards, the opening tailgate that was supposedly their “biggest challenge” and finally modified bumpers.

It’s 4,999 millimetres long, 2,005 millimetres wide and 1,710 millimetres tall – which makes the Mountiaq bigger in every respect than the car on which it’s based. Heavier, too, at nearly 2.5 tonnes. Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre petrol engine with 190bhp. 

Off-road tyres and wheels are largely responsible for the increase in height. There’s also a snorkel, winch, bull-bar and light-bar. And, because these are youths we’re talking about, a whopping great stereo.

Reckon Skoda’s students have got it right this time?