New Skoda L&K 130 shows us what a Superb pick-up truck looks like
Skoda’s 10th ‘Student Car’ is a plug-in hybrid that would be an ideal support vehicle for the Tour de France
Some of Skoda’s Student Car creations – such as a Citigo-based beach buggy and the convertible Karoq ‘Sunroq’ – have been pretty wacky, and continuing this trend is a Skoda Superb Estate that’s been transformed into a pick-up truck.
It’s called the L&K 130, and the name refers to the 130 years since Václav Laurin and Václav Klement founded Skoda as a bicycle maker in 1895 – although we suspect neither of them would have dreamt up something like this in the Czech firm’s future.
The pick-up is the result of 2,000 hours of work by 28 trainees at Skoda’s Vocational School, and marks the first time the Superb has been used as the basis for a Student Car concept.
The L&K 130 acknowledges Skoda’s connection to bicycle manufacturing through its loading bay, which can store several bikes – ideal for supporting cycling events like the Tour de France, which Skoda will do once again this summer.
To create the pick-up body, the students cut the Superb Estate’s roof behind the C-pillar, as well as modifying the B-pillar and shortening the roof rails. There’s also a new window behind the second row of seats, and the right rear door sits on a sliding mechanism so as to not obstruct cyclists during a race. The cargo bed even extends at the push of a button and tilts by up to 35 degrees to make it easier to load bikes into the back.
The traditional L&K colours of red, white, gold and black can be found all over the cabin, along with a unique ‘130 years’ logo on the seats and an ‘L&K’ logo in the middle of the steering wheel. To meet the needs of a professional cycling team, there’s an extra display on the passenger side for race data, a radio for communication, and a cool box in the back.
In another first for a Student Car, the L&K 130 is a plug-in hybrid. It uses the standard Superb PHEV’s powertrain, so it’s a 148bhp 1.5-litre petrol mated to an electric motor for 201bhp. In the regular estate the 25.7kWh battery allows for up to 62 miles of electric running, but we expect the altered aerodynamics of the L&K 130 may reduce this somewhat.
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