Besides building reliable cars that are more
affordable than their VW-branded equivalents despite packing the same tech, Skoda is famous for the
“Simply Clever” features fitted to its vehicles.
You know them: the umbrella integrated into the
driver’s door, the ice scraper attached to the fuel filler flap that also
features a tire tread depth gauge, ticket holder on the A-pillar on the
driver’s side – and more. The Karoq Velo concept car developed by Skoda UK,
takes the “Simply Clever” philosophy even further.
As the name suggests, it’s a a Karoq equipped for a
certain active lifestyle. The design was led by findings of a Skoda UK survey
of more than 1,500 active cyclists who were asked to suggest ideas for the
perfect cyclist support vehicle and then Skoda UK’s design team packed as many
ideas as possible into the one-off Karoq Velo.
Described as “the ultimate support car for the
cyclist who dreams of the perfect summer ride,” the Karoq Velo features a
fully-functioning washing machine for sweaty kit and an integrated pressure
washer (both use the same water supply), a full tool kit and equipment to
facilitate rapid puncture repairs, as well as sufficient racking to carry two
bikes on a special roof mount and one inside. That’s quite remarkable from a
packaging standpoint, especially considering that the cabin still retains
enough space for three passengers.
A network of built-in LED lights is fitted to
facilitate late-night repairs, while an inbuilt Wi-Fi hotspot allows cyclists
to upload footage of their ride when they return to the Velo — because if it’s
not on camera, it didn’t happen, right? The icing on that cake is that the Velo
comes with its own drone and magnetic landing pad on the bonnet.
Basically, the Karoq Velo offers the services of a
fully-staffed race support team into one car — and Skoda knows a thing or two
about that given its longtime partnership with the Tour de France. The Velo is
not available for sale, but an accessory package inspired by the show car that
includes a Skoda Multi-tool, Skoda Bicycle tire pump and bracket and Skoda
Bicycle Lights can be ordered from the brand’s UK retailers.
