Skoda Funstar concept ute revealed

SKODA has shown off a diminutive Fabia-based Funstar ute concept, which has been entirely created by students of its talent-honing Skoda Academy, ahead of its debut at this year's Worthersee Festival.

British publication Autocar reports that 1.8-litre engine was originally considered for the tiny load-lugger but found to be too big, with the team eventually opting for Skoda's more compact 1.2-litre turbocharged 90kW TSI donk instead.

Despite the potential for the baby pick-up to sell in various global markets, the Czech car-maker has confirmed it has no plans to build a production version.

Power is sent to the front hoops which are borrowed from the company's high-performance Octavia RS wagon and sedan, via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Everything behind the B-pillar has been reworked, with the deletion of the rear seats and boot to accommodate a stainless steel tray, while reinforcement of the pillar and sides reduces the loss of structural rigidity by removing about half of the car.

Other design highlights include a raised and vented bonnet, sports steering wheel, and a reworked 1400W audio system complete with a 200W subwoofer.

The Funstar features a green and white motif throughout, including green underbody neon lights, green highlighted wheels, green LED daytime running lights, and green-edged front grille.

The Czech-branded ute was selected from a field of 84 design ideas after last year's Worthersee Festival debutante – the Citigo-based CitiJet convertible concept – ended up being a surprise hit for Skoda. The Funstar name was decided by a local Primary school competition.

The team of 23 apprentices responsible for the Funstar are all third-year students of Skoda's own university in the Czech Republic. All students working on the project are aged between 17 and 18 and have been developing the concept since September last year.

The Worthersee Festival, also known as the GTI Meeting, kicks-off in May and represents Europe's biggest Volkswagen and Audi car show, having been held annually since 1981.