Skoda has reentered the SUV market with two new models in a very short period of time. We now have the Karoq and Kodiaq on the European market. Skoda is introducing its third SUV, one children-friendly. The Czech manufacturer has taken things a step further with the creation of a special one-off Karoq made entirely from cardboard.
The handmade ‘Kid Karoq’ has been designed as the perfect play area for those who aren’t quite old enough to enjoy the many grown-up toys available in the brand’s all-new compact SUV.
The life-size cardboard creation took 10 weeks and more than 600 hours to construct by British design studio, Lazerian, and has been built to the exact scale of the real Karoq: 4.4 metres long and 1.6 metres tall.
Commissioned by ŠKODA UK to celebrate the launch of the new compact SUV, which goes on sale in the UK on 11 January 2018, the brand drew inspiration for the cardboard version from 1,000 kids aged 6 to 11 – who told ŠKODA what features they’d pack into their perfect car.
Among the highest polling responses from the kids’ survey were the ability to play music of their choice (42.5%), a tablet to play and stream programmes on (67.6%), and an integrated movie projector (35.4%) – ideal to watch family favourites.
The cardboard centre console houses a digital tablet that controls a set of wireless Canton speakers, and mirrors many of the features found in the real Karoq’s 9.2-inch Columbus infotainment system. This means they can choose the music without pesky grown-ups changing the track. In the absence of the LED ambient lighting found in the real Karoq, children can dance the day away under a multi-coloured disco ball.
A slide and ball pool takes pride of place in the Kid Karoq; containing over 1,500 balls – the precise number of balls that fit into the real Karoq’s 1,810 litre boot space. Other features include WiFi hotspot, a film projector, play-time bean bags and a toy box. The design team even managed to create a secret den underneath the bonnet where children can keep an eye on the outside world through cleverly disguised spy holes.
