For the third time Skoda gave his trainees a free hand and gave young engineers, designers and developers the chance to put their dream vehicle on the wheels. After a convertible version of the Citigo two years ago and a Fabia-based pick-up in 2015, this year's vintage opted for an elegant coupé version of the otherwise rather simple Rapid Spaceback - and is thus based on tradition: there was one in 1985 a rapid coupe.
Almost 900 apprentices are currently learning everything about automobile construction in the training facility founded in 1927. The project team that is responsible for the two-door baptized Atero consists of 26 trainees, including four women. The women's quota is still low, but higher than in previous years. The young talents, who won a selection competition with a total of 93 participants at the end of last year, received support from experts from the technical development, design and production departments. However, they are not released for their work on the trainee car, they “have to be reconciled with school duties,” emphasizes team leader Zdenek Stanke.
But there is recognition from the very top: Skoda Chairman Bernhard Maier, Production Director Oeljeklaus and Head of HR Wojnar had the Atero personally demonstrated and praised it as "an extraordinary car" that shows how great the technical and technical know-how of the Apprentices.
For the Trainee Car III, the apprentices moved the B-pillars of the 4,30-meter-long Rapids back ten centimeters and stretched the front doors accordingly; they have completely banished the rear ones. In addition, there was a large glass roof that extends over the heads of the rear passengers and runs much flatter than usual. However, all panes of the Ateros are made of plexiglass, and the Skoda shelf did not provide appropriately dimensioned glass windows. The night part: The window regulators do not work.
Also new are the exhaust system (it comes from the Octavia RS), the rear apron and the trunk lid, red LED accents in the headlights and red-lit air intakes on the bonnet. And the interior is also sporty with red and black seat covers and decorative elements. All of these details, which involve around 1.700 hours of work - and which give the coupé a touch of tuning charm.
The quality, however, is almost at series level. The former company director Ferdinand Piëch would certainly complain about a gap here and there, but the trainees did their best. You can also notice this when driving: anyone who expects a rickety body that is quickly put together will be pleasantly surprised. The Atero is just as solid as any production Rapid and rolls across the street with its 18-inch wheels; a little brisker curves don't bother the Czechs either.
As in every coupé, you only sit well in the front row in the Atero. Although the trainees installed foldable seats - the otherwise four-door Rapid doesn't need them - access to the rear seat is quite difficult. And the younger generation also paid less attention to luggage. The otherwise 415-liter trunk of the Rapids had to leave a large part of its space to a sound system that would be sufficient for every home cinema. 14 loudspeakers with a total output of 1.800 watts ensure the right sound. And, if desired, also drown out the exhaust system, which, according to the will of the younger generation, became significantly louder than in the series. The 1,4-liter TSI engine with 92 kW / 125 hp and dual clutch transmission, however, remained just as untouched as the chassis.
Compared to its predecessor, the convertible and the pick-up, the coupe has the greatest resemblance to a production vehicle - and would definitely enrich the Czechs' product range. That the compact Rapid will soon be available as a sleek two-door in the showrooms of the dealers remains a dream. Although Skoda officially wants to test the reaction of the customers with it, it will probably end up like CitiJet and Funstar after a few public appearances in the foyer of the Skoda Academy. There, after all, serves as motivation for future generations, because Skoda wants to continue to hold on to the Trainee Car project. And if the model selection continues logically, we can count on a converted Octavia in 2017.