New Skoda Rally2 begins testing

The car has been tested on tarmac and gravel roads in the Czech Republic, France and Spain.

The all-new Skoda Fabia is coming onto the international market as the road car and makes the switch from generation three to four, and the rally version follows suit.

“The all-new Skoda Fabia for the Rally2 category has entered the development and testing stage. Fortunately, our technicians can build on comprehensive know-how and expertise of the ongoing Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo project, which still is very successful worldwide,” Michal Hrabánek, Head of Skoda Motorsport, said.

Since April 2015, the Skoda Fabia has collected more rally trophies than any other car in its category.

Starting with a so-called R5 version, which has later been renamed to Rally2, the Czech rally car has racked up nine titles in support categories to the FIA World Rally Championship, numerous regional and national championships, nearly 1,400 overall and class victories.

It has also close to 3,300 podium positions worldwide, and more than 400 units of the R5, Rally2 and Rally2 evo variants have been sold.

According to the Rally2 regulations of the FIA, the next generation Rally2 version of the Skoda Fabia is again powered by a 1.6 litre turbo petrol engine, connected to a five-speed sequential gearbox and four-wheel drive with mechanical differentials.