Skoda has released more details about the Fabia R5 rally car, which will compete WRC 2, APRC and Czech rally championship events this year.

Fans will be able to see the new four-wheel drive Fabia R5 in action in the WRC 2 category of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), the Czech Rally Championship (MČR) and the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC).

Swedish driver Pontus Tidemand will represent Skoda in the latter series, the final taking place in China. Asia-Pacific Champion Jan Kopecký and European Champion Esapekka Lappi will also drive for the Skoda Motorsport works team.

“We are delighted that the International Automobile Federation, the FIA, homologated our new Skoda Fabia R5. Now we want to see how competitive our new rally car is,” said Skoda Motorsport Director Michal Hrabánek.

The successor to the Fabia Super 2000, the new Skoda Fabia R5 has been given the green light by the FIA on April 1. The new car is powered by a 1.6-liter turbo engine mated to a sequential five-speed transmission than sends power to all four wheels.

According to regulations, the Fabia R5 weighs at least 1,230 kg (2,712 lbs). The Skoda Motorsport team has invested 15 months in intensive development since the start of the project, with the car covering 10,000 km (6,213 miles) of testing on a wide range of roads and weather conditions.

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