The Škoda Yeti was a compact crossover introduced at the Geneva motor show in 2009 as Škoda’s first entry into the SUV market. Built in Kvasiny, it combined Octavia platform parts with the flexible seating of the Roomster, and it was produced until 2017, when the Karoq replaced it.
Škoda Yeti at a glance
| Maker | Škoda Auto, Kvasiny |
|---|---|
| Production | 2009–2017 |
| Factory type | 5L |
| Dimensions | 4,223 mm long, 1,793 mm wide, 2,579 mm wheelbase |
| Ground clearance | 180 mm |
| Luggage | 405 litres, up to 1,760 with the rear seats removed |
| Engines | 1.2 and 1.4 TSI, 1.8 TSI; 1.6 and 2.0 TDI |
| Drive | front-wheel drive or Haldex four-wheel drive |
| Gearboxes | five- or six-speed manual, six- or seven-speed DSG |
| Drag coefficient | 0.37 |
| Safety | five Euro NCAP stars, 92 per cent for adult occupants |
| Built | 684,513 |
History of the Škoda Yeti
From a 2005 concept
The production Yeti was preceded by a concept shown at Geneva in 2005, with a single vertical windscreen wiper sweeping the whole glass and a split tailgate whose lower outer section could be folded down to carry two bicycles. Neither feature reached production. A second study, the orange Yeti II with a fixed and fabric roof, was shown later that year at Frankfurt. The production car made its debut at Geneva in 2009 and went on sale that summer. According to Eckhard Scholz, then head of development, Škoda took the Octavia Scout platform, shortened the overhangs, increased the approach and departure angles, gave the car 180 mm of ground clearance and built a cheaper car than the Volkswagen Tiguan, which already occupied the group’s slot in that class.
Room inside
The Yeti reused the Roomster’s VarioFlex seating: three separate rear seats that recline through 13.5 degrees, slide fore and aft, and, once the middle seat is removed, move 80 mm towards the centre to give two passengers more room, before folding or coming out altogether. The middle cushion sits 70 mm further back than the outer ones and is about 35 mm longer, and the front passenger seat folds flat for long loads. Luggage capacity runs from 405 litres to 1,760 with the rear seats out. The engines were all four-cylinder and turbocharged: petrol 1.2 TSI of 77 kW, 1.4 TSI of 90 kW and 1.8 TSI of 118 kW, and diesels of 1.6 TDI and 2.0 TDI from 81 to 125 kW. Most cars had six-speed manuals, a five-speed was reserved for the 81 kW front-wheel-drive diesel, the seven-speed DSG went with the 1.2 TSI and the six-speed DSG with the 140 PS diesel. Four-wheel-drive cars used a Haldex clutch and had an Off Road button that softened the accelerator response, along with hill descent control that held a steady speed down steep slopes in first to third, reverse or neutral.
Equipment, awards and the end
The Yeti came with up to nine airbags in most markets, bi-xenon headlamps with adaptive front lighting, parking sensors, an automatic parking assistant, a panoramic sunroof and a navigation system with a 6.5-inch screen. It scored five stars in Euro NCAP, with 92 per cent for adult occupant protection, 78 per cent for children and 46 per cent for pedestrians. Top Gear magazine named it Family Car of the Year in 2009, and it was Czech Car of the Year in 2010; the design edition Mont Blanc followed in 2011 and a Monte Carlo version in 2016. A facelift in 2013 changed the front and rear and added a parking assistant that could steer into and out of spaces. Between 2009 and 2017, 684,513 Yetis were built.
Design and features
- First Škoda SUV: the company’s entry into the crossover class, smaller and cheaper than the Volkswagen Tiguan.
- VarioFlex seats: three separate rear seats that slide, recline and can be removed.
- Off Road mode: hill descent control and a softened throttle for four-wheel-drive cars.
- Five-star safety: 92 per cent for adult occupants in the Euro NCAP test.
Škoda Yeti versions
- Yeti (2009–2013): the original range with 1.2 to 2.0 engines.
- Yeti GreenLine: frugal 1.6 TDI version.
- Yeti Laurin & Klement: the luxury trim.
- Yeti Mont Blanc (2011): design edition with two-tone paint.
- Yeti (2013–2017): facelifted car with a parking assistant.
- Yeti Monte Carlo (2016): sporty appearance version.
The Yeti took over the practical ideas of the Škoda Roomster and shared its platform with the Škoda Octavia. More cars are in the Škoda collection.
Video: 2013 / 2014 Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI 4×4 DSG – Fahrbericht der Probefahrt – Test – Review
Video by Ausfahrt.tv on YouTube.
Sources
- Škoda Yeti, English Wikipedia: launch, dimensions, VarioFlex, engines, four-wheel drive, safety, equipment
- Škoda Yeti, Czech Wikipedia: concepts, production years, trim levels, facelift, awards, total
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