Škoda Yeti

Overview

At the Geneva Motor Show in 2005, Škoda unveiled a concept car in the compact SUV category which it called the Yeti. Although the conceptual study of the Yeti was taken seriously with a view to the feasibility of a future series-produced vehicle, some of the solutions were ahead of their time and did not make it to the production stage, i.e. a single vertical windscreen wiper moving horizontally across the whole of the glass or horizontally divided hatch, the lower part of which was split into an inner and outer section so that two bicycles could safely be secured to the lowered outer section.

4 years later Škoda premiered production version of the Yeti at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. The car featured similar practical boxy design as the design study. Despite compact dimensions (length: 4,223 mm / 166.26 in; width: 1,793 mm / 70.60 in; wheelbase: 2,579 mm / 101.54 in), the Yeti offered spacious interior. Utilisation of interior was enhanced by the VarioFlex – the variable layout of the rear seats. This feature was taken from the Roomster. There are three separate seats with adjustable backrest inclination covering a range of 13.5°. The outer seats can slide backwards and forwards; after the middle seat has been removed, the outer seats can be moved 80 mm (3.15 in) towards the centre, thus creating exceptional room for two rear passengers. The possibility of folding down the backrest, and then folding the entire seat forwards, has not been changed. Once the seats have been folded over and forwards in this way, they can be removed by means of a simple release function. Differences compared to the VarioFlex system used in the Roomster: the cushion of the middle seat has been repositioned so that it is 70 mm (2.76 in) more towards the back compared to the outer seat cushions (in the Roomster it is level); the cushion of the middle seat is approximately 35 mm longer than the cushion in the Roomster; after the middle seat is removed, the outer seats can be moved towards the centre by 80 mm (in the Roomster by 110 mm / 4.33 in). The front passenger seat can be folded forward into a horizontal position to allow the transportation of long objects. Its luggage capacity, aided by the 'VarioFlex' rear seats, ranges from 405 litres (14.3 cu ft), up to 1,760 litres (62.2 cu ft) when the rear seats are removed.

The powertrain offerings in the Yeti included a range of internal combustion engines, all of which are four cylinder (I4) four-stroke turbocharged and EU5 emissions standard compliant. and EU5 emissions standard compliant.[10] petrol engines are all fuel injected and diesel engines are all common rail (CR) Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) with diesel particulate filter (DPF). Most engines were offered with 6-speed manual transmissions, with a 5-speed manual being reserved for front-wheel drive only cars with the 81 kW TDI engine. The Volkswagen Group 7-speed Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG) was option exclusively for the 1.2 TSI, while the 6-speed Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG) was available for the 103 kW (140 PS) 2-litre common rail diesel engine.

The four-wheel drive variants utilised the 4th-generation Haldex Traction multi-plate clutch to transmit the drive to the rear wheels, and all drive layouts include fully independent multi-link rear suspension first seen on the Volkswagen Golf Mk5 to complement the fully independent front suspension. The all-wheel drive Yeti cars featured Off-Road button to switch all assistance systems to a special off-road setting, e.g. the accelerator responded less sensitively. Set of Off-Road functions included also a hill descent control, that used sensitive braking to maintain a constant speed descending steep slopes, regardless of whether the vehicle was in any of the gears from one to three, reverse, or neutral.

The Škoda Yeti has been awarded a 5-star safety rating by the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP). It scored 92% for adult occupant protection in the frontal and side crash tests, 78% for child occupant protection and 46% in the pedestrian safety test.[8] It also scored 71% for default Safety Assist equipment, as the range came with driver/passenger seatbelt reminders as standard. It also included Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA), Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) – which is currently standard equipment on most variants throughout Europe and optional on others. Protection against whiplash injury in the rear-impact (whiplash) test was also good. The Yeti could be ordered with up to 9 airbags (dual front, front side torso, rear side torso, side curtain, and driver's knee airbag).

In most of the EU, the Yeti was available with three different trim levels: Experience, Ambition and Track (or Active in some markets). However, in the UK it was available in five trim levels, E, S, SE, SE Plus and Elegance. In India, it was available in "Active", "Ambition" (also called "Ambiente") and "Elegance" trims.

For the Yeti was available extensive list of standard and extras, incl. bi-xenon headlamps with AFS, front/rear proximity sensors, automatic park assist system, tyre pressure monitoring system, navigation system with large 6.5” colour touch-screen display and 30 GB hard drive, electrically adjustable seat and mirrors, rain sensor, front heated seats and a large tilt/slide 2-piece panoramic sunroof.

Facelift

A revamped version of the Yeti had its official exhibition premiere at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September 2013. Since the facelift, Škoda's compact SUV is available in two design versions shorter by just 1 mm in comparison to the original model: sleek Yeti and rugged Yeti Outdoor. Main difference can be found in shape of front/rear bumper; the Outdoor version has parts exposed to potential damage from terrain (lower parts of bumpers, sills) finished in black, while the ‘urban‘ Yeti has them painted in body colour. They vary also in the offer of wheel designs and upholstery. Both versions can be ordered in top-of-the-range trim Laurin & Klement, the ‘urban‘ Yeti also in ‘Monte Carlo‘ sports-design version.

The technology used has also been updated. Four-wheel drive is powered by the 5th-generation Haldex electro-hydraulically controlled multi-plate coupling located at the rear axle in the same housing as the final drive and rear differential. The operating principle is much the same as the fourth generation used in the pre-facelift previous model. There has been a technical change in the way oil pressure is regulated in the clutch, i.e. FWD switching. Oil pressure on the clutch plates is now regulated by a centrifugal valve integrated in the electric axial six-piston oil pump. Compared to the previous generation, the Haldex 5 system is 1.4 kg lighter (ca. 6.6 kg without oil) and simpler as it does not contain an oil pressure accumulator.

The drivetrain line-up features some new combinations: 7-speed DSG with the 1.6 TDI engine (currently with 5-speed manual for the GreenLine only), front-wheel drive with the 103 kW 2-litre diesel and 6-speed manual (currently as all-wheel drive only) and 6-speed DSG with the 125 kW 2-litre diesel and all-wheel drive (so far 6-speed manual only).

As for the equipment, the facelifted Yeti became the first Škoda car to offer rear-view parking camera. It is automatically activated when reverse gear is engaged: it displays the space behind the car and indicates the driving line, based on the vehicle width. List of features was extended by – among others – keyless system for locking/unlocking doors and starting engine (KESSY), and rechargeable LED torch in boot.

Škoda unveiled Yeti Xtreme design study at the 33rd GTI Treffen.

China

A special version of the Yeti is offered in China. The car has 60 mm longer wheelbase and spare wheel can be mounted on a fifth door.

Engines

Overview of engines available for the Yeti (Typ 5L), incl. facelifted model.

Petrol engines

Diesel engines

Successor

A forthcoming second generation is expected to be released towards the end of 2017, according to the German magazine Auto Bild, which also presents a graphical rendering of the presumed new model. The news was confirmed by the Skoda chairman Bernhard Maier. It will reportedly take inspiration from the Kodiaq, be larger than the current model, and should be based on Volkswsagen's MQB platform.