Škoda Yeti is a compact crossover car made by the Czech company from 2009 to 2017. It had a front-engined, front- or four-wheel-drive layout, with the Volkswagen Group A5 (PQ35) platform underpinning it. Yeti was the first attempt by Škoda to break into the SUV market, selling 687,874 units total by the end of production.
The history of the Yeti began in 2005, with a concept car displayed at the Geneva Motor Show. The solutions featured in the concept were ahead of their time, such as a single vertical windshield wiper that moved horizontally over the windshield or horizontally divided hatch. The production version, however, left out these features and kept the boxy design, which offered a comfortable interior despite Yeti's small dimensions.
Like the Škoda Roomster before it, Yeti has a VarioFlex layout for the rear seats where they can be folded individually, rather than in a two-part configuration. They also offer a 13.5° adjustable backrest inclination with adjustable outer seats for more legroom. With the middle seat removed, the remaining seats can be moved inwards to provide more comfort in the 4-seat configuration.
While back seats can be folded forward or removed entirely, the front passenger seat is foldable to a forward position to offer space for the transport of lengthy objects. Yeti's luggage capacity ranges from 405 litres, up to 1760 litres without rear seats.
Trim levels included a variety of features, with more exclusive packages expanding on smaller packages with more luxurious options:
- Standard equipment included: ABS, Alarm, Driver, Passenger, and Side Airbags, Electric mirrors, Folding rear seats, Front electric windows, Heated mirrors, Height adjustable drivers seat, Isofix child seat anchor points, PAS, Remote locking, Roof rails, Service Indicator, Steering wheel rake and reach adjustment, Traction control
- S, E, SE are more basic packages, including a combination of the following options: Air Conditioning, Alloy wheels, Cloth seat trim, Front fog lights, Rear electric windows, CD, 3x3 point rear seat belts
- SE variations, such as Business, Elegance, L, Drive, Plus, Adventure, and Technology, all come with more options: Audio remote, Cruise control, Headlight washers, Parking sensors, Rear electric windows, Sat Nav, Heated seats, Metallic Paint, Partial leather seat trim, CD multichanger, and Lumbar support
- Black edition and Urban add Sports seats on top of previous packages
- Laurin & Klement, as well as Monte Carlo, come with the most luxurious options, selected from the other packages
On the Euro NCAP test, Yeti scored a five-star rating, with a 92% score for adult occupant, 78% for child occupant, 46% for pedestrian, and 71% for safety assist.
At the Frankfurt International Motor Show in 2013, Škoda revealed the facelifted version, now in two variants, Yeti and Yeti Outdoor. The main difference between models was in the shape of bumpers, with the Outdoor version having parts that could be damaged by the terrain finished in black, rather than the body colour.
The four-wheel-drive received an update including a fifth-generation Haldex. Other mechanical upgrades include changes to the oil pressure regulation in the clutch and more combinations of drivetrain options.
New trim features available are rearview parking camera, the keyless system for locking and unlocking doors, as well as starting the engine, and rechargeable LED flashlight in the trunk.
Powertrain options in Australia included a large variety of petrol engines with automatic and manual transmission and one diesel engine model. Petrol engines consume roughly 6 to 8 litres per 100km, combined drive. CO2 emissions are between 140-184g/km. The diesel engine has a consumption of 6.3L per 100km for combined driving and emits 169g/km of CO2, less than some of its petrol counterparts.
- 1.2L I4, 8V SOHC TSI, turbocharged petrol engine, producing 77kW (103hp) at 5000rpm and 175Nm of torque at 1500-4100rpm, a top speed of 175km/h and 0-100km/h in 11.4 seconds, 6-speed manual or 7-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel-drive
- 1.2L I4, 16V DOHC TSI, turbocharged petrol engine, producing 81kW (108hp) at 5000rpm and 175Nm of torque at 1400-4000rpm, a top speed of 177km/h and 0-100km/h in 11.4 seconds, 7-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel-drive
- 1.4L I4, 16V DOHC TSI, turbocharged petrol engine, producing 90kW (121hp) at 5000rpm and 200Nm of torque at 1500-4000rpm, a top speed of 182km/h and 0-100km/h in 10.6 seconds, 7-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel-drive
- 1.4L I4, 16V DOHC TSI, turbocharged petrol engine, producing 92kW (123hp) at 5600rpm and 200Nm of torque at 1500-4000rpm, a top speed of 187km/h and 0-100km/h in 10.1 seconds, 7-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel-drive
- 1.4L I4, 16V DOHC TSI, turbocharged petrol engine, producing 110kW (148hp) at 5000rpm and 250Nm of torque at 1500-3500rpm, a top speed of 192km/h and 0-100km/h in 8.9 seconds, 6-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel-drive
- 1.8L I4, 16V DOHC TSI, turbocharged petrol engine, producing 112kW (150hp) at 4300-6200rpm and 250Nm of torque at 1500-4200rpm, a top speed of 192km/h and 0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds, 6-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive
- 2.0L I4, 16V DOHC TDI, turbocharged, common-rail diesel engine, producing 103kw (138hp) at 4200rpm and 320Nm of torque at 1750-2500, a top speed of 190km/h and 0-100km/h in 9.9 seconds, 6-speed manual or automatic transmission, four-wheel-drive
Author: Luka Kusic