
Skoda Yeti AbstractAs a compact SUV, the fifth series in Skoda Auto's model range combines virtues that until now could only be offered by completely different classes of automobiles, but not by a solitary automobile. The Yeti's handling and travel comfort are in no way inferior to that of a mid-size sedan, yet its off-road capability is unrestricted. It offered above-average space, high load capacities and, last but not least, a powerful towing capacity. At the same time it does not allow itself any intemperance in the consumption of fuel. On the contrary, the base model with a 77 kW (105 hp) 1.2-liter TSI engine has a fuel consumption of just 6.4* liters per 100 kilometers and emissions of only 149 g/km* CO2, which is outstanding in this class. (*preliminary values).
So the Yeti defines a new stage in the extremely diverse history of Skoda. Although there have been quite a few off-road vehicles under the trademark of the traditional manufacturer in the past, they were rarely designed for driving on normal, public roads without restrictions.
The characteristics of the Skoda Yeti as an off-road vehicle
The first important off-road Skoda automobiles, which made relatively good progress also on asphalt roads, were the models of type 952 and 956 – the predecessors of the historic Superb. From 1942 to 1943, the Skoda Superb 3000, a sedan with a 3.1-liter inline six-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive, was built. It was followed by the wheeled tractor Ost, designed by none other than Ferdinand Porsche and manufactured in the Skoda factories under pressure from the occupying forces during the Second World War. Its six-liter four-cylinder engine delivers 90 hp, but the one-ton behemoth can only move moderately quickly. From 1952 to 1956, the Type 973 off-road vehicle was produced, which had impressive off-road capabilities, a wading depth of 600 millimeters and a gradeability of 85 percent. In the sixties, the Trekka was developed, an off-road vehicle specially designed for the New Zealand market. Its success led to further exports to Australia, Samoa and the Fiji Islands. Beach buggies, special vehicles and custom-built vehicles are what the planners and developers at Skoda in Mladá Boleslav come up with again and again. However, there was no significant series production of off-road vehicles.