A restyled version of this compact Czech crossover was officially presented at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, but “last year's version” was on sale in Russia for a long time. The situation changed only in 2014 - when the production of the updated Yeti was launched at the facilities of the GAZ plant in Nizhny Novgorod.
The updated Yeti appeared before the Russian public in a fresh design, with an improved interior, the same engines (but with a new all-wheel drive system) and an addition in the form of a "special off-road performance".
There were no global changes in the design concept of the updated Yeti, but the point transformations made by Czech specialists in the external appearance of the crossover brought its design to a completely different level. Rather, the 2014-2015 model has lost its originality and has become closer to the average versions of modern auto design. This was not done by chance, but solely for the sake of conquering the conservative markets of China and India, where Skoda carried out a massive expansion in 2014. Alas, it cannot be said that such "events" definitely had a positive effect on the sales of the Skoda Yeti in Europe and Russia, where this crossover was appreciated, first of all, for its outstanding appearance.
As for the specific and most noticeable transformations, as a result of the restyling, the Skoda Yeti found: a new radiator grille, slightly retouched halogen optics, rectangular foglights (migrated to a new bumper), a refreshed rear door and a new set of wheel disks.
In the basic "urban" (Yeti City) version - bumpers, sills and other plastic body kit will be painted in the body color, and in the new "off-road" (Yeti Outdoor) version, their color will be black.
In terms of overall characteristics, there were no changes: body length - 4223 mm, wheelbase - 2578 mm, width - 1793 mm and height - 1691 mm. The ground clearance also remained the same - 180 mm.
The interior has been updated much less and not at all where the buyers would like. Not very comfortable chairs remained in place, but a new steering wheel was installed (though not a very convenient angle of its location was preserved). The extremely unfortunate handle of the manual transmission gearbox has not disappeared anywhere either, but at the same time a "garbage container" appeared in the side door pocket. We were only pleased with the finishing materials, which have become noticeably better and of higher quality.
And special thanks to the Czech engineers for keeping the VarioFlex interior transformation system, which makes it possible to adjust each of the three rear seats separately. Thanks to this, the standard volume (405 liters) of the Skoda Yeti's trunk can be easily increased to 1760 liters (if you remove the entire rear row from the passenger compartment).
Technical characteristics
As before, in our market "New Yeti" will be offered with four variants of the power plant - three gasoline engines and one turbodiesel.
- The role of the base engine for front-wheel drive modifications is assigned to a four-cylinder 1.2-liter engine equipped with a turbocharger and a direct fuel injection system. With a fairly modest power (105 hp at 5000 rpm), this power unit demonstrates excellent "pulling power", expressed in 175 Nm of torque in the range of 1500 - 3500 rpm. According to tests of the "pre-styling Yeti", a 1.2-liter engine consumes an average of about 7.0 liters of gasoline (6.8 liters according to the passport), but due to improved aerodynamics and transmission readjustment, this indicator slightly decreased after restyling. The junior motor will be aggregated both with a 6-speed "mechanics" and with a 7-speed "automatic" DSG.
- The second engine for the front-wheel drive Skoda Yeti will also be a 4-cylinder petrol unit, but with a displacement of 1.4 liters. The turbocharged direct injection engine has a maximum output of 122 hp. at 5000 rpm. The peak torque falls at around 200 Nm, which develop in the range of 1500 - 4000 rpm. The choice of gearbox will be the same as that of the junior engine, and the average fuel consumption is ≈6.8 liters.
- The line of engines for the all-wheel drive modification of the crossover is opened by a gasoline four-cylinder turbo unit with a direct injection system and a displacement of 1.8 liters. Its maximum power is 152 hp. in the rpm range from 4500 to 6200 rpm, and the upper torque limit is limited to 250 Nm, held at 1500 - 4500 rpm. According to the test results, fuel consumption by the engine data is about 8.0 liters in mixed mode, and the gearbox list contains the already familiar 6-speed "mechanics" and 7-speed "automatic".
- The single turbodiesel is also only for the Yeti 4x4. With its 4 cylinders with a total displacement of 2.0 liters, it is capable of developing about 140 hp. power at 4200 rpm, as well as produce 320 Nm of torque already at 1750 rpm, maintaining its maximum up to 2500 rpm. The diesel will be aggregated only with automatic transmission, paired with which it demonstrates acceptable results of fuel economy - 6.5 liters per 100 kilometers.
Now a few words about the all-wheel drive system. If, before the restyling, the Skoda Yeti was equipped with AWD based on the fourth generation Haldex clutch, then the updated crossover is equipped with a fifth generation clutch, which is less weight, faster response and the ability to transfer up to 90% of thrust to one of the axles.
The chassis, after the update, remained the same - based on the previous generation Octavia platform.
The suspension, of course, was slightly improved and reconfigured, reorienting the car for an even more comfortable ride in urban conditions. The front end of the body rests on an independent structure with MacPherson struts, wishbones and an anti-roll bar. The rear is supported by a multi-link system with telescopic shock absorbers.
Expensive versions of the crossover receive a whole package of useful electronic assistants, among which we highlight the presence of: traction control (ASR), an assistant when starting up / downhill, road holding system (ESC) and electronic differential lock (EDS).
All wheels of the updated "Yeti" are equipped with disc brakes, while the front mechanisms are also ventilated. The rack and pinion steering gear is complemented by an electric booster.
Complete set and prices
The prices and the list of trim levels for the Skoda Yeti updated for 2014 in the Russian market became known in February. The number of complete sets remained the same: Active, Ambition and Elegance, only now the Outdoor version is available for each of them (this version increases the price by 8 ~ 10 thousand rubles).
In addition, the updated Yeti has got a decent number of auxiliary systems (offered as an option), which include: a parking aid (Optical Parking Assistant) with a rear view camera, an automatic parking system and a keyless entry and start system.
The Yeti Active crossover was offered at a price of 903 thousand rubles, the Ambition grade was available from 970 thousand rubles, and the "top Yeti" Elegance could be purchased at a price of 1,094 thousand rubles. The cost of the all-wheel drive modification of the Skoda Yeti 4 × 4 is from 1 2010 thousand rubles.
