Yeti rolls out of Skoda plant

The first Skoda Yeti rolled off the assembly line at Skoda's Kvasiny, Czech Republic plant on Tuesday 12th May 2009. With the start of series production, Skoda has officially introduced its fifth model line and entered the crossover segment. The very first Yeti spotted leaving the production hall was an Aqua Blue, four-wheel drive model, fitted with a 1.8 TSI engine.

Earlier, Skoda performed a number of final pre-production tests. One of the last test stages took place in the area around Oslo, Norway, which offered a variety of road surfaces similar to those seen in all European countries and most of the key regions outside Europe.

The test team used the diversity of roads and weather conditions to check some of the key systems, such as the driving stability system, ventilation and air conditioning system performance. The tests provided valuable information about the interaction between the respective control units, the chassis parameters and acoustic comfort, as well as the characteristics of the off-road systems.

The vehicles tested in Oslo were a 1.8 TSI petrol and a 2.0 TDI diesel, both 4x4 models. The drivers tested the vehicles' behaviour on forest roads, as well as on an extreme downhill course using the downhill assistant, a new function enabling the driver to go down extremely steep hills in complete control.

The Yeti has a ground clearance of 180 mm, and features a fourth-generation Haldex clutch system, enabling it to tackle difficult terrain.