After Škoda presented its MPV Škoda Roomster Concept at the 2003 IAA, the response of the audience was so overwhelming that the company decided to carry out additional work not only on the vision, but also on the execution of this unusual concept.
At the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, Škoda again proved its innovative potential and gives an indication of how the brand might develop in the future. Its team of designers provides an impressive demonstration of how a small SUV might look from Škoda's perspective: The Škoda Yeti Concept is a vision of a tremendously functional and extremely compact SUV.
The times when an automobile primarily had to suit a certain purpose are long gone. Versatility, mobility and flexibility are more in demand than ever before and outdoor leisure pursuits are just part of a contemporary and active lifestyle.
The Škoda Yeti is the answer for all active people looking for a car that can take them exactly where they want to be: to hike in the mountains, ride a bike or climb rocks - outdoors.
At the same time, the Škoda Yeti is also a useful city car: with its high seats, its very good view and, last but not least, its compact dimensions, it is also convincing in an urban environment.
The Škoda Yeti could also be a sought after means of transport in countries with less than a perfect road system.
Skoda Yeti Concept
With Škoda Yeti Concept and the design interpretation of an SUV, Škoda addresses those looking for an alternative to the contemporary "modish" styling: customers, who prefer a modern, "genuine" beauty with distinctive forms.
The Study
The Škoda Yeti is a deliberate antithesis to all the big, aggressive looking off-road cars. With its front-wheel drive, including all up-to-date assisting elements, the Škoda Yeti provokes the question of whether four-wheel drive is really necessary for driving on unpaved roads.
In addition to all this, the Škoda Yeti Concept fulfils long-term goals: it assists the carmaker in evolving its own design language and drawing the right conclusions for future development from the reactions of the public. Škoda's purpose with this study is to find out whether an automobile with such looks and robustness - and enough clearance so that it can be driven "off road" as well - can be credibly produced with only front-wheel drive.
Škoda Yeti invokes a compact impression and with its rounded contours looks very friendly. Its inner space provides many interesting surprises. This is a car that needs to be explored and revealed. And those who do will also rediscover all the benefits of the Škoda brand.
A different kind of study
The Škoda Yeti is truly a study - not an anticipation of a car that could soon be mass produced. For Škoda, the Yeti is a practically oriented experiment to test the market reaction to such an SUV: Will Škoda accommodate these customers' tastes?
Outer design
With its dimensions between the A0 and A segments, the Škoda Yeti is a typical example of Škoda's product policy to place its cars at segment lines.
The car's length of about four meters contributes to the fact that the Škoda Yeti is intentionally different from the contemporary "common" design of off-road vehicles. The Yeti would have a beneficial effect on this company with its positive and self-confident character. The contemporary designation "Sport Utility Vehicle" is an exact description of this car's soul.
The future style of design, which Škoda introduced with its Roomster, reappears in the Škoda Yeti - with its overhanging windshield, a black A column and layered roof.
Compared with contemporary style, the windshield is relatively upright and the side windows have a very slight lateral inclination. The reason for this is not only the design, but also function - the car's interior is less heated by sunshine; the driver has an excellent view forward and passengers have more than adequate headroom.
The design team has also used other elements and themes from the Roomster study, e.g. the dominant, upward tapering B columns in the car's colour, with a visible angle to the body.
The Škoda Yeti's body looks good even when it is dirty or slightly dented. The beauty of the functional design is not marred by the marks of use - they were taken into account and naturally become part of the design.
The front section of the car is very compact and on the whole has a rounded and friendly look. Some elements from the Roomster's front section have been used and perfected in this study:
The architecture of the headlamps;
Large fog lamps, situated a little higher out of the danger zone for bumps;
The new version of the Škoda radiator grille.
The team of designers have made perfect use of the artistic and conceptual freedom of the study and developed a new and surprising windshield wipers mechanism. The symmetrical construction of the windshield has made it possible to head in a completely new direction with the wipers: The Škoda Yeti Concept has only one wiper. When not in use, it rests on the right A column. The wiper runs on two upper and lower parallel rails and moves very rapidly right and left across the whole width and height of the windshield.
The side view also reveals elements from the Roomster study: The A column looks like an integral part of the glass cockpit and the B column in the car's colour "grows out" at a great angle from the body.
The wide "shoulders" emphasize the car's solid appearance. The impression of stability is further evoked by the B columns as well as by slatted side mouldings perfectly integrated into the car's side profile.
The roof is immediately noticeable because of its white colour and is indented above the seats, creating an optical as well as a strengthening element. In addition, it gives more interior headroom. A glass strip in the middle of the roof allows more light to enter and gives the interior an airy and pleasant atmosphere. The roof cleats for fitting a roof rack are an especially important part of this car: They are built into the construction as an arc coming out of the A column, reaching across the whole roof and entering the rear D column.
Due to its intelligent and sophisticated design, the Škoda Yeti, as compact as it is, can be made longer if needed by tilting the luggage compartment cover - a very simple operation thanks to the two part boot door! One half tips up, the other tilts down and the floor is ready for longer loads. At the same time, the number plate tips out so that it is visible in this position even with the boot door tilted. The tilted lower part of the door can be used to transport two bicycles, or a special aluminium box made for this purpose.
To protect the interior space from dirt even in this situation, the lower part of the boot door has been designed as a double lid, and the inner part will remain in an upright position. While loading, the inner part also tips out and covers the gap between the interior floor and the tilted outer part.
The upper part of the boot door hangs on a wide central hinge with a damper integrated into the D column.
Interior
The interior is designed so that the driver can control the vehicle safely in any situation, for instance even while wearing gloves. All controls are manipulated by a simple hand movement - by push-buttons or large, stable levers.
The central console contains a cooled water container with two removable tubes for easy drinking. This detail comes from biking where cyclists also drink through tubes. From the world of sports came the idea of putting a double fastening system with snap-hooks to secure various objects conveniently and safely.
Also, the navigation system is situated in the central console. It is removable as a portable GPS unit and, therefore, can be used during outdoor activities. The purpose of the Škoda Yeti Concept is not driving on unpaved and loose terrain, but to transport passengers to places where they can explore nature on foot, on a bike or with mountain-climbing equipment.
The arrangement of the interior has been designed with just this in mind because it offers the driver exactly what is needed for driving. The carpets have been replaced by a practical plastic tray on the whole floor both in the front and rear seating space.
There are fixed luggage nets providing additional storage space both on the left and right sides of the interior.
The luggage compartment has a very practical and useful plastic floor with non-skid strips. The strips serve as contact points for cargo, while at the same time preventing the floor from being scratched.
At the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, Škoda again proved its innovative potential and gives an indication of how the brand might develop in the future. Its team of designers provides an impressive demonstration of how a small SUV might look from Škoda's perspective: The Škoda Yeti Concept is a vision of a tremendously functional and extremely compact SUV.
The times when an automobile primarily had to suit a certain purpose are long gone. Versatility, mobility and flexibility are more in demand than ever before and outdoor leisure pursuits are just part of a contemporary and active lifestyle.
The Škoda Yeti is the answer for all active people looking for a car that can take them exactly where they want to be: to hike in the mountains, ride a bike or climb rocks - outdoors.
At the same time, the Škoda Yeti is also a useful city car: with its high seats, its very good view and, last but not least, its compact dimensions, it is also convincing in an urban environment.
The Škoda Yeti could also be a sought after means of transport in countries with less than a perfect road system.
Skoda Yeti Concept
With Škoda Yeti Concept and the design interpretation of an SUV, Škoda addresses those looking for an alternative to the contemporary "modish" styling: customers, who prefer a modern, "genuine" beauty with distinctive forms.
The Study
The Škoda Yeti is a deliberate antithesis to all the big, aggressive looking off-road cars. With its front-wheel drive, including all up-to-date assisting elements, the Škoda Yeti provokes the question of whether four-wheel drive is really necessary for driving on unpaved roads.
In addition to all this, the Škoda Yeti Concept fulfils long-term goals: it assists the carmaker in evolving its own design language and drawing the right conclusions for future development from the reactions of the public. Škoda's purpose with this study is to find out whether an automobile with such looks and robustness - and enough clearance so that it can be driven "off road" as well - can be credibly produced with only front-wheel drive.
Škoda Yeti invokes a compact impression and with its rounded contours looks very friendly. Its inner space provides many interesting surprises. This is a car that needs to be explored and revealed. And those who do will also rediscover all the benefits of the Škoda brand.
A different kind of study
The Škoda Yeti is truly a study - not an anticipation of a car that could soon be mass produced. For Škoda, the Yeti is a practically oriented experiment to test the market reaction to such an SUV: Will Škoda accommodate these customers' tastes?
Outer design
With its dimensions between the A0 and A segments, the Škoda Yeti is a typical example of Škoda's product policy to place its cars at segment lines.
The car's length of about four meters contributes to the fact that the Škoda Yeti is intentionally different from the contemporary "common" design of off-road vehicles. The Yeti would have a beneficial effect on this company with its positive and self-confident character. The contemporary designation "Sport Utility Vehicle" is an exact description of this car's soul.
The future style of design, which Škoda introduced with its Roomster, reappears in the Škoda Yeti - with its overhanging windshield, a black A column and layered roof.
Compared with contemporary style, the windshield is relatively upright and the side windows have a very slight lateral inclination. The reason for this is not only the design, but also function - the car's interior is less heated by sunshine; the driver has an excellent view forward and passengers have more than adequate headroom.
The design team has also used other elements and themes from the Roomster study, e.g. the dominant, upward tapering B columns in the car's colour, with a visible angle to the body.
The Škoda Yeti's body looks good even when it is dirty or slightly dented. The beauty of the functional design is not marred by the marks of use - they were taken into account and naturally become part of the design.
The front section of the car is very compact and on the whole has a rounded and friendly look. Some elements from the Roomster's front section have been used and perfected in this study:
The architecture of the headlamps;
Large fog lamps, situated a little higher out of the danger zone for bumps;
The new version of the Škoda radiator grille.
The team of designers have made perfect use of the artistic and conceptual freedom of the study and developed a new and surprising windshield wipers mechanism. The symmetrical construction of the windshield has made it possible to head in a completely new direction with the wipers: The Škoda Yeti Concept has only one wiper. When not in use, it rests on the right A column. The wiper runs on two upper and lower parallel rails and moves very rapidly right and left across the whole width and height of the windshield.
The side view also reveals elements from the Roomster study: The A column looks like an integral part of the glass cockpit and the B column in the car's colour "grows out" at a great angle from the body.
The wide "shoulders" emphasize the car's solid appearance. The impression of stability is further evoked by the B columns as well as by slatted side mouldings perfectly integrated into the car's side profile.
The roof is immediately noticeable because of its white colour and is indented above the seats, creating an optical as well as a strengthening element. In addition, it gives more interior headroom. A glass strip in the middle of the roof allows more light to enter and gives the interior an airy and pleasant atmosphere. The roof cleats for fitting a roof rack are an especially important part of this car: They are built into the construction as an arc coming out of the A column, reaching across the whole roof and entering the rear D column.
Due to its intelligent and sophisticated design, the Škoda Yeti, as compact as it is, can be made longer if needed by tilting the luggage compartment cover - a very simple operation thanks to the two part boot door! One half tips up, the other tilts down and the floor is ready for longer loads. At the same time, the number plate tips out so that it is visible in this position even with the boot door tilted. The tilted lower part of the door can be used to transport two bicycles, or a special aluminium box made for this purpose.
To protect the interior space from dirt even in this situation, the lower part of the boot door has been designed as a double lid, and the inner part will remain in an upright position. While loading, the inner part also tips out and covers the gap between the interior floor and the tilted outer part.
The upper part of the boot door hangs on a wide central hinge with a damper integrated into the D column.
Interior
The interior is designed so that the driver can control the vehicle safely in any situation, for instance even while wearing gloves. All controls are manipulated by a simple hand movement - by push-buttons or large, stable levers.
The central console contains a cooled water container with two removable tubes for easy drinking. This detail comes from biking where cyclists also drink through tubes. From the world of sports came the idea of putting a double fastening system with snap-hooks to secure various objects conveniently and safely.
Also, the navigation system is situated in the central console. It is removable as a portable GPS unit and, therefore, can be used during outdoor activities. The purpose of the Škoda Yeti Concept is not driving on unpaved and loose terrain, but to transport passengers to places where they can explore nature on foot, on a bike or with mountain-climbing equipment.
The arrangement of the interior has been designed with just this in mind because it offers the driver exactly what is needed for driving. The carpets have been replaced by a practical plastic tray on the whole floor both in the front and rear seating space.
There are fixed luggage nets providing additional storage space both on the left and right sides of the interior.
The luggage compartment has a very practical and useful plastic floor with non-skid strips. The strips serve as contact points for cargo, while at the same time preventing the floor from being scratched.