This will be built next to Yeti II

[x19]

It's probably me, but all these latest SUV's seem to have the "squashed" look, I.e. As if something large has landed on the roof. I first noticed it with the Evoque but now they all seem to have it.

One of the reasons I like the Yeti is for its square boxy shape which is ideal, if like me, the rear seats are virtually permanently removed and it is used for load carrying.

Never been one for style over practicality but I suspect I'm in the very small minority.

Actually, I'd probably be better off with a van.

[bilun777]

+1.

It's hardly  practical with what look like 24" wheels and a rear window slope of about 60 degrees.

A cheaper alternative to an Evoque or a more stylish Juke?....

[clv101]

Are they any technical advantages to huge wheels?

[900000]

Are they any technical advantages to huge wheels?

 

Only to your eyes as you look at them. For the rest they are expensive with expensive rubber, are heavy, tramline easily and generally ruin the ride.

[Sporky McGuffin]

Unless you plan on entering Monster Jam.

[looby]

http://www.carscoops.com/2015/03/skoda-rolls-out-suv-test-mule-will.html

[900000]

http://www.carscoops.com/2015/03/skoda-rolls-out-suv-test-mule-will.html

 

I really dig the proportions of that mule...  the extra wide wheelarches, the stretched LWB Chinese body...  Love it! And it's called an Amundsen.  Bless.

 

[900000]

And also note how much longer they made the glass (and thus the boot) behind the rear doors.  It is not just a standard Chinese body on the new MQB chassis.  The whole rear was made longer:

 

Standard Chinese body:

 

 

The mule:

 

 

This should always have been the seven seater sized Yeti we should have had as an option over the very short tiny one we know - with a decent sized boot.

[speedsport]

You can see the vertical cut line on the rear passenger door where they've lengthened it, which suggests it's not based on the Chinese panel pressing.

No obvious join under the rear side window though.

The attention to detail on this mule is extraordinary (discounting that join in the door). The way the bumper fits the wide arches looks perfect, the roof rails show no evidence of a lash up job, the plastic cills show no evidence of having been lengthened, the longer window appears to be bonded in as glass, not polycarbonate as is often used in test mules. That's all very expensive stuff to achieve for a small run of test vehicles.

 

I just hope they keep the vertical hatch to maintain useability of the boot space, and to give a nice cover when you stand under it on a rainy day!

 

All in all... I like it!

[900000]

You can see the vertical cut line on the rear passenger door where they've lengthened it, which suggests it's not based on the Chinese panel pressing.

No obvious join under the rear side window though.

The attention to detail on this mule is extraordinary (discounting that join in the door). The way the bumper fits the wide arches looks perfect, the roof rails show no evidence of a lash up job, the plastic cills show no evidence of having been lengthened, the longer window appears to be bonded in as glass, not polycarbonate as is often used in test mules. That's all very expensive stuff to achieve for a small run of test vehicles.

 

I just hope they keep the vertical hatch to maintain useability of the boot space, and to give a nice cover when you stand under it on a rainy day!

 

All in all... I like it!

 

It's quite an impressive mule yes but don't read ANYTHING in that shape. It means nothing. It is just a very well made Yeti mule body over the new chassis. The more it looks like a real Yeti the more testing they can do, so the it bears NO resemblance at all to the next Yeti II or the Snowman.

Just look at this Maserati SUV mule as an example of how weird mules can be. 

[Llanigraham]

This was a brilliant mule!

https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=675&q=freelander+mule&oq=freelander+mule&gs_l=img.12...1111.6395.0.10195.15.10.0.5.5.0.173.701.9j1.10.0.msedr...0...1ac.1.62.img..2.13.722.kjrue183iUA#imgdii=_&imgrc=eeAlwZ6u1nkV9M%253A%3Bqp7S6KUcDdvRsM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.dunsfoldcollection.co.uk%252Fimg%252Fgallery%252Fmule-prototype-cb40-brake-test-hack%252Flarge%252F3.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.dunsfoldcollection.co.uk%252Fcollection%252Ffreelander%252Fmule-prototype-cb40-brake-test-hack%3B1000%3B666

[x19]

It's quite an impressive mule yes but don't read ANYTHING in that shape. It means nothing. It is just a very well made Yeti mule body over the new chassis. The more it looks like a real Yeti the more testing they can do, so the it bears NO resemblance at all to the next Yeti II or the Snowman.

Just look at this Maserati SUV mule as an example of how weird mules can be.

That's a real shame because if the final version was like that, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.

[RapidRonnie]

You can see the vertical cut line on the rear passenger door where they've lengthened it, which suggests it's not based on the Chinese panel pressing.

No obvious join under the rear side window though.

The attention to detail on this mule is extraordinary (discounting that join in the door). The way the bumper fits the wide arches looks perfect, the roof rails show no evidence of a lash up job, the plastic cills show no evidence of having been lengthened, the longer window appears to be bonded in as glass, not polycarbonate as is often used in test mules. That's all very expensive stuff to achieve for a small run of test vehicles.

 

I just hope they keep the vertical hatch to maintain useability of the boot space, and to give a nice cover when you stand under it on a rainy day!

 

All in all... I like it!

 

Skoda are very good at hand building bodies for concept cars / test mules e.t.c.

 

They built the first Bentley Continental prototypes too

[Ryeman]

I'm thinking the next model will ditch the lovely heavy doors bonnet and hatch for much lighter ones like the plastic hatch and aluminium bonnet our Pug.

The Pug's light weight doors close with a satisfying thunk unlike the Qashqai which have a cheap feel.

Weight reduction and fuel economy improvement are obvious areas for the new model which can then placard lower consumption.

It won't worry me in the country as I do v little stop/start driving and love it's, now, old fashioned heft.

Put the Pug engine in it though and I might have second thoughts about diesel.

[Ryeman]

The latest edition of 'Drive' claims the Skoda A-Plus SUV "may" appear at the 2015 Frankfurt with availability from 2016! (MY2017?)

and in 5 or 7 seat option.

Styling influenced by the new Superb.......

Edited 13 March, 2015 by Ryeman

[900000]

A few more outdoor photos of the SEAT concept:

 

http://www.autobild.de/bilder/seat-suv-studie-20v20-2015-fahrbericht-5694768.html#bild1

 

Also this with an actual drivers gives it a bit of scale:

 

 

 

 

 

It doesn't look so huge next to a person.

[silver1011]

I really dig the proportions of that mule...  the extra wide wheelarches, the stretched LWB Chinese body...  Love it! And it's called an Amundsen.  Bless.

 

 

This will appeal to many of the Octavia Scout owners out there, me included.

 

What we need next is a picture of the boot!

[Ryeman]

All Yeti competitors look pretty much the same to me.

The Yeti is the only instantly recognisable vehicle to me, particularly the original.

[Liobian]

It seems strange that this Leon SUV would be built by Skoda.

The side view bears more than a passing resemblance to the Audi Q3, which has been built at the SEAT plant

at Matorell in Catalonia since 2011. (SEAT have also designed & developed some of the Audi model range)

This plant has a capacity of 500,000+ units/year, makes the whole SEAT model range, plus there's plenty

of room for expansion.

With the new Leon, Leon SUV, new Q3, and new Yeti all to be built on the same new Golf MQB platform,

it makes more sense to build all of these SUVs at Matorell and achieve the economies of scale.

Just imagine it - a Spanish Yeti- "Hombre de la nieve abominable"!

Edited 31 March, 2015 by Liobian

[900000]

Just imagine it - a Spanish Yeti- "Hombre de la nieve abominable"!

 

 

Look at the JD Power lists and the Auto Express Driver power survey and trust me you don't want to own a Spanish built car - the bottom of the bottom of those lists are always the French cars and mostly the likes built in Spain, like the Ford S-Max and Galaxy.  So a Spanish Yeti? No thanks. Though in saying that the Q3 is not badly built - so I guess a Spanish Yeti would be ok.  But its a moot point. Both Martorell and Kvasiny bid for the SEAT/Yeti contract and the Škoda plant won.

[yetifabia]

The more I see it the more I like it.  It will be interesting to see how close this is to Yeti2.  I'm wondering if this signals a move to pure badge engineering?

[900000]

The more I see it the more I like it.  It will be interesting to see how close this is to Yeti2.  I'm wondering if this signals a move to pure badge engineering?

 

NO!  You won't ever see pure badge engineering again as that never works.  Note the SEAT Exeo that was a badge engineered Audi A4 FLOP. Nope, no brand will ever do a pure badge engineered car again as people just don't like something that is not what it seems. They don't care that the oily bits in their Audi A3 is really that of a Golf because at least it doesn't look like a Golf. But something that looks like an Audi with SEAT badges, etc. Nope.

[yetifabia]

Sorry Johann, could you be a bit more definite with your answer

[Dr Zoidberg]

NO!  You won't ever see pure badge engineering again as that never works.  Note the SEAT Exeo that was a badge engineered Audi A4 FLOP.

The Exeo failed because it was already old hat when launched, and the emissions and tech were behind the competition - both important factors for the target audience.

Badge engineering works just fine on the UpMiiGo where it's a good modern car.

That said, I don't expect the Yeti 2 and its Seat equivalent to be the same - they'll be like the Leon and Octavia where you can see the differences as much as the similarities.

[Llanigraham]

Sinclair Skoda have just put the same photo on their FB page.

I've commented that this is JUST a mule, not the car!