The Yeti Facelift - December

[Expatman]

Details of the 'new' version of the Yeti are in today's Auto Express magazine. It says it will debut in late 2013 and before going on sale in 2014. Styling is the biggest change. Aspects of the Rapid and new Octavia will be obvious in the Yeti's front end design including more rectangular headlights, a sculpted bonnet and angular grille. There will be updated 1.2 104hp TSI and 1.4 120hp ACT petrol engines. A greenline model with the updated 1.6TDI with CO2 emissions down to under 100g/km. There will also be touch screen infotainment system in line with the new Octavia. The interior will get some new materials to help boost it's high-quality feel. New technology will also be added including adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and fatigue detection systems.

There are more widespread changes planned for 2016 when an all-new Yeti will emerge. It will get a new platform which will be a variation of the MQB chassis that underpins the Octavia and Golf.

BUT - it is only their impression of what the face lifted Yeti will look like, quote:- "our exclusive image shows how the newcomer could look". Seems to me their image combines many of the ideas floated on this forum over the last couple of years and I really question whether Skoda would change so many panels for a facelift?

Incidentally the "new" front is my worst fear, anodyne, anonymous, and boring.

[speedsport]

And isn't that the (now painted) LWB China only Yeti? The rear passenger door looks longer than our version.

China want the rear doors to be longer to give more foot room for rear seat passengers as they get in & out of the car. Apparently it is perceived that the gap between the front of the outer front seats & the B pillar is far too short for the Chinese market. In the unlikely event of it being brought to the UK, it would also make the car more interesting to private hire operators, as this is a concern for them too.

Presumably it would also instantly solve the problematic "Jumbo Box fouling the folded centre rear seat" issue.

Edited 9 January, 2013 by speedsport

[MCAMRA]

As long as does not have the same wired/boring/unimaginintive look as the new Skoda Rapid or the forthcoming Octavia III, I will be happy.

Couple of Screws/glue (or whatever they use) to hold the dashboard down properly so it does not rattle/shake...annoy. New seals around the door so it does not creak....and simply replace the plastic glass around the spedo/rev counter with ones that are not scratched from the POS. Sought that out and I will buy another.

[Llanigraham]

Funny isn't it; mine's done 58k miles and the dash doesn't rattle at all! Nor is it scratched.

[prodata]

Who knows, your wish just might be granted, if this is to be believed: http://indianautosbl...are-wheel-59192

Hopefully not - that would guarantee I would not buy another Yeti.

[The Hood]

I'm happy with mine as it is, no rattles, creaks, clonks or scratches, not a drop of oil used and just over 12K miles in 11 months. I rather like it's Odd looks it makes it different to all the other cloned SUV's.

The only change I would make is through my own mistake, I would have a heated screen. If it aint broke don't fix it.

[Zib]

I thought I was old and nerdy, now I know I am

The fuel tank in the 4x4 is bigger because the fuel consumption is higher?

Auto hold - use the handbrake and avoid rear light glare.

0.5*C :wonder: , I'm just getting used to a heater that isn't either on or off - climate control is very clever, but can you seriously detect 0.5*C difference in temperature

When we bought the car, we tried it out beforehand, examined all the bits, and decided we wanted a SE model. If you want all these luxuries, get another specced vehicle!!

The topic was about "what would you like to see"...

If you do 600 mile journeys as I sometimes do, a large tank is very useful, especially at the dead of night when most more reasonable filling stations are closed. Sadly, none of the DSG options are particularly economical.

If you use the handbrake with DSG in D mode, you can feel the car trying to pull strongly against it. The manual says "When the engine is running and the vehicle is stationary, it is necessary to hold the car with the brake pedal in all the positions of the selector lever (except P and N) since the power transmission is never completely interrupted." Without wearing the clutches in the box, you can only use the handbrake if you also put the car into N, and then to go back to D, you not only have to move the selector, but you also have to depress the brake pedal. In contrast, auto-hold does away with all of this: it just holds the car stationary (without illuminating the brake lights) until the accelerator is touched.

And by the way, most cars with climate control do adjust in half degree increments. Yes, I certainly do notice. Even my previous 8 year old Ibiza had this level of control. And yes, I did know about this before buying!

[oldstan]

The topic was about "what would you like to see"...

If you do 600 mile journeys as I sometimes do, a large tank is very useful, especially at the dead of night when most more reasonable filling stations are closed. Sadly, none of the DSG options are particularly economical.

If you use the handbrake with DSG in D mode, you can feel the car trying to pull strongly against it. The manual says "When the engine is running and the vehicle is stationary, it is necessary to hold the car with the brake pedal in all the positions of the selector lever (except P and N) since the power transmission is never completely interrupted." Without wearing the clutches in the box, you can only use the handbrake if you also put the car into N, and then to go back to D, you not only have to move the selector, but you also have to depress the brake pedal. In contrast, auto-hold does away with all of this: it just holds the car stationary (without illuminating the brake lights) until the accelerator is touched.

Not a complaint from me, but I do agree that the car is ... car trying to pull strongly against it.. as you say, when sitting at the lights. Rightly or wrongly I just nudge it in to neutral whilst waiting for the lights to change and flick it back in to 'drive' just before the change. As others have mentioned, the handbrake does take a firm (stiff) pull to get it fully on and I absolutely refuse to sit with my foot on the footbrake whilst waiting.

The Citigo was a complete contrast, of course, as it has no creep at all.

[Zib]

Rightly or wrongly I just nudge it in to neutral whilst waiting for the lights to change and flick it back in to 'drive' just before the change.

I do the same. But VAG have had a better solution for years. However, even the Audi A1 and VW Golf have the same issue.

[Freshacre]

Who knows, your wish just might be granted, if this is to be believed: http://indianautosbl...are-wheel-59192

THis looks like it has just done a huge dump in its nappy - and no, I'm not off into the corner as I see enough dogs every day, thanks.

It was suggested that the hump back appearance suggesting a wheel on the tailgate was merely a decoy??????

[Llanigraham]

Of course it is. There is no possible way anyone could lift the tailgate with a tyre and wheel that size on it!!

[Freshacre]

Of course it is. There is no possible way anyone could lift the tailgate with a tyre and wheel that size on it!!

Doh!

But it might open sidey-ways, Graham!

[Llanigraham]

Nah!

It's a fake to discuise the back end.

[BigHusky]

http://www.newsstand.co.uk/182-General-Car-Magazines/4392-Subscribe-to-AUTO-EXPRESS-Magazine-Subscription.aspx

OK this is Auto Express latest cover with the facelift Yeti.

Would AE be so bold as to just guess this facelift, or is this the real mcoy? I guess we will all find out soon enough? I'm guessing the fogs lights are in the black plastic cladding? Though the back end looks too rounded?

If (it's a BIG IF) this is it, personally I like it

[Truthseeker]

Doh!

But it might open sidey-ways, Graham!

Could be, as the LWB Chinese version could come with 2 (folding) extra seats in the rear, therefore an internal stowed spare would be a no-no.

[BossFox]

http://www.newsstand...bscription.aspx

OK this is Auto Express latest cover with the facelift Yeti.

Would AE be so bold as to just guess this facelift, or is this the real mcoy? I guess we will all find out soon enough? I'm guessing the fogs lights are in the black plastic cladding? Though the back end looks too rounded?

If (it's a BIG IF) this is it, personally I like it

If it says "exclusive image" it usually means photoshop.

Usually accompanied by the words "Our images show what it could look like".

I personally like the magazine, but they do a fair number of guesswork images.

[BossFox]

The AE cover looks like the same image that's been floating around for a year of the white one with a Tiguan-type body with the later face grafted on.

[RapidRonnie]

The Auto Express cover is totally unrealistic for the facelift. Some of the front end cues might be the same but the whole shape of the car seems to be different, including C-pillar.

That looks more realistic for the Yeti2 maybe...

[900000]

The Auto Express cover is totally unrealistic for the facelift. Some of the front end cues might be the same but the whole shape of the car seems to be different, including C-pillar.

That looks more realistic for the Yeti2 maybe...

100% agree. That might be the Yeti II. But the facelift in December will not lose the B-pillars or have such a radically different design at the base of the A-pillar where the bonnet meets the fender and glass. The nose design might be correct. At least it now has some extra ruggedness in the lower bumper (albeit sans fog lamps!) vs the previous offerings we've seen (which have just been Rapid faces grafted on Tiguans and if we were lucky grafted on a Yeti).

[Yeti_Man]

Pah, theres plenty of room available on that design to retain the round fogs/DRL's!

[Duck_Pond]

Not sure if any of these have been added since my Yeti was made (59) but I'd like to see

• Better wing mirrors - not larger, but with the curved glass / blind-spot feature. My 54 plate Fabia had that.
  
• Less fiddly heater controls - the fan direction buttons are too small and low down.
  
• Better lights in the boot.
  
• Middle rear seat that slides forward like the ones either side. For those of us with a spare wheel, this would help increase the boot size uniformly.
  
• Thicker paint, though I can't see that happening. Chips too easily...
  

[MCAMRA]

Funny isn't it; mine's done 58k miles and the dash doesn't rattle at all! Nor is it scratched.

There are a number of threads I have seen on this forum related to the plastic glass spedo/rev counter lens being scratched from POS. At first I thought that I had scratched them myself whilst cleaning, but given that other people have the same issue, suggests that this a quality control issue on some batches of Yeti. (You have to look at the lens in direct sunlight to see the scratches, it looks like the lens has been cleaned with wire wool) The same argument applies with creaking door seals, some people have the problem some do not.

A lot of people say their Yeti rattle in various places across the dashboard. Just because your car does not rattle or have any of these problems does not mean that there is not a wider issue with quality control. I like the car a lot and on balance the pros outweigh the cons. Nevertheless, interior build quality (as stated many times on this forum) is not the best. I think that is where Skoda should start with any upgrade rather than pointlessly changing the exterior of the car to make it look like every other SUV on the market.

[manxskoda]

Don,t know about the AE cover story, but the Used Yeti article inside is well worth a read. Best ever report I,ve read in a long time.

[yetiscot]

Regarding build quality and those type of issues my car has been fine so far and certainly much better than the Citroen I traded in. It is true that no-one is going to point out that everything is hunky dory as a matter of course-- generally it's only when things go wrong that we will see postings. Fair enough ,but there are very few complaints and I think the car is generally well screwed together already.

As far as the things that need improving are IMHO :

The centre arm rest is far too low- for me anyway

I would like to something more elegant than bungy cords to retain the rear seats when folded

Skoda must offer a factory fit towbar option in the UK

The middle seat folding carryon needs a better design

Better halogen lights

Steel 16" wheels as a standard option at a discounted rate with nice wheel trims instead

What about a proper skinny spacesaver tyre to save space in the boot--what we have at the moment is a bit of a weird compromise which gives the worst of both worlds--low max speed and takes up a load of room in the boot

[Truthseeker]

Armrest is height adjustable.