VIDEO: Skoda Yeti SUV Filmed in Norway

Volkswagen Group owned Skoda has published a new video of its first-ever dedicated proposal in the compact crossover segment, the Yeti, filmed during the final-preproduction tests that took place in the area around Oslo, Norway. The vehicles tested in Oslo were a 1.8 TSI petrol and a 2.0 TDI diesel, both 4x4 models.

The very first series-production Yeti, a four-wheel drive model fitted with a 1.8 TSI engine, rolled off Skoda's assembly line at the Kvasiny plant in the Czech Republic on Tuesday 12 May 2009. Sales of Skoda's RAV4 rivaling crossover are set to start across Europe this summer.

Skoda's Yeti Compact SUV with 4x4 finally revealed

It took Skoda more than four years and two concept studies, but Volkswagen's Czech subsidiary finally managed to unveil the production version of the Yeti at this week's Geneva Salon. When it goes on sale across Europe this summer, the Yeti compact SUV will be Skoda's fifth model competing against rivals such as the Ford Kuga, Toyota RAV4 and even VW's very own Tiguan.

Skoda's designers kept close to the original concept in terms of styling though they did replace the hidden rear door handles with conventional ones. Compared to its rivals, the 4.2 metre long, five-door vehicle looks less robust and more 'crossoverish'.

The Czech company claims that the Yeti is quite practical offering up to 1760 litres in luggage space by removing the rear seats while a luggage cover and net as well as lashing rings are available to secure the load

Available exclusively with turbocharged 4-cylinder engines, the range consists of two petrol units (1.2 TSI with 102HP and 1.8 TSI with 160HP) and three diesel variants (2.0 TDI with a power output of 110, 140 and 170HP). Aside from the 1.2-liter TSI which is offered only with a front-wheel drive layout, all the other powerplants come with four-wheel drive.

Skoda Yeti SUV: Production Model to Make World Debut in Geneva

Volkswagen's Czech subsidiary, Skoda, has finally decided to unveil the production version of the Yeti compact SUV which was first seen as a concept at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show. Other than it will be heavily based upon the concept model, Skoda did not disclose information or photos of its first ever SUV model that will go on sale in Europe this year. Speculation has it that the Yeti will borrow some key modules from VW's Golf-based Tiguan SUV mixing them with hardware sourced from other models within the German group.