For Skoda, the Yeti was a very important product. Not only was it his first SUV, but it was also one of the products that most contributed to transforming his brand image into what it is today. The Yeti was based on the PQ35 platform of the Volkswagen Golf Mk5, it had a design with a lot of personality and it was also a tremendously practical car. What we did not know is that around 2012-2013, the Czech brand seriously valued the possibility of building a pick-up based on the Skoda Yeti.
The time was not the best to carry out experiments of doubtful profitability, and we understand that it was possibly one of the reasons the Yeti Pick Up never saw the light of day. Until just a few days ago, only some Skoda workers knew of its existence. As mentioned in Carscoops, down to the B-pillar, it was identical to any other Skoda Yeti. Towards the rear, its wheelbase was extended to 3,006 mm, almost half a meter more than the standard figure.
Skoda also went on to develop, but not sell, a long-wheelbase version of the Yeti for the Chinese market.
axle, suspension and other rear undercarriage items are from a Volkswagen Caddy. Much of the cabin was removed, and Skoda designed ad-hoc body panels, as well as a tailgate with interesting lettering on its underside. If you find the product to be very “final” looking, it is because this vehicle could have been mass-produced as you are viewing it. Being a two-seater vehicle and having a considerable rear overhang, had a surprisingly long cargo bed: 1.94 meters long. The cargo space was 1.17 meters wide and 63 centimeters deep.
The mechanics of this monocoque pick-up was a 2.0 TDI engine, as surely will not surprise you. It had 170 horsepower and sent its power to a 4×4 system based on a Haldex coupling, identical to the rest of Skoda Yeti. Although it was never produced, it would have been an ideal alternative to many other pick-ups, with greater 4×4 abilities and carrying capacity, but also much more expensive. An ideal vehicle for some jobs, but also for leisure, for example to transport motorcycles or canoes.
During its eight years on sale, some 630,000 units of the Skoda Yeti were sold.
And if it seems strange to you that Skoda manufactured a pick-up, remember that in the nineties, the Czech brand manufactured and sold the interesting Skoda Favorit Pick-Up and the delicious Skoda Felicia Fun, which we will talk about another day.
