With all the benefits of a 4×4 vehicle combined with the practicality of a family hatchback, the Skoda Yeti has been making light work of the UK’s treacherous weather conditions thanks to its ability to tackle rough terrain and wintry conditions.

Robert Hazelwood, Skoda UK Director explains: “No one could have expected the snowy conditions we have experienced so far this year and with more forecast until the end of January, having suitable transport to get around is essential. The Skoda Yeti is a versatile family car no matter what the weather.”

The Skoda Yeti combines safety, comfort and bold styling in a car that drivers and their families will love to own. It is available in front-wheel or four-wheel drive, in a choice of five diesel or petrol engines and four trim levels.

Equipment levels are high across the range with electric front windows and CD player, air conditioning, six airbags and Skoda’s hugely practical Varioflex seating standard on all models. Add the practicality of frugal fuel consumption and low emissions to Skoda’s great value and family-friendly touches, and it’s clear why the Skoda Yeti is the car of choice all year round.

Despite the misery that the winter weather is causing on roads across the country, families still managed to enjoy some good old fashioned fun in the snow over the weekend. During a snowball fight, one family were joined by a surprise playmate as the rarely seen furry Yeti frolicked in the snow with them, throwing snowballs and making snow angels.

The Skoda Yeti is priced from £13,990 and was named ‘Family Car of the Year 2009′ in the Top Gear Awards.

source: carpages.co.uk

Robert Hazelwood, Skoda UK Director explains: “Skoda sold more cars in the UK this year than last, which is especially significant in the economic conditions we’ve all faced this year. We are a brand that delivers great quality cars at outstanding value for money for the consumer. The excellent care that our retailers deliver to their customers is another reason that more and more people are choosing Skoda.”

“We were quick to take hold of the opportunity afforded by the government’s scrappage programme, making it even more attractive for customers. As a result, we have sold over 10,000 cars through the scrappage programme since it began.

“With more new product arriving in 2010, starting with the elegant new Superb Estate, I believe Skoda will continue to provide the design, value and service that consumers across the UK desire.”

The new decade looks set to continue the upwards trend with 2010 being the first full year for sales of both the Skoda Yeti – Top Gear magazine’s Best Family Car 2009, shortlisted for European Car of the Year – and the new Skoda Superb estate, Top Gear magazine’s Best Luxury Car 2009, to be launched in February 2010.

Skoda’s five-car range includes the top-selling Skoda Fabia supermini with over 18,500 sales in 2009, followed by the Skoda Octavia, with more than 13,800 sales last year. The luxurious Skoda Superb exceeded all expectations in its first full year of sales with more than 2,600 registered. Since its launch in September 2009, Skoda has sold nearly 700 Skoda Yetis.

One of the keys to Skoda’s success, great customer service, continues to be demonstrated by the brand being placed top of the Auto Express Driver Power Survey and fourth in the J D Power Study of Customer Satisfaction, a survey in which Skoda has placed in the Top Five for the last 14 years.

With 2010 starting with Skoda’s most comprehensive and competitive range of cars ever and its largest order bank to date, the new decade is shaping up to be even more successful than the last.

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.

Auto Express has learned that the car will be available only in five-door form when it reaches showrooms in early 2009. Buyers will be offered a choice of front-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive versions as Skoda targets the likes of the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. The engine range is set to include the latest turbo­charged and supercharged petrol motors from parent firm VW.

Dr Eckhard Scholz, Skoda’s head of technical development, revealed that the Czech manufacturer’s next project is a large MPV, which is likely to arrive in the next 18 months. ”The Yeti will be a Skoda take on the SUV, and our other new car will do the same for people carriers,” he said. At the same time, Scholz revealed that Volkswagen engineers have started development of a stop-start system, similar to the technology in BMW’s Efficient Dyna­mics package. This will be available on models across the VW Group ranges in the next year.