莲花直播

This is the Skoda Yeti. It鈥檚 the predecessor to the Karoq SUV we know today, and I remember watching Jeremy Clarkson鈥檚 review of it on Top Gear way back in 2009 and falling in love with this quirky-looking family car.

During that film Clarkson subjected the Yeti to a lot of gruelling tests. He drove it through a burning building, had an entire crew of firefighters run through the interior and, most famously, had someone land a helicopter on the roof.

It was one of my favourite road tests on the show, so when I saw that very Skoda Yeti at an event recently, I had to take the chance to take it out for a drive.

But first, what exactly is the Skoda Yeti? Well if you were to explain it over the phone to someone, they may think it was quite boring. It鈥檚 a boxy, practical and comfy MPV with flexible seating inside and loads of storage.

But when you鈥檙e standing in front of it, the Yeti looks plain cool. It has a rugged vibe with the black cladding, and those round headlights add character 鈥� something which was disappointingly removed for a mid-life facelift in 2014.

You could also get a four-wheel drive version which had decent off-road ability, as well as a decent range of petrol and diesel engines. This one is the 1.8-litre petrol 4X4 with a six-speed manual gearbox, meaning it has 160hp on tap and will do 0-60mph in 8.4 seconds.

It feels punchy enough, and the four-wheel drive system gives you plenty of grip through the corners. As you鈥檇 expect, it doesn鈥檛 feel like a sports car on a country road, however it doesn鈥檛 lean too much and it does give you the confidence to get a shift on.

The Yeti is comfortable as well, with subtle suspension soaking up bumps in the road. I also loved the way this doesn鈥檛 feel like a big car to drive, despite its cavernous interior. You get great visibility thanks to the vast windows, and the light steering makes it easy to manoeuvre in town.

Inside you get a 416-litre boot. That doesn鈥檛 sound massively impressive on paper 鈥� a new Skoda Karoq gets 521 litres of space 鈥� but the Yeti鈥檚 shape makes it easy to make use of every inch of space. It鈥檚 almost perfectly square with no load lip, and the floor is nice and low which makes it easy to haul heavy items in.

The rear seats can also fold down, roll forward or be removed completely to turn your Yeti into a van. With the seats in place you have loads of rear legroom and headroom, and you passengers can also recline for added comfort.

To me, the Yeti was the embodiment of Skoda鈥檚 鈥淪imply Clever鈥� mantra. It was designed with practicality and ease of use at the forefront, but Skoda also managed to make it look cool and pack it full of charm and character. Even the name puts a smile on your face. Imagine saying you drive a Yeti with a frown.

The Skoda Yeti ran from 2009 to 2017 before it went extinct and was indirectly replaced by the much more conventional-looking Skoda Karoq. It may be a hugely practical SUV, but the Karoq never really captured the Yeti鈥檚 spirit for me.

There鈥檚 a simple reason for this, and that鈥檚 customer demand. The Yeti may have been a hugely popular car, with Skoda shifting nearly 700,000 of them worldwide, but by 2018 buyers had got a taste for SUVs and Skoda wanted a model which was better aligned with cars like the Kodiaq.

If you fancy a Yeti in 2025, there are loads for sale on the second hand market. Prices through 莲花直播 start from just over 拢5,000 for a 2013 model rising to around 拢12,000 for a late 2017 car with low miles.

A used Skoda Yeti would make a fantastic family car for taking on adventures, and it has a charm which is almost impossible not to love. I鈥檝e almost talked myself into buying one after seeing what great value they are these days.

Car change? 莲花直播!

Looking for a new set of wheels? With 莲花直播 you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price 鈥� as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you鈥檙e looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, 莲花直播 is your one stop shop for new car deals.

Click to follow us on WhatsApp, where you can keep up-to-date with all the latest news, reviews, advice guides and videos.