Skoda will be launching several new models over the coming years to help reach its targeted sales growth rate of 50% by the end of the decade, and one of these new models will be the Yeti SUV arriving in mid 2009. First displayed in concept form back at 2005’s Geneva Motor Show, the Yeti will be aimed at vehicles like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V but will go one step further by offering efficient diesel models.

This new rendering shows that the final production version will retain most of the lines of the concept vehicle, including the tear drop foglamps and different colored cabin surrounds.

The Yeti is tipped to share its running gear with the Octavia sedan and include several of VW Group’s most popular engines in its range. The entry level model will feature a 1.6L FSI four-cylinder, followed by two diesel engines, a 1.9L TDI and a more powerful 2.0L. The range topper will be a 2.0L turbo petrol engine.

Production will start in early 2009 at Skoda’s Kvasiny plant in the Czech Republic where the company is also readying the new Superb flagship, which you see a preview of in our earlier story.

Skoda Yeti