IAB Exclusive - 2014 Skoda Yeti L with boot mounted spare wheel
Before Skoda announced the 2014 Yeti facelift prior to the Frankfurt Motor Show, prototypes were caught on test in China wearing Suzuki badges and a bootlid-mounted spare wheel. At that time, we didn't know whether the tailgate-mounted spare was part of the car, or whether it was part of the camouflage itself.
As it turns out, the Yeti facelift for China will sport a tailgate-mounted spare. Indian Autos Blog spotted this refreshed Yeti Long Wheelbase at the ongoing Guangzhou Motor Show.
The spare wheel is mounted on a separate metal arm which swings to the left-hand side and enables access to the boot. The same sort of mechanism is seen on VW's CrossFox in Brazil as well.
We also notice that Skoda has shifted the position of the registration plate enclosure from the bootlid to the rear bumper. The Yeti shown at Guangzhou was the Outdoor variant which sports a few visual features such as silver skid plates and plastic body cladding. It remains unclear whether Skoda would also introduce the Yeti Style in China, and if they do, whether a similar arrangement for the spare wheel would be followed.
The Yeti which you see here is a stretched version sporting a 2,638 mm wheelbase (as compared to the standard Yeti's 2,578 mm). Overall length has increased from 4,223 mm to 4,275 mm while the height has reduced from 1,691 mm to 1,682 mm.
