Aside from the frugal Greenline edition of the Octavia, Skoda chose the 2013 edition of the Frankfurt motor show to reveal two world premieres in the metal. One is the refreshed Yeti, while the other is the all-new Rapid Spaceback.
We’ve seen both these cars already, courtesy of the official studio shots, so it will be interesting to see what information is added at the show. It’s “the largest model offensive in the company’s history confirms ŠKODA’s position as a high-volume brand in international automobile markets,” according to the company CEO Winfried Vahland.
Of the two, the Rapid Spaceback is of more interest to us, simply because it is basically an all-new model, and so far, we say it’s the most stylish addition to the Skoda range, particularly with the optional full-length glass roof, and available matching blacked-out tailgate. It has a much more natural overall shape than the sedan too, and while the latter will sell in Russia and some eastern markets, we say it’s the Spaceback that will really make its mark in the more central and western parts of Europe, in its core markets.
The Yeti loses its slightly awkward headlight design up front, and designers opted instead for a more subdued, classy look, much more reminiscent of VWs, as well as the rest of the Skoda range. In addition, now buyers can specify whether they want a city-oriented version of the Yeti, or one that they actually plan to give a harder life to – now there’s a special version for that, dubbed Yeti Outdoor. It ditches visible design elements, and replaces many painted details with bare matte plastic, to make it hardier and tougher to scratch.
By Andrei Nedelea
SKODA RAPID SPACEBACK 
SKODA YETI FACELIFT 
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