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Skoda's popular Yeti headed for a facelift

One of our favorite European runabouts is officially due for an update. Skoda designers and engineers are hard at work refreshing the company's Yeti, and our spy photographers spotted the updated vehicle out for testing. A new front fascia looks to be part of the package, complete with larger air inlets and a redesigned grille similar to what we've seen on the Skoda Rapid. Designers have also reworked the small crossover's headlights up front, while the rear now wears new taillamp arrays and and fresh valance. None of the changes are Earth-moving by any means, but they should help keep the well-received Yeti competitive until the next-generation comes along.
So far, there's no solid word on exactly what engine options Skoda will put under the hood, though with a range of fresh powerplants behind a number of the company's other models, the manufacturer could easily spruce up the option sheet.

Watch Skoda's Mikkelsen get quizzed while running a rally stage

If there's one trait all motorsports drivers have, it's an excellent ability to multitask. Sure, the pilots need to be able to keep an eye on the course and keep their vehicles pointed in the right direction. But that's not all.
Drivers also need to be in constant contact with either a navigator, a spotter or a pit chief while simultaneously making sure their car doesn't go supernova on the course. Skoda recently put driver Andreas Mikkelsen's multitasking skills to the test by giving him a pop quiz while he was slinging his IRC rally car around the Millbrook race track.
With questions covering topics ranging from rally history to import/export trivia, Mikkelson had his work cut out for him, but he handles the rapid-fire Q&A like a champ. Well, except for that question about Ukrainian pork. You can check out the video for yourself below.

Why are these new Skoda models getting crushed?

The massive number of safety devices, explosives, electronics and construction materials in modern cars means that extricating someone from a wrecked vehicle is no longer just a matter of a Sawzall and twelve minutes. Carmakers work with first responders so that the men and women who save lives can actually figure out how to get to the lives in question without doing further damage to the people inside or themselves.
And that's apparently what's happening in the three videos below: Škoda gave rescuers in the Czech Republic a Superb, Octavia and Yeti to practice on, and the fire team used some heavy machinery to bash things up a bit before getting to work. We're not clear why they needed new models to practice on, so we're hoping that these cars were preproduction non-VIN vehicles that were destined for the crusher anyhow. The video isn't revelatory, it's just a behind-the-scenes look at how the people who help you help themselves first. You can watch it all in the videos below.