03:18
kaushik
First Drive - Skoda Yeti
IF YOU'RE A Sherpa or a fan of Tintin, you will know that the Yeti is the Abominable Snowman in Himalayan folklore. But why name Skoda’s new crossover after this mythical, big and burly ape-like beast especially when it bears little resemblance to it? If anything, the Yeti is the missing link between large hatchbacks and soft-roaders like the CR-V and the Captiva. That’s the huge gap Skoda hopes to plug with the Yeti, which the company describes as ‘a crossover with a fresh attitude combining 4x4 strengths with hatchback practicality’. The fact is that that the Indian market has never seen anything like the Yeti, so it’s hard to pin it down to a particular segment.
The styling which is a mish-mash of a hatchback and an SUV will take some getting used to. Look at the Yeti head-on and you could mistake it for a tall hatchback but move to the rear of the car and the near-vertical tailgate points to its utilitarian credentials. However, what’s unmistakable is the Skoda look. The Yeti is based on a Golf platform and uses a lot of the Laura’s mechanicals but the face, with its instantly recognisable grille, is more Fabia. A large pair of spotlights which overlap the headlights, a protective skid plate, beefy bumpers, high stance with large 16-inch wheels and roof rails complement the Yeti’s outdoor character. The compact size, however, suggests that the Yeti has been designed to perform urban duties as well. It’s a mere 4.2 metres long and though it exceeds the four-metre length limit to be classified as a ‘small car’ in India (which would save a lot of money in taxes), it makes the most of its dimensions.
The high roof and high seating position make the Yeti remarkably comfortable. The front seats are generous with lots of bolstering in the right places and it’s easy to find the right driving position; outside visibility is brilliant thanks to the high stance. In most cars, rear seats are rarely as comfortable as the ones in front but not in the case of the Yeti. The perfectly contoured rear seats individually slide backwards and forwards, have terrific under-thigh support and an adjustable backrest recline. Though the Yeti is not as wide as other SUVs, the back seat is still good enough for three six-foot adults. The boot which holds a modest 416 litres isn’t huge by SUV standards because of the high floor (to house the full-size spare) and limited depth. However, there’s much more space on offer than any hatchback. The best bit is the clever use of luggage space. The rear seats can be folded and tumbled individually or removed altogether. There are lots of neat touches too like runners on the two sides of the boot to which a luggage-covering net can be hooked to tie things down. Another clever bit is the small plastic partition which can be snap-fixed into place. This is very useful in keeping smaller items from being tossed about.
The interiors have the same robust and functional design theme that typifies Skodas and you can see lots of bits and pieces shared with the Laura. The tactile feel of the switches and buttons is terrific and the quality of plastics simply top-class while large door pockets, a huge glovebox and plenty of cubbyholes provide ample room for loose stuff, complementing the practical character of the Yeti.
Skoda has launched the Yeti with five engine options — two petrols and three diesels — and all of them are turbocharged and transversely mounted and drive either the front or all four wheels. Transmission options include a six-speed manual and a seven-speed DSG auto ’box. It’s not yet clear what engine/transmission combination will make it to India but I concentrated on the range-topping 170bhp diesel and the base 1.2-litre TSI petrol, which are strong possibilities for the Indian market. The Yeti comes with the latest common-rail diesels from the VW Group stable designed to meet the stringent Euro V norms. Compared to the PD (Pumpe-düse) diesel engines that still power Indian Skodas, this new engine is significantly quieter and more refined. However, there is still a gruffness at high revs that makes you acutely aware that there is a diesel under the hood. What’s truly impressive is the performance of the 140bhp TDI motor. Apart from a little bit of turbo lag at very low rpm, boost builds up rapidly and along with it a corresponding surge of power. The mid-range is particularly punchy to make overtaking effortless and highway cruising is anything but strenuous. The base 1.2 TSI develops just 103bhp and it’s easy to get deceived by the weedy power and displacement figures but in the real world, the free-revving and silky smooth TSI motor is a delight to use in traffic and on open roads. Okay, it doesn’t deliver the massive shove of the big and torquey diesels but with clever use of the six-speed gearbox you are never left wanting for more power.
The best bit about the Yeti is its outstanding ride quality and the way it gobbles up almost any road. The roads in certain parts of Slovenia (where the international test drive for the Yeti was held) could have been built with help from Mumbai’s BMC — that means there was no shortage of potholes, ruts and broken tarmac to make you feel completely at home. The flat, consistent and unfazed poise of the Yeti on these extremely rough surfaces was phenomenal. The huge 16-inch wheels and long-travel suspension (it has a modified version of the Laura’s MacPherson strut and multi-link set-up) soaks it all up. Low-speed damping feels a bit stiff but not uncomfortably so. Quite simply, this is the best riding quasi-SUV we have seen.
A delightful smooth dirt road, which could have been a stage on the Rally of Finland, further emphasised the Yeti’s dynamic abilities. The 4WD Yeti was astonishingly grippy even on loose surfaces, urging you to play Sebastien Loeb without the worry of ending up in the ditch. Switching to the two-wheel-drive 1.2 TSI was even more entertaining as it was easier to break traction but the sheer confidence with which you can pedal the Yeti at breakneck speed is hugely entertaining. The Yeti is totally composed in every situation and even the lack of four-wheel-drive doesn’t take away from the Yeti’s sure-footed roadholding.
But the real high of the day was on the off-road course Skoda had laid out deep in the Slovenian countryside to showcase the Yeti’s 4x4 capabilities which could shame many traditional SUVs. The Yeti has an ‘off-road’ mode switched on via a pushbutton on the dash, which softens the throttle response and adjusts the ABS and traction control for loose surfaces. The hill start assistant works incredibly well though it’s initially counter-intuitive as it requires you to move the gear lever to neutral and take your foot off the brake pedal on descents that resemble ski slopes. You soon marvel at the computers that take over and automatically apply the brakes to maintain a constant speed. All you have to do is steer!
After all this off-road action, I realised that the Yeti’s incredible sure-footedness lives up to the imaginary creature it was named after. But will it be as much of a rarity? That depends on the price and how Indian consumers take to this new concept. The Yeti is expected in India in early 2010 with prices estimated to start from Rs 12 lakh for the base petrol version to around Rs 15 lakh for the fully loaded diesel. That’s pricey no doubt but to be seen as good value, the Yeti needs to be accepted as a mini-SUV and not a hatchback on steroids. Skoda’s marketing team has its work cut out.
The styling which is a mish-mash of a hatchback and an SUV will take some getting used to. Look at the Yeti head-on and you could mistake it for a tall hatchback but move to the rear of the car and the near-vertical tailgate points to its utilitarian credentials. However, what’s unmistakable is the Skoda look. The Yeti is based on a Golf platform and uses a lot of the Laura’s mechanicals but the face, with its instantly recognisable grille, is more Fabia. A large pair of spotlights which overlap the headlights, a protective skid plate, beefy bumpers, high stance with large 16-inch wheels and roof rails complement the Yeti’s outdoor character. The compact size, however, suggests that the Yeti has been designed to perform urban duties as well. It’s a mere 4.2 metres long and though it exceeds the four-metre length limit to be classified as a ‘small car’ in India (which would save a lot of money in taxes), it makes the most of its dimensions.
The high roof and high seating position make the Yeti remarkably comfortable. The front seats are generous with lots of bolstering in the right places and it’s easy to find the right driving position; outside visibility is brilliant thanks to the high stance. In most cars, rear seats are rarely as comfortable as the ones in front but not in the case of the Yeti. The perfectly contoured rear seats individually slide backwards and forwards, have terrific under-thigh support and an adjustable backrest recline. Though the Yeti is not as wide as other SUVs, the back seat is still good enough for three six-foot adults. The boot which holds a modest 416 litres isn’t huge by SUV standards because of the high floor (to house the full-size spare) and limited depth. However, there’s much more space on offer than any hatchback. The best bit is the clever use of luggage space. The rear seats can be folded and tumbled individually or removed altogether. There are lots of neat touches too like runners on the two sides of the boot to which a luggage-covering net can be hooked to tie things down. Another clever bit is the small plastic partition which can be snap-fixed into place. This is very useful in keeping smaller items from being tossed about.
The interiors have the same robust and functional design theme that typifies Skodas and you can see lots of bits and pieces shared with the Laura. The tactile feel of the switches and buttons is terrific and the quality of plastics simply top-class while large door pockets, a huge glovebox and plenty of cubbyholes provide ample room for loose stuff, complementing the practical character of the Yeti.
Skoda has launched the Yeti with five engine options — two petrols and three diesels — and all of them are turbocharged and transversely mounted and drive either the front or all four wheels. Transmission options include a six-speed manual and a seven-speed DSG auto ’box. It’s not yet clear what engine/transmission combination will make it to India but I concentrated on the range-topping 170bhp diesel and the base 1.2-litre TSI petrol, which are strong possibilities for the Indian market. The Yeti comes with the latest common-rail diesels from the VW Group stable designed to meet the stringent Euro V norms. Compared to the PD (Pumpe-düse) diesel engines that still power Indian Skodas, this new engine is significantly quieter and more refined. However, there is still a gruffness at high revs that makes you acutely aware that there is a diesel under the hood. What’s truly impressive is the performance of the 140bhp TDI motor. Apart from a little bit of turbo lag at very low rpm, boost builds up rapidly and along with it a corresponding surge of power. The mid-range is particularly punchy to make overtaking effortless and highway cruising is anything but strenuous. The base 1.2 TSI develops just 103bhp and it’s easy to get deceived by the weedy power and displacement figures but in the real world, the free-revving and silky smooth TSI motor is a delight to use in traffic and on open roads. Okay, it doesn’t deliver the massive shove of the big and torquey diesels but with clever use of the six-speed gearbox you are never left wanting for more power.
The best bit about the Yeti is its outstanding ride quality and the way it gobbles up almost any road. The roads in certain parts of Slovenia (where the international test drive for the Yeti was held) could have been built with help from Mumbai’s BMC — that means there was no shortage of potholes, ruts and broken tarmac to make you feel completely at home. The flat, consistent and unfazed poise of the Yeti on these extremely rough surfaces was phenomenal. The huge 16-inch wheels and long-travel suspension (it has a modified version of the Laura’s MacPherson strut and multi-link set-up) soaks it all up. Low-speed damping feels a bit stiff but not uncomfortably so. Quite simply, this is the best riding quasi-SUV we have seen.
A delightful smooth dirt road, which could have been a stage on the Rally of Finland, further emphasised the Yeti’s dynamic abilities. The 4WD Yeti was astonishingly grippy even on loose surfaces, urging you to play Sebastien Loeb without the worry of ending up in the ditch. Switching to the two-wheel-drive 1.2 TSI was even more entertaining as it was easier to break traction but the sheer confidence with which you can pedal the Yeti at breakneck speed is hugely entertaining. The Yeti is totally composed in every situation and even the lack of four-wheel-drive doesn’t take away from the Yeti’s sure-footed roadholding.
But the real high of the day was on the off-road course Skoda had laid out deep in the Slovenian countryside to showcase the Yeti’s 4x4 capabilities which could shame many traditional SUVs. The Yeti has an ‘off-road’ mode switched on via a pushbutton on the dash, which softens the throttle response and adjusts the ABS and traction control for loose surfaces. The hill start assistant works incredibly well though it’s initially counter-intuitive as it requires you to move the gear lever to neutral and take your foot off the brake pedal on descents that resemble ski slopes. You soon marvel at the computers that take over and automatically apply the brakes to maintain a constant speed. All you have to do is steer!
After all this off-road action, I realised that the Yeti’s incredible sure-footedness lives up to the imaginary creature it was named after. But will it be as much of a rarity? That depends on the price and how Indian consumers take to this new concept. The Yeti is expected in India in early 2010 with prices estimated to start from Rs 12 lakh for the base petrol version to around Rs 15 lakh for the fully loaded diesel. That’s pricey no doubt but to be seen as good value, the Yeti needs to be accepted as a mini-SUV and not a hatchback on steroids. Skoda’s marketing team has its work cut out.
Fact File
Price Range (in lakhs)*
| Ex-showroom price | 12-15 lakh(Estimated) |
Engine
| Power | 103bhp |
| Torque | 17.8Kgm |
Dimensions
| Length | 4223mm |
| Width | 1793mm |
| Height | 1691mm |
| Ground clearance | 180mm |
Chassis & Body
| Weight | 1400kg |
Posted in: SKODA
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