Skoda Yeti, first drive

Like it? Share it!

Monday, 22 February 2010 17:42

The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is a mythological ape like creature said to inhabit the snowy wastes of the Himalayan region of Nepal and Tibet.

But the Yeti conceived by Skoda is a crossbreed with the genes of a medium sized family estate, an MPV and a two or four wheel drive SUV sports utility vehicle and on a street near you.

The new five door, five seater Yeti is Skoda’s latest and fifth model range and timely aimed at families who have the need for versatile transport. With the new ‘10’ registration plate due in March and with the last chance to buy a new car under the Scrappage Scheme plus a market awash with finance offerings now is a good time to by a new car.

Having suffered the worst Winter in the UK for three decades many drivers are considering buying a modern fuel efficient 4x4. But a lightweight modern 4x4 isn’t just for Winter; in reality all wheel drive is good for all season’s offering better grip on and off road, in wet and dry conditions and it fits nicely with the ‘lifestyle’ image now so popular with customers – young and not so young.

The Nissan Qashqai led the way with this new family crossover sector but now there are lots of other models to consider many with two or four wheel drive options. There is the new Peugeot 3008, European Car of the Year for 2010, an excellent product, and there is the Ford Kuga plus the Volkswagen Tiguan and the premium BMW X1 and Audi Q5 models. Shortly the value for money Hyundai brand is about to launch the i35 in this sector. Then of course there are the competitor mid-sized MPVs such as the Citroen C3/C4 Picassos, Vauxhall Meriva/Zafira, Nissan Note, Renault Scenic and a new Ford C-Max will be with us this year.

Priced from £13,990 up to £22,635 the Skoda Yeti is available with a wide range of models to suit most budgets There are two and four wheel drive versions, two petrol and three diesel engine options with E, S, SE and Elegance levels of trim and specification. No 2010 sales predictions yet from Skoda for the Yeti but nearly 700 of them were sold in the last two months of 2009. Two wheel drive versions are expected to marginally outsell 4x4 models but with the Winter we have just experienced it is wait and see time.

The powertrain line-up offers a 1.2-litre TSI 105bhp petrol unit with manual or DSG automatic transmissions in two wheel drive form. A 1.8-litre 160bhp TSI petrol unit comes with 4x4 traction and manual gearbox. For diesel customers there is a 2.0-litre TDI core unit with three power outputs. There is the 110bhp engine with two and four wheel drivetrains, the 140bhp and 170bhp versions with 4x4 traction as standard. Not all engines are available with all levels of trim specification.

As you would expect from its name, the Yeti is a bit of a visual oddball and some people will like it and some will not. Skoda, with over 100 years of car making history behind them and being a member of the Volkswagen family, can call upon all the floorpan, suspension and drivetrain technologies used throughout the VW family of brands. Skoda designers are quite proud of the fact that they take and then adapt these core components to suit their needs.

The Yeti is a good example of this. Underneath the skin of this tall five door family sized hatchback is the very fine platform, also used for the brilliant VW Golf, but it is clothed in a very different way. Skoda says the Yeti is also based upon the platform of their Octavia Scout 4x4. With a silhouette resembling more of an upright windowed van with chunky looks, Skoda says they have created a crossover vehicle with a completely fresh approach to family motoring.

At the front, the chrome-framed grille and V-shaped bonnet creases clearly mark Yeti out as a member of the Skoda family, while the large, high-mounted headlights give the front end a powerful but friendly face.

The strong lines continue along the side where the large wheel arches, lower body protection strips and black A and C pillars give the car a long, flowing profile even though it is only 4,223mm in length. Because of the compact length it looks a relatively tall vehicle at 1,691mm and its upright stance is further created by a width, excluding door mirrors of a modest 1,793mm. However by using wide front and rear tracks the interior is roomy and the higher than normal seating positions give good exterior visibility. An optional electrically operated panoramic sunroof brings additional light, air and feeling of space into the cabin.

With the three individual folding and sliding rear seats in position the load space is 416-litres, with the rear seats folded forward this increases to 1,580-litres and with them removed (not an easy job to do) the space is a cavernous 1,760-litres. With the rear middle seat out of the vehicle the two rear seats can be slid towards the centre creating a two seater in the rear. There are over 20 different seating combinations. Clever packaging but on the down side the seats do not drop into the floor when folded to make a rear sill level load platform. It means heavy or bulky items have to be lifted in and out of the car over the high rear sill.

At the rear, Yeti features a wraparound design that incorporates black C-pillars to create a continuous window surface to the B-pillars – elongating the rear passenger compartment. The tailgate is generously sized and, thanks to the car’s high ride height, even tall drivers will be able to stand underneath it when open. Completing Yeti’s design details are high-mounted rear light clusters that display the familiar ‘C’ shape when lit, along with the bumper that incorporates additional reflectors and underfloor protection.

Although the Marketing and PR promotional activities mainly target the attributes of the Yeti as being for the rough and tough going, the vehicle has to appeal for town and city use as well. It will be the family bus to school as well as the shopping trolley for older and younger people. Safety of course is good with up to seven airbags and all but the base E version has an electronic control programme (ESP) fitted as standard.

Standard equipment includes air conditioning, electrically operated front windows and adjustable and heated door mirrors, anti-lock braking, alarm, roof rails, a full array of front, side and curtain airbags, halogen headlights, stereo sound system, remote central locking and trip computer. S models and above have alloy wheels, front fog lights and rear electric windows. And so the specification increases right up to the Elegance level which at that point becomes relatively expensive.

My Yeti test drive was in the 2.0-litre TDI 140bhp 4x4 model with the top Elegance trim and equipment package and this model cost a hefty £21,820.

I am not going to dwell too much on the power unit in this test vehicle. It is one of the many 2.0-litre, four cylinder direct injection common rail diesel powerplants from the VW group we know and love. They are linear in performance, responsive, quiet and fuel efficient. This 140bhp unit is coupled with a six-speed manual gearbox and the gears engage positively with a fast and precise action. The Skoda engineers have chosen a fairly high set of ratios to maximise on fuel economy and low CO2 figures but the 320Nm (236lb ft) of torque from 1,750rpm over a wide power band means constant gearchanging isn’t required to keep the car on the pace. Although sixth gear is certainly high enough to reduce motorway cruising noise it is still within the unit’s power range for excellent overtaking response. Top speed is 118mph and 0-62mph takes 9.9 seconds. The official Combined Cycle fuel economy is 46.3mpg and my test vehicle came close to that in real life motoring conditions with 44.9mpg. CO2 emissions are 159g/km and this will mean a VED road tax cost of £155 from April this year. Currently the rate is £150. For company car drivers the Benefit-in-Kind rate is 22%.

Core to this Yeti model’s performance is its lightweight all wheel drive system. In short it has the latest generation Haldex clutch mounted in the same housing unit as the limited slip differential on the rear axle. On a normal dry road 96% of the torque is delivered to the front wheels. Controlled by sensors and the ABS/ESP systems, immediately there is a difference in speed between the front and rear wheels up to 90% of the torque can be delivered to the rear axle and the limited slip differential can then apportion drive between the left and right wheels. The overall system allows up to 85% of the torque to be delivered through any one wheel. The great thing is the driver feels none of this, the power split, front to rear, left to right is seamless. The system works really well, ideal for stability and traction on wet roads and off road on tracks. Deeper mud needs care which is down to the tyre pattern more than the system. However the vehicle has an ‘off-road’ button which when pushed modifies the throttle response, ABS braking, electronic stability programme, traction and limited slip differential systems for suitable settings for muddy work. The hill start mode also helps when descending steep slopes.

Impressive though the engine and drive system is, the best bit about the Yeti is its overall driveability and core handling strengths. It has all the handling performance and refinement of the new VW Golf. Because it has a strong core, it feels solid and totally predictable, well balanced with a settled ride. The suspension is compliant, the grip secure and the feedback more or less perfect. The suspension just irons out the now deeply potholed UK roads and above all it is really fun to drive – hard. For these reasons I like the Yeti but the styling and the abominable name I’m less happy with.

MILESTONES. Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI CR 140bhp Elegance 4x4. Price: £21,820. Engine/Transmission: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, TDI high pressure, direct injection, turbodiesel, 140bhp, 320Nm (236lb ft) from 1,750rpm, 6-speed manual, variable torque split all wheel drive and off-road setting. Performance: 118mph, 0-62mph 9.9 seconds, 46.3mpg (44.9mpg actual), CO2 159g/km, VED Band G £150 now - £155 from April, BIK company car tax 22%. Insurance group: New 16E or old 6E rating. Load capacity: 416-1,760-litres. Maximum braked towing weight: 2,000kg. For: Brilliant on road handling composure, agile, lots of grip, comfortable ride, well balanced, responsive engine, smooth transmission, versatile and roomy interior, high level of safety equipment, good towing capabilities. Against: Pricey, the Yeti name – nothing to boast about in the pub is it? Removable rear seats are difficult to lift in and out, load floor is too low below the rear hatch sill. Miles Better News Agency http://www.girlracer.co.uk

Comments (2)

|2010-02-22 19:28:26 Wendy King

Yetis are NOT mythological. They exist, one type kills cows and is strong enough to pull them apart limb from limb. They have thrown people huge distances, and killed them too. They eat people. The other kind is shy and harmless. We have seen them in Nepal, where we lived, and we have heard them. Everyone is really scared of them.
- 0
- 0
Reply | Quote