Skoda Yeti and Fabia set for Australia

Skoda unveiled the Tiguan-based Yeti compact SUV and a pair of new and updated Fabia models, the soft-road Scout and the performance RS at this week's Geneva motor show ... and all are on the Australian importer's wish list.

“The Scout — and the RS — are part of the ongoing Fabia discussion,” Skoda Australia boss Matthew Wiesner says. “We have been working on it for a while but the exchange rate dive didn't do us any favours and while it is getting closer it is not easy.” While the pricing struggle has been painful, Wiesener can see a silver lining with a freshen of the range likely to correspond with any decision to import into Australia.

“Realistically, there is a facelift due for Fabia next year and that will provide a good opportunity for us to introduce the car, and not just the entry hatch but the full range.”

Wiesner says the addition of Fabia and Yeti to the Australian Skoda line-up will have the effect of adding emotion to the brand and better targeting the younger buyers the Czech brand is trying to reach.

“These models, particularly the Fabia RS and Yeti will do a lot for the brand. The RS has real performance credentials and the Yeti is a perfect example of what the brand is all about —making cars that offer a decent interior size without being too onerous in their presence on the roads.” The current Skoda Australia garage consists of the Roomster, the Octavia range including a scout and RS model, and the recently launched Superb.

“When you look at it there is plenty of room to add the Fabia range and the Yeti,” Wiesner says.

Based on VW's Tiguan compact SUV platform, the Yeti is a high-riding urban softroader with the requisite plastic cladding and sculpted wheel arches giving it a look of civil toughness.

At 4.2 metres the Yeti is not much bigger than a hatch and given the platform's VW Golf origins that is not in the least surprising. However, inside the car does a good impression of an East-European Tardis with generous passenger room front and rear albeit at the cost of any genuine luggage space. If you don't need the rear seats they can be removed and that will boost load carrying capacity to a very useful 1760 litres.

Yeti will be available, in Europe at least, in both front- and all-wheel drive coupled to a pair of petrol engines (1.2-litre TSI and 1.8-litre TSI) and three tuning levels of a 2.0-litre turbo diesel.