Skoda Yeti 2010 Review

The Yeti is said to be a creature that is rarely sighted. But for Skoda, the Yeti crossover SUV could increase the visibility of the brand in Australia.

The question is whether it has enough difference to stand out in an increasingly crowded segment, with nearly every carmaker scrambling for the money in one of the healthier categories in a global industry with a downturn of 20 per cent overall.

But added to the Octavia and Roomster here – and the new Superb being launched this week – the Yeti does show Skoda has a few more tricks up its sleeve, and some clever ones at that.

It fills out the range for the Czech member of the Volkswagen group, and has the advantage of borrowing some good bits from that stable.

Drivetrains

Based on the same Golf platform that underpins the Volkswagen Tiguan, the Yeti comes in seven drivetrains – four 4WD and three front-driven 2WD – with diesel and four-cylinder engines offered in both drive formats.

The 2WD trio kicks off with a 1.2-litre fuel-injected, turbocharged petrol unit developing 77kW of power at 5000rpm and 175Nm of torque between 1500-3500rpm, mated to either a six-speed manual or the seven-speed Volkswagen DSG (twin clutch) automatic from the Golf GTI.

The diesel 2WD carries the base output level of a 2-litre common-rail injected engine with a particulate filter, developing 81kW at 4200rpm and 250Nm between 1500-2500rpm, mated to a five-speed manual.

The same diesel engine appears in the 4WD range with a six-speed manual, and is topped by two higher-tuned versions. The first puts out 103kW at 4200rpm and 320Nm between 1750-2500, and the second gives 125kW and 350Nm at the same rev points.

The petrol 4WD has a 1.8-litre fuel-injected turbocharged unit mated to the six-speed manual, developing 118kW between 4500-6200rpm and 250Nm between 1500-4500rpm.

Official performance, economy and emission data was available only for the 1.8-litre petrol (top speed 200km/h, 0-100km/h 8.4secs, 8L/100km combined, CO2 189gm/km) and the 103kW 2-litre diesel (top speed 190km/h, 0-100km/h 9.9 secs, 6.1L/100km, CO2 159gm/km).

4WD system

The Yeti uses a Haldex multi-disc clutch, a limited slip diff on the rear axle, and interaction with the electronic stability program and anti-skid and force-distribution brake systems. Using all the technology in concert, the coupling sends up to 96 per cent of the torque to the front wheels under normal driving conditions, but can send up to 90 per cent to the rear axle when it detects slip at the front, and can send up to 85 per cent to any single wheel if it decides that’s the best corner to get you out of trouble.

For those who want added mountain goat, there’s an optional off-road package that revises the braking, traction and diff systems for loose surfaces, adds in a hill start assist, and hill descent control that allows the Yeti to ‘walk’ down steep slopes in neutral but still let you have control over the throttle to give a bit more acceleration when you need it. Our instructor at the time didn’t demonstrate the ability to vary the rate of the ‘walk’ by having the transmission in a chosen gear, which doesn’t use the gear ratio as such but recalibrates the descent speed from the ABS system.

Underpinnings, dimensions and geometry

Skoda claims there’ll be a lot of parking versatility – a clue to where they think the main market for the SUV will be – in the Yeti’s shortish length of 4223mm and narrow 1793mm width. But with a 180mm ground clearance it also has some claim to get off the bitumen.

And with 1691mm in height and a wheelbase of 2578mm, it offers decent proportions for passenger space.

The suspension system uses McPherson strut and wishbones at the front, and a multi-link rear axle (borrowed from the Octavia but widened 30mm for the Yeti) with torsion stabiliser, mounted on a sub-frame to damp vibration.

The base model rides on 16” steel wheels and 215/60 R16 rubber, with higher-spec versions getting 16” or 17” alloys with 225/50 R17 tyres on the larger metal.

Weight starts at 1520kg for the petrol version, while the diesel engines add 25kg, and the 4WD system stacks on another 100kg.

Cargo capacity increases from 416 litres to 1760 by folding the rear seats, and can be loaded with a 545kg payload, while towing ability is 1800kg.

Appearance

The nose has the ribbed Skoda grille with the round logo blistering out of the heavy chrome top bar, but with some strong character lines flowing back along the bonnet. There are the usual softroader cues of swelling wheel arches, roof rails, high-set light clusters, black lower protection panels and underbody nudge plates front and back.

But it’s not a brutal dress-up. If Skoda can be accused of going overboard with anything, it’s restraint. So while there’s enough bulging and plating to let everybody know it’s an offroader, there’s nothing there to scare the wildlife either.

Fit-out and equipment

The interior has the advantage of being able to dip into the large amount of good inventory in the VW warehouse, so it gets the tick for good quality materials and instruments.

The rear seats are raised slightly higher than the front for visibility, and also split, fold, tumble and remove easily in three sections, with the outer ones able to slide further inward for more shoulder space.

The standard ‘Active’ spec equipment list for Europe includes things like height and reach steering adjustment, daytime running lights, roof rails, twin front and side airbags, while upper ‘Ambition’ spec includes knee and curtain airbags, foggies, climate control airconditioning and tinted windows. The top spec level, ‘Experience’, adds in goodies like the off-road assistance package, leather on the steering wheel and lumbar support for the front seats.

And there’s a long list of options, including bi-xenon swivelling headlights, nav and multimedia systems, Bluetooth, park assist, leather upholstery and a rough-road package of protective plates.

The optional sunroof is easy to use, but follows the worrying European trend of having only a mesh screen to pull across between the glass and your scalp. And even in the Slovenian spring’s peak of 30C, that meant a hot car when you came back to it, and a fairly hot head if the sun was at the wrong angle when you were driving. Very nice for thawing out from a winter hibernation in the northern hemisphere, but could be a liability down under in sun cancer central.

But that bugbear aside, the Yeti – in signature Skoda habit – has some other natty tricks, like sliding shopping bag hooks that proved sturdy enough to handle the weight of a 10kg computer backpack, and a flexible semi-circular ‘fence’ to capture other items.

Pricing and sales

There’s no word yet on which variants will come to Australia, when they’ll come, at what price and how many they expect to sell. So what can we tell you? It won’t come this year, partly because local HQ is still in discussion about what we can have.

“We need the pricing and specification to be right for the Australian market,” says spokesman Karl Gehling. “It will come down to which drivetrains are available.”

However, Gehling does admit they’d like to get an entry level version into the country under the strategic $30,000 bar, and possibly far enough under it to allow addition of the DSG — $2300 elsewhere in the stable – with the price tag still snuggling close to the 30k mark.

He says that ideally they’d like to give us both petrol engines and the upper two power levels of the diesel one. And with the popularity of the DSG in other VW group vehicles, they’re very keen to have that on offer across the range too.

Driving

It’s basically a very compact box, but with some Tardis qualities. That squared roofline allows for a lot of headroom, and despite it being fairly narrow and short, there’s no sense of leg or shoulder cramp either.

On paper, the 1.2-litre 77kW petrol variant looks like it wouldn’t have enough oomph to push a shopping trolley, let alone the Yeti. But with the turbo’s help and the low torque entry, we had no trouble with three adults on board, even on steep slopes. It’s no race car – and not intended to be – but it gets along quite happily, albeit a bit noisily if you try and push it too hard.

This 2WD handles and rides well, aided by the lower weight, while the 4WD 1.8-litre petrol variant, despite the 118kW and 250Nm on tap, felt a little more reluctant to be thrown around. With identical suspension, the extra resistance was coming from the extra kilograms of the all-paw system.

However on gravel roads the 1.8-litre was a champion, with the Haldex system working fluidly at keeping the traction where it was needed, and the cabin staying surprisingly quiet – given what we were crunching through underfoot.

But our favourite of the vehicles tested was the 4WD diesel in the 103kW/320Nm tune level, which happily sang its way through some high-speed freeway running, sitting comfortably around 150km/h and promptly giving a bit more when needed for overtaking. Which suggests the 125kW/350Nm could be fun.

But the most impressive performance was taking the diesel with an offroad pack over a series of fairly serious tasks. The moguls, cambers and water hazard wouldn’t have startled anybody who’s driven a rural Aussie road outside grading season. But the steep slope sections were worthy of the worst Cape York can throw up, and with a bit of rain would have rivalled wet season.

This is where the hill descent proved its worth, clambering comfortably down the track and smoothly taking up the task again after being put into an intentional stall.

Skoda knows that the 2WD Yeti versions will likely be the most popular, but the 4WD would be a handy gadget for those who live in semi-rural areas or want to hit remote beaches and rivers for the weekend. Whether or not those buyers line up for one will come down to whether or not they like the styling. The looks are not going to set the world alight, but the capability is certainly there.

Skoda Yeti

Drivetrains

2WD 1.2-litre fuel-injected, turbocharged petrol 77kW@5000rpm, 175Nm@1500-3500rpm, six-speed manual (top speed, 0-100km/h, economy and emissions data not available at launch)

2WD 1.2-litre fuel-injected, turbocharged petrol 77kW@5000rpm, 175Nm@1500-3500rpm, seven-speed DSG automatic (top speed, 0-100km/h, economy and emissions data not available at launch)

2WD 2-litre common-rail diesel, 81kW@4200rpm, 250Nm@1500-2500rpm, five-speed manual (top speed, 0-100km/h, economy and emissions data not available at launch)

4WD 2-litre common-rail diesel, 81kW@4200rpm, 250Nm@1500-2500rpm, six-speed manual (top speed, 0-100km/h, economy and emissions data not available at launch)

4WD 2-litre common-rail diesel, 103kW@4200rpm, 320Nm@1750-2500, six-speed manual (top speed 190km/h, 0-100km/h 9.9 secs, 6.1L/100km, CO2 159gm/km)

4WD 2-litre common-rail diesel, 125kW@4200rpm, 350Nm@1500-2500rpm, six-speed manual (top speed, 0-100km/h, economy and emissions data not available at launch)

4WD 1.8-litre fuel-injected turbocharged petrol, 118kW@4500-6200rpm, 250Nm@1500-4500rpm, six-speed manual (top speed 200km/h, 0-100km/h 8.4secs, 8L/100km combined, CO2 189gm/km)

Pricing: TBA
On sale: 2010

Rivals
Nissan Dualis
Suzuki Grand Vitara
Kia Sportage
Hyundai Tucson