Skoda Yeti 2009 Review - International

Skoda Yeti

What we liked
>> Smooth engines
>> Cargo packaging, interior oddments space, quality material feel
>> Convincing ride quality

Not so much
>> Petrol engines aren't exactly thrilling
>> Ordinary grip on gravel roads
>> Not heading to Australia this year

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 4.5/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.0/5.0
X-factor: 2.5/5.0

OVERVIEW
-- Skoda takes on Japanese softroaders
With around 1000 sales in Australia last year, Skoda and the inspiration for its new Yeti could be interchangeable metaphors. Credible sightings are rare, those who haven't seen them can't be expected to understand them and you're unlikely to receive coffee shop kudos for keeping one in captivity.

But there's reason to be optimistic for Skoda as a brand. For starters, its sales have bucked the trend in Europe to drop just four per cent from this time last year and it has 15 per cent more orders than it did last May as well.  Strong in Eastern Europe and China, it's been hit hard by market collapses in the Ukraine (off 72 per cent), Russia (down 42 per cent) and Hungary (-37 per cent), but the humble nature of European cash-for-clunker schemes have seen no-nonsense, unpretentious, strongly engineered brands like Skoda profit more than most.

Unlike the mythical Himalayan Yeti, though, Skoda isn't likely to disappear any time soon. It has committed to a big program to increase its footprint in Australia, with the main focus on the large, Passat-based Superb. Unfortunately, the Yeti will have to wait til 2010. Initially, Skoda will flood Europe with left-hand drive Yetis. The United Kingdom will begin receiving right-hand drive cars in September.

The problem is that Skoda has carefully layered a pricing structure for where it wants all its cars to be in Australia and, with a new model and a strong European currency, that's not coinciding with the numbers being bandied around in the Czech Republic, where Skoda is based. It is believed that Australia wants to see entry-level Yetis on sale for somewhere around $27,000. With everything else in the VW Group asking around $2500 more for double-clutch gearboxes, that sort of pricing target would still bring the base Yeti here for under $30,000. Just...

Based off Volkswagen's strong-selling Tiguan small SUV platform, the Yeti is Skoda's quirkily styled entry into the practical end of the new-car market. It's eventually hoping for a three-engine range locally -- all boasting very low emissions and very low running costs, as well as the option of a high-tech, seven-speed double-clutch (DSG) gearbox.

"The extremely low consumption and, accordingly, the low emission values give the Yeti the right credentials for lasting acceptance in the SUV segment, even in the face of the current economic and ecological challenges," Skoda Design boss Karl Neuhold said.

"At the same time the Yeti allows us to tap into a completely new group of customers whose needs we weren't previously able to meet," he said.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
-- Close, but prices are still fluid
This is all a bit of a wait-and-see --given that Skoda Australia is essentially waiting until HQ can give it Yetis at the right sort of price. But European Yetis are extremely well endowed on the trickery front; very comfortable with plenty of toys and next-generation navigation software.

Available in both front and all-wheel drive variants, even the most humble of the Yetis (the vehicle is sold in three different levels in Europe) scores well, with two front airbags, front-side airbags and antilock brakes with electronic brake force distribution.

The front seats are both height adjustable, while the driver also has a height and reach-adjustable steering wheel. Sizeable door pockets are moulded to carry large bottles; there are a number of cubby holes around the cabin -- including atop the centre of the dash -- and the mirrors and windows are all electric.

The roof rails are standard, too, as are the daytime running lights, 16-inch steel wheels, an outside temperature display and a clever seating arrangement that can boost luggage capacity to well over 1700 litres. The Yeti's rear seats have a folding armrest, but loads can be pushed through it. Roomster-style the seats can also be pushed apart or forward and folded forward, or they can even be removed altogether.

The high-specification Yeti Ambition [Ed: marketing clearly wasn't getting into the abominable-snowman spirit... How about the K2] has higher levels of passive safety, including curtain and driver's knee airbags. It also moves on to climate-controlled air-conditioning, a folding table in the rear seat's armrest, a clever cargo-area kit which includes luggage hooks and three nets to hold stuff in the door pockets, plus alloy 16-inch wheels.

The top-end Yeti Experience [Ed: see above... this one should be Everest!] only comes with all-wheel drive and adds a cornering function to its front fog lights, a too-clever-by-half off-road driving assistant button, dual climate control systems and 17-inch wheels.

You also get a monster storage box in the front armrest and a more luxurious leather steering wheel. Oh, and a glasses holder built into the roof.

On top of all that, the European options list runs to things like a double panoramic sunroof with a perforated cloth cover, rear side airbags, hill-start assistance, upgraded radio and navigation systems, more speakers, parking assistance, heated front seats and a dreadful wood trim.

Anybody serious about testing the Yeti's offroad ability would be advised to throw on the Rough Road package, which provides some protection for the engine and gearbox, plus the fuel tank and the brake pipes and also includes a stronger covering pipe for the handbrake cable. The tyre-pressure monitoring system would also be handy, along with the larger 16-inch spare steel wheel.

That means the entry-level engine for the 1520kg Yeti is a 1.2-litre, direct-fuel injection four-cylinder! Not only is it small, it's not incredibly powerful and it has no turbocharger. That it manages 77kW at all (at 5000rpm) is a testament to the VW Group's engine folk, especially because it does it quietly, smoothly and completely without fuss.

There's not just a small, smooth engine up front, though, because it also pushes out 175Nm of torque in a flat line from 1500-3500rpm. While Europeans (and, eventually, Australians) can buy it with a six-speed manual gearbox, the launch cars featured seven-speed DSG gearboxes. Skoda and the EU love this version because it only emits 189 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

It's not an engine that Skoda pairs up to its all-wheel-drive system, because the extra weight of the driveline is considered just a bit too much for its comfort. So it drives only the front wheels.

The other engine, and the one Skoda eventually expects to be the biggest seller in Australia is the 1.8-litre TSI direct-injection petrol engine. With 118kW of power at 6200rpm and 250Nm of torque between 1500-4500rpm, it's not only stronger, but it's more flexible as well. That's why it scores the job of motivating the part-time rear axle as well.

Skoda has its eye on one of the three 2.0-litre turbodiesel engines in the Yeti range, but it doesn't yet know which one it fancies most. They range from the cheaper 81kW/250Nm four-cylinder through to a 103kW/320Nm version and the range-topping 125kW/350Nm diesel.

One of the handicaps for early Australian deliveries is that there is not yet an automatic or DSG option for the diesel engines. Skoda is expecting big things out of the 2.0-litre TDI, but not without an automatic.

Under the skin, the front end is suspended by tried-and-trusty modified MacPherson strut design while there is a multi-link rear suspension that still allows room for a 60-litre fuel tank. Both are basically VW Group "modules" and are also found in the larger Octavia and the Octavia Scout.

The Yeti gets 180mm of ground clearance and a fourth-generation Haldex all-wheel-drive system.

The electromagnetic clutch sits on the rear axle, inside the same housing as the rear differential. While 96 per cent of the engine's drive normally goes to the front wheels, the system electronically monitors when all-wheel drive is needed and sends it down back almost instantly. Up to 90 per cent of the drive can be channelled there. Skoda has also equipped Yeti with a limited-slip rear differential.

Yeti also has a range of offroad 'tricks' that should help the inexperienced get the best from the car. The most obvious of these is the Off Road button, which activates a range of systems and even changes the way the engine delivers its power to make the hard work easier. Downhill descent control is featured; the system changes the way the ABS works to get the best out of it on loose surfaces; it tweaks the traction control and it also shortens up the time it takes to get the electronic diff lock into action to lessen the chances of the car bogging down on soft surfaces.

PACKAGING
-- Small bug bigger than most
Skoda calls the Yeti a small SUV, but the cabin room defies the definition.  Of the vehicles on offer in this class, there are some marginally bigger and some marginally smaller -- though none of them quite look like the Yeti. What differentiates the Skoda is how it utilises its interior space. A high roof, large glass areas and rear seats that are higher than the front all add up to a feeling of spaciousness.

Yeti shares the VW Tiguan's core dimensions, and that means a wheelbase of 2578mm in a 4223mm-long body. The roof sits 1691mm off the ground, including its standard roof rails, and it's 1793mm wide with the mirrors extended.

The rear cargo area has been superbly thought through. Though by no means long, it's quite deep because the rear door is almost vertical. It has a standard luggage cover, plus nets and elastic cables to keep the luggage secure. An optional upgraded system with movable hooks and flexible plastic panels that can be shaped around the luggage is particularly handy.

But the real key is that its luggage space can be boosted to 1760 litres with a near-flat floor -- and it can be done easily. Not only can the rear seats be pushed forward or backwards, all three are separate and can be moved individually as well. Skoda calls the system VarioFlex and it is the one thing (apart from the no-nonsense, quirky looks) that sets the Yeti apart.

It's not enough that they move individually, though, because you can also remove the middle seat, then make the outer seats move in and out as well. While it's only the outer seats that move forwards and backwards, all three can be folded and all three can be removed altogether.

It means the Yeti has the flexibility to be a five-seater with generous storage, a five-seater with extremely generous storage, a four-seater that can carry awkwardly long things, a three-seater or a two-seater that can carry long and wide things. Nothing else in the class boasts this extreme flexibility.
 

SAFETY
-- Tiguan points the way
While there are times when Skoda will hate to be constantly reminded of the Volkswagens on which they are based, discussions on safety probably won't be among them.

The Tiguan scored five stars on the European NCAP tests and given that most of the hard metallic bits that lurk beneath the Yeti's skin are identical to the Tiguan, they believe their car will claim the same figure. Besides the front and side passenger airbags, the Yeti can be specified with driver kneebags and even curtain airbags.

It also has stability control, anti-lock brakes and a host of other active safety bits and pieces.

COMPETITORS
-- Everybody's in the game
It's a crowded place, the world of the small-to-mid SUV. The big hitters include the Toyota RAV4, the Honda CRV, the Nissan X-TRAIL, the Subaru Forester and even, curiously enough, the VW Tiguan.

Rather than detail all and sundry here, read the appropriate COMPETITORS text in our local launch review of the Yeti's cousin, the Tiguan here.

It helps that Skoda has not attached it to the heavier, all-wheel drive version of the Yeti, but with 77kW of power, this variant is never going to threaten its 118kW, 1.8-litre petrol-powered sibling, let alone be considered a fast car...

One of the first things you notice is that the driving position is high, with excellent visibility. Then you start to see the quality of the surface materials and the feel of the switches. Skoda might be known as a more down-to-earth, economical brand than even VW, but it doesn't seem to skimp on much. The seats are very comfortable in the front and the back, and the steering wheel feels thick and comfortable, too.

The DSG gearbox is very easy to use. You can use it as an automatic, you can push it back to Sport mode, where it changes gear faster, holds gears longer and changes down earlier, or you can flick it across and use it as a sequential manual.

In any case, it's a two-pedal car and it's very easy to cruise it out of the car park. Then you notice the feel of solidity in the chassis. It feels weighty and strong and at low speed, the ride feels incredibly comfortable and composed.

There's more of the same as the Yeti picks up speed. Nothing ever really upsets the composure of its ride and it's faster than 1.2-litres worth of engine has any right to be. The engine remains smooth and is willing to spin all the way up to the redline. As noted, it's not quick --  just acceptable -- but, for many, that will be enough.

Skoda has yet to release acceleration, economy or even emissions data for the 1.2, but with the heavier 1.8-litre with 4X4 doing the 0-100km/h sprint in 8.4sec, expect the 'baby' Yeti to be somewhere around two seconds slower. Unless you're on full throttle though, it trucks along smoothly and it's a reasonable machine for people who aren't interested in tearing up the tarmac.

On a sealed surface, it is the most agile machine in the Yeti range. That it has a lighter engine helps, but that should by rights be offset by the smallest wheel-and-tyre package you can get. It's not. On a loose surface it does suffer for its lack of all-wheel drive, but it's still quite stable and predictable and comfortable.

The bigger 1.8-litre engine feels very, very similar in character to the smaller engine. It spins freely, smoothly and Skoda has neatly eradicated any vibration from its power delivery.

It's stronger, for sure, but not as much stronger as you'd think, partly because of the weight of the Haldex clutch and the all-wheel drive system and partly because the 1.2 over-performs

The 'big' Yeti rides with the same absolute commitment to comfort; it's stable as well and while its grip levels aren't enormous, the Haldex system chimes in quickly on bitumen. It feels a fraction slower than Skoda claims on dirt.

The six-speed manual gearbox is a good example of the breed as well. It's light and easy to use and its throws are nicely spaced, too. It is, after all, based on the Tiguan, which is itself based on the Golf. On gravel roads its limitations are most obvious at the front end, where it runs out of grip a little sooner than you'd expect. Then you wait for a split second while the computer fires the engine's performance down to the rear end to give you the extra grip it needs.

Get into serious offroad territory, though, and you'll need its Off Road button. You'll also need the protection pack to keep the nastier bits of the scenery away from the mechanicals. Though ground clearance is limited short front and rear overhangs are a benefit.

The odd thing is that you'll probably stall quite often while you're getting used to the Off Road mode, because it 'softens' torque at low rpm to prevent it from wheel-spinning and calm throttle response for bumpy work. The computers start to come into their own on steep descents. Yeti's descent control system can be used in neutral, first, second or third gears. Oh, and reverse.

In neutral, it will work at its slowest, down to just 2km/h, with the ABS working to keep the speed down. First gear will work from 8km/h, second from 11 and third from 18. Not only that, but you can adjust the speed up and down on the steering-wheel buttons.

Overall, it's quite a convincing vehicle, the Yeti. It never quite feels as fast as 8.4sec 0-100km/h would suggest, but it gets there quite happily. It doesn't use much fuel, either, sipping just 8.0L/100km... It'll be a worthy and important addition to the local Skoda range -- eventually...

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