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16/05/2011
By EWAN KENNEDY in Prague
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Skoda Yeti has been a big hit in Europe since it was launched by the Czech car maker at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. The Australian importer has finally managed to push its way into the queue and Yeti will be downunder at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne at the end of June.
Named for the abominable snowman that has been a myth in the Himalayas for generations, the Yeti will be anything but invisible when it reaches Australia in September. Skoda plans a huge advertising campaign to let the Australian buyer know that another competitor is on the scene in this rapidly growing market segment.
We were invited by Skoda to Prague to review the compact SUV in its home country and have come away impressed by practical nature of the Yeti. Practicality that has been beautifully blended with style in the manner to which we have become accustomed from the Czech marque.
Skoda is part of the giant Volkswagen conglomeration of automotive makers, but the Czechs are fiercely independent in their nature and have taken an individual route in body styling, with the usual emphasis on interior space.
Like the Skoda Roomster the Yeti has a cabin that can be tailored to provide five seats or four. This is achieved by having a removable centre section of the back seat, thus giving a pair of bucket seats in the rear. Even more clever is that the two back seats can be adjusted sideways as well as backwards and forwards. So those in the rear can snuggle together, or sit at a maximum distance apart - just the thing for sorting out warring kids…
Another option is to leave the centre section of the back seat in place, but fold it down to create a small centre table complete with drink holders. Small padded areas built into the sides of this table give a pair of armchairs. And the backrests are adjustable for rake. All of which may prevent war breaking out between the little darlings in the first place.
It’s also possible to remove all the seats from the Yeti, with the exception of the driver’s, to create a van like interior.
Luggage space can be shared with the rear seat passengers by moving the seat bases and/or backrests to give good room. However, we found the luggage area relatively high and not quite as spacious as we expected given the squared off shape of the rear styling. That’s partly because the Yeti is sold with a choice between front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive and the vehicle sits at a good ride height to give it some reasonable off-road ability.
When the Czechs design an SUV they anticipate it being put to work by a fair percentage of owners, and that’s the way it should be.
Though Skoda Yeti shares its underpinnings with the Volkswagen Tiguan it has an altogether different appearance.
On the road we found the Yeti to have the traditional solid feel that Australians have come to love with VWs over many decades. There’s a feeling of security from a driving position that’s relatively high and cornering is generally neutral until you rush too hard at a bend when understeer naturally slows the car. There’s the usual array of electronic aids should the driver persist in cornering too hard.
Engines in Australian imports of the Skoda Yeti will be the same as Volkswagen units we have seen in other models from the German giant. Turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel will be imported, with the diesels likely to be the bigger sellers. The diesel will have an advantage over several competitors in this class in that it can be specified with manual or automatic transmission. |
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