Skoda Yeti Ambition 4x2 Welcome To The Urban Jungle

It has been more than a year now, since Skoda launched its mini crossover SUV-Yeti in India. Though it is a very fine mini SUV, Skoda Yeti did not bring in large numbers as it was expected. The Skoda Yeti is a mini SUV crossover that was introduced globally in 2009. India got the 4x4 (4 Wheel Drive) version of the Yeti initially and just recently with an attempt to get much larger sales, Skoda introduced the 4x2 (Two Wheel Drive) version of the Yeti. People who thought that the 4x4 Yeti was expensive may just find the 4x2 Yeti perfect as the prices are about Rs. 2.5lakhs lower than the 4x4. We get behind the wheels of the Skoda Yeti 4x2 Ambition to find out if the price cut makes it better value for money. Read on.

Readers can also go through the Skoda Yeti 4x4 road test that we aired a while back- https://www.cardekho.com/road-test/skoda-yeti-elegance-12.htm. The Skoda Yeti 4x2 is available in two trim levels – Active and Ambition while the 4x4 version of the Yeti comes in Active Ambition and Elegance.

 Exteriors

The design and shape of the 4x2 version of the Skoda Yeti remains identical to that of the 4x4 version and nothing is changed. A very car like, albeit muscular looking crossover look with a good amount of ground clearance is what we can define the Skoda Yeti from the outside. The build quality and fit-finish is the best in the segment.

The paint work is also very up-market. If you have checked our Skoda Yeti 4x4 road test we had driven the same color shade then too and we don’t find any sort of quality or fit finish difference on the 4x2 Yeti. There is no 4x2 badging on the outside to differentiate or state that this is a 4x2 version.

The metal roof trail is also carried on to the 4x2 Yeti from the 4x4 version. Being a luxury mini SUV the Yeti 4x2 gets body colored door handles and wing mirrors with integrated turn lights.  The front end also retains the signature XXL sized fog lamps and that’s what the Yetis front end is known for. Chrome inserts on the center grill make the Yeti 4x2 stand out of the crowd.

With blacked out side window frame and pillars give a very distinctive look to the Yeti 4x2. The lower body along the running board and the lower front are rear bumpers are in black fiber material for protection as this is the area that comes in contact with splinters of rock, mud etc. The rear gets a high placed stop lamp. The 4x2 Skoda Yeti drives 16inche 5 spoke alloys that Skoda calls Moon design. The tyre specs for the 4x2 Skoda Yeti are 215/60 R16 Goodyear make riding on 7.0J×16 wheels.

The tyre specs also remain the same as that on the 4x4 Yeti the only difference being that of the Alloy wheel Nevis design. On the outside then there is no difference between the 4x4 and the 4x2 Yeti which is a good thing for the 4x2 Yeti buyers as they need not feel left out on anything. As mentioned the fit and finish with build quality is second to none so full marks to the Yeti 4x2 on exterior quality and build.

Interior

The cabin area of the Skoda Yeti 4x2 remains also fairly unchanged as compared to the Yeti 4x4. You get the leather beige seats with driver and front passenger manual seat height adjust. The four spoke steering wheel is leather wrapped with signature chrome inserts on it. The steering can be manually adjusted for height and reach. The instrumentation on the 4x2 Yeti also remains the same with the twin chrome lined instrument pods and the multi function display in the center.

The dashboard is made of a special soft plastic material and we love the feel of it. You get the center storage area that’s closable on the top of the dash.

The center console gets a Skoda Swing single CD/MP3 with Radio player that’s routed to 8 speakers across the cabin. Audio quality is very up-market and the player tunes to the FM frequencies very well without any disturbance. On the 4xe Yeti Elegance you get the 6.5 inch color touch screen double DIN Skoda Bolero system. The 4x2 Skoda Yeti gets the single zone AC unit with closeable blower vents on the dashboard. There is generous storage area under the AC unit.

The Skoda Yeti 4x2 has a 5 speed manual gear box as opposed to the 6 speed tranny on the 4x4 version. The gear shifter is of same shape and design as the 4x4 just excluding the 6th gear shift. You get aluminum inserts across the dashboard on the 4x2 Yeti Ambition while the 4x4 Yeti Elegance gets the wood finish insert. The front seats are of large size to suit the large framed Europeans and the cushioning is firm and supportive. You get door pockets and bottle holder in the door pads while there also is a storage bin under the center arm rest. 

The glove box can store a decent amount of stuff. The visibility from driver’s seat is perfect and can be reset to suit you using the seat height adjust. You also get lumbar support on the front seats which should come real handy during long drives. At the rear the 4x2 Yeti gets the same 4x4 Yetis VarioFlex seat system.

Here one can either make use of the entire seat to accommodate 3 passengers or remove the centre seat making the rear seat into two captain seats or removing all the 3 rear seats and extending the boot into a 1665litres of massive boot area.  This is a very useful seat adjust system that is unique for this segment.

The seats can also be adjusted for back rest incline setting or reach adjust. The centre seat also folds down and turns into your arm rest with can holder. As mentioned the Skoda Yeti Elegance has a very roomy cabin with loads of head room, leg room and abundant shoulder space. The rear seats are perfectly contoured and are very supportive. The Skoda Yeti 4x2 has a boot space of 416liters same as the 4x4 Yeti.

The interiors of the Skoda Yeti 4x2 are strikingly different to other cars of the segment, practical and unique thanks to the VarioFlex seats that convert the boot into a playground. Fit finish is exemplary and everything in here is built to last for ages.

Engine – Drive – Suspension

The Skoda Yeti 4x2 is powered by a 2.0liter (1968cc) TDi CRDI front wheel drive Diesel engine.  This Turbocharged diesel engine has a turbocharger with self-aligning blades and in-line; liquid cooling system working on high-pressure direct injection system with 16V DOHC mounted transverse in front.

Now this engine is tuned to make 110 PS of power @ 4200 RPM and has 250Nm of torque between 1500 to 2500 RPM. This 2.0 Liter TDi engine is mated to a five speed manual gearbox. For the records the 4x4 Yeti has a 140 PS TDi engine mated to a six speed gearbox. The Suspension setup on the 4x2 Skoda Yeti remains unchanged. The front has a McPherson suspension with torsion stabilizer while the rear gets the Multi-Element axle with torsion and stabilizer.

On the move you don’t notice the less power (110PS) from the engine on the 4x2 as compared to the 4x4 Yeti (140PS). The power is more than adequate and the gear ratios are perfectly spaced out.  The 4x2 Skoda Yeti has also shed some weight due to the absence of the 4X4 system.

This weight loss of about 100kgs plays a big part is not letting you know of the lesser powered engine in terms of power delivery. The 2.0 Liter does not have a turbo lag and is highly refined. The free revving engine does a dash of 0-100kmph in about 11.65seconds which is very good for the car this sized. The in-cabin sound damping is good and the round noise or bumps are not heard inside.

The ride quality on the Yeti is one of the better ones always. The Skoda Yeti 4x2 uses the same suspension setup as of the 4x4 and drives wonderfully over bad roads, loose tarmac or wet roads. The Skoda Yeti 4x2 does handle well on corners and sharp bends and does not feel nervous either.

You get ESP as standard and the all wheel disc brake system. Braking is sharp and reassuring. There’s no compromise on safety with the 4x2 Yeti getting two front airbags and ABS as standard and reverse parking sensors. We did manage to get an overall fuel economy of close to 16kmpl in overall driving conditions which included a lot of city driving and with the AC always running.

Verdict

The Skoda Yeti 4x4 is a very competent mini SUV but did not sell that well due to its pricing. Skoda has done just the right thing by getting the 4x2 version with a lower price tag now starting at Rs. 13.40lakhs ex Delhi. The USP of the Skoda Yeti is space, convenience and its off road and bad road ability which stands true also for the 4x2 Skoda Yeti.

Our last words would be that for someone who does not want to compromise on quality and fit finish the Skoda Yeti 4x2 is just the perfect Mini SUV crossover for him.