Skoda Yeti Elegance

Skoda finally launched its first SUV for India a few days back, we drive the top end variant the Skoda Yeti Elegance to bring you the first hand review of the much awaited car.

To start off with the Yeti is 5 doors, 5 seater mini SUV from Skoda and was launched worldwide at the 2009 Geneva Motor show. Since its launch then it was expected to be launched in India as well but Skoda I guess was not sure if that was the right time and waited till now to get it on Indian roads. Now the Skoda Yeti also was the runner up to the European Car of the Year Award. For India the Skoda Yeti Elegance is being assembled from CKDs at Skoda’s Aurangabad unit where the Superb and Laura also come to life. The Yeti as the name suggests is a snow mountain wild animal that’s now become a part of many tales and stories.  A Soft roader, off-roader, luxury car, MUV, MPV well I can go on and on describing the Yeti but read on to find out what really the Yeti is.

Skoda Yeti Elegance Exteriors

If I have to describe the Skoda Yeti Elegance exteriors in 1 word I would say WOW, the Yeti has been shaped very differently. It looks like a car from some angles while it looks muscular from other and also looks cute from some angles. This different styling is its USP. Ok hers a secret the Yeti is designed by Jozef  Kaban who also is incidentally the same person that designed the Bugatti Veyron so it’s the same hands that has worked on the Yeti.

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The dimensions of the Skoda Yeti Elegance are compact on the outside, if you are looking at an aggressive SUV look elsewhere, the Yeti is more of a sweetly shaped SUV. The front is typical Skoda with a very stylish sharp toothy grill along with the mow family chrome strip on it and the Skoda monogram smartly sitting in the centre. The biggest eye candy on the front is the extra pair of round head lamps/fog lamps that are very large and look very attractive from the front these lights also work as cornering lights when needed

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The headlamps are swept back design with YETI inscribed in it as with all other Skoda vehicle headlamps where the model name is in the headlamps. A large bonnet with the typical Skoda shape makes the front end further catchy. A large 2 tone front bumper with a silver colored skid plate down on it gives the Skoda Yeti Elegance the SUV look from the front. Coming to side the Yeti has large bulbous wheel arches that extend outwards again typical SUVish.

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The meaty 7spoked alloys on the 215 R16 wheels look huge. There is a large gap between the tyres and the fenders to allow the tyres to work in and out during off-roading. All the pillars namely the A, C and the D pillars are blacked out very neatly while only the B pillar remains in body color and has a very nice looking soft curvy shape to it. The glasses on the Yeti are tinted in the darkest possible tint that pass the RTO guidelines, this dark glasses looks very nice in the day time and I feel you won’t need to get the sun film on here.

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A pair of silver roof trails look neatly placed on the Skoda Yeti Elegance. Wing mirrors are rounded and have integrated turn lights on them, they are electrically adjustable but electrical folding wing mirrors would have been more than welcome here. The rear of the Yeti is equally attractive, flat and practical the rear has a large bumper that’s in all black with the silver skid plate on it and a set of reflectors and twin exhausts on it. Tail lamps are neatly shaped.

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The D pillar is blacked out as mentioned earlier and it adds to the glamour at the back. The tail lid opens upwards making loading and unloading a breeze. A huge Skoda monogram sits neatly in the centre on the rear lid along with the TDi 4X4 and YETI logos on each side.

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Exteriors of the Skoda Yeti Elegance are very different and very attractive, solidly built with best in class fit and finish is the trademark of the Yetis exteriors. Blacked out pillars is what I loved on the outsides along with the different looking front lights.

Skoda Yeti Elegance Interiors

Get inside the Skoda Yeti Elegance and I instantly realized the loads of space that it has. The exteriors maybe compact but in the cabin you have acres of area. An all black dash board made of the special rubbery material that is of highest quality. The bottom part of the dash is in beige color with high quality wood insert that runs across the dash that Skoda calls as the Boreal Wood Decor. A 4 spoke steering that’s similar to the Superb and the Laura, it has the audio control and the MFD display control buttons on it.

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The steering made of high quality material and has manual adjust for setting the height and reach on it. The instrument cluster is similar to its big brother the Superb and looks very rich and elegant. The usual MFD is in between the RPM and the speedo dials as on all Skoda cars. The centre dash is again typical Skoda. Touch screen music player with radio is super easy to use and intelligent too; it automatically gets you the radio station name on the display. Sound quality is excellent on the eight speaker music system even when you tune in to the radio channels.

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This 6.5 inches color screen also acts as a display for the parktronics and is very handy while parking or reversing.  Below the Bolero music player is the climate control. The Skoda Yeti Elegance has a dual climate control which according to me is very chilly. I had to keep the fan speed on the minimum and still was feeling the chill during my drive on a hot afternoon. A vent for the rear passengers between the front 2 seats further helps to chill matters in here. Under the climate control section are the buttons to engage the hill assist, ESP and parktronics. The glove box is illuminated and has enough space to store your stuff along with the car documents and manuals etc.

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The seats are in all leather, front seats have height adjust and lumber support that offer the perfect support to the human back. The seats quality is best in class offering high comfort for all driving conditions. Centre arm rest is height adjustable and has space to store some of your stuff too and has a  cooling duct in it. A very sporty gear changer with 4X4 inscribed on it in red on chrome makes things very sporty in here. This 6 speed changer is chunky to grip and has the precise shift feel. At the rear Skoda has implemented as what they call as 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 and can holder. As I mentioned the Skoda Yeti Elegance has a very roomy cabin with loads of head room, leg room and abundant shoulder space.

The boot is 416litres in capacity when the rear seats are in regular position. Loading and unloading is super easy.

 
The interiors of the Skoda Yeti Elegance 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.

Skoda Yeti Elegance Engine

The Skoda Yeti Elegance is powered by the reliable 2.0 TDi Diesel unit that also does its duty ably on the Superb and the Laura. This 1968cc Turbocharged 16V DOCH engine makes 140PS @ 4200RPM and in transition kicks 320Nm of torque @ as low as 1750 RPM. This is one of the latest common rail Diesel engines from the VW-Skoda family. Highly refined and loaded with power the Yeti surges ahead at a very quick pace. The all time 4X4 drive also enhances and helps the engine to shoot the Yeti instantly.

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The turbo kicks in at about 1800rpm and the power delivery becomes very linear and quick. This engine is very smooth for a Diesel and no signs of vibration or harsh noise reached me. The gear shift is again super sharp and typically Skoda. The Yeti uses an all new gearbox and not the one that’s on the Laura/Superb; the gear ratios are re done to suit the cars characteristics perfectly spread out with the 1st-2nd and 3rd being close and the last 3 being nicely spread out. I just loved the feel of the gear shift knob and the precise shift pattern. The feedback on the steering is precise and the steering feels evenly weighted at all speeds inspiring confidence. Zero to 100 is reached in 12.7 seconds that’s super quick for a SUV that nearly weighs 2 tons on gross. The gearbox is fun to engage in your quick city drives and fun on highways too. In my overall run I managed to get an efficiency figure close to 15kmpl on a mix of city and highway drives which is not bad for an SUV.

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The all independent suspension system in the front and rear do a remarkable job of filtering the bumps and pothole bumps. The Skoda Yeti Elegance has McPherson at its front and multi-element axle at the rear which is fine tuned for Indian roads and offer good ride quality and great handling as well. The suspension setup is ready to take on the off road terrain, the Yeti handles like a car and never are you in a spot of bother that you need to maneuver a bulky SUV. Throw the Yeti in sharp corners and it does a very good job at it. The ESP helps the driver at all times during on and off roading in keeping the Yeti in control. Disc brakes on all wheels offer instant and safe braking aided by ABS. I really liked the tight turning radius of 5 meters that makes the Yeti as the best in its segment.

Verdict

The Skoda Yeti Elegance being Skoda first attempt at the SUV segment is a very good product. It’s got all that’s needed and much more. It’s an SUV for those who want one, its an Luxury car for others, the bottom line is that is sits in any role that you want it to be in. Unmatched quality and fit-finish make the Yeti a very attractive package. The Yeti has the super reliable and efficient 2.0 CR engine that’s one of its biggest USP.

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The Skoda Yeti Elegance is a very good package and has features that the Indian SUV market has not seen. Priced at Rs. 14.98 lakhs for the Yeti Ambiente and 16.18 lakhs for the top end Yeti Elegance Ex Showroom octroiless Thane it indeed Is a very good option in comparison with its competitor the Honda CRV, Chevrolet Captiva etc. The Yeti with all these virtues and strikingly different looks with off-roading abilities is the perfect vehicle if you eyeing a SUV in the sub 20 lakh segment.

Skoda Yeti Elegance Specifications

Skoda Yeti Elegance Engine

Engine type turbocharged diesel engine, turbocharger with self-aligning blades, in-line, liquid cooling system, high-pressure direct injection system, 16V DOHC, transverse in front
Cylinders     4
Displacement [cm3]     1968
Max. power/revs [kW(bhp) at rpm]     103(140)/4200
Max. torque/revs [Nm at rpm]         320/1750-2500
Wheel drive   permanent four-wheel drive with automatic torque distribution, Haldex clutch
Transmission   manual 6-speed fully synchronized
Steering System   direct rack and pinion steering with electro mechanic power steering

Wheels    7.0J*16
Tyres    215/60 R16

Skoda Yeti Elegance Chassis

Front axle   McPherson suspension with lower triangular links and torsion stabiliser
Rear axle   multi-element axle, with one longitudinal and three transverse links, with torsion stabiliser

Skoda Yeti Elegance Braking System

Hydraulic dual-diagonal circuit braking system vacuum assisted with Dual Rate system
Front Brake   Disc brakes with inner cooling, with single/piston floating caliper
Rear Brake    Disc Brakes

Skoda Yeti Elegance Dimensions

Length [mm]    4223
Width [mm]    1793
Height [mm]    1691
Wheel base [mm]    2578
Ground clearance [mm]    180
Storage capacity [l]    416
Storage capacity with rear seats folded forward [l]    1485
Storage capacity with rear seats removed [l]    1665

Skoda Yeti Elegance Weights

Kerb weight [kg]    1543
Gross Weight [kg]    2075
Tank capacity [l]    60
Turning circle diameter [m]    10.0