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10 February 2012

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Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI CR 110bhp Elegance road test report

2.0 TDI CR 110bhp Elegance

The Czech manufacturer’s first modern-day foray into 4x4/Crossover/SUV territory is the imaginatively titled Yeti. Glimpsed in concept form at several motor shows over the years, the production version of the beast was finally unleashed to the UK public on 17th September 2009. With Skoda Auto firmly in the bosom of the Volkswagen Group any new release from the car maker is an exciting affair – can the “Abominable Snowman” shake up the growing Mini SUV market?

A front-facing image of the Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI CR 110bhp Elegance

Image number 2 of the Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI CR 110bhp Elegance

Image number 3 of the Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI CR 110bhp Elegance

Performance

Buyers of the Yeti have the choice of five different engines. Two petrol options are available – an entry level 105bhp 1.2 TSI engine or the more powerful 160bhp 1.8 TSI engine. For diesel types that leaves a choice of three very similar engines – all based on the same 2.0 litre TDI CR unit. Essentially its pick your brake horse power time – 110, 140 or top-of-the-range 170. The discerning buyer also has the option of 2 wheel drive or 4 wheel drive – although the smaller petrol engine isn’t available in 4WD. The Skoda Yeti on test was the 110bhp 2.0 TDI CR engine 4x4 variant, in the top trim level of Elegance. And while it’s the diesel engine with the least grunt it performed very well. Whether it was cruising on a motorway or negotiating the winding B roads of the Lake District, the car performed with aplomb. An assured and sturdy manual five-speed transmission is coupled to the engine, and throughout the rev range the car has enough torque to call upon. While, the 110bhp engine isn’t particularly swift (it takes 12.2 seconds to hit 62mph from zero, with a top speed of 108mph) you’d never know on the road, at no point on the test did I ever wish I had a bit extra oomph to call upon. That said, if its enthusiasm you want then the 170bhp diesel engine gives you that knocking almost 4 seconds off that 0-62mph time. The Yeti is also a pretty efficient beast, although it’s never going to compete with its Skoda GreenLine stable mates, such as the Fabia Estate or Roomster in fuel economy and CO2 emissions terms. This is down to the car’s greater stature and extra weight, while the addition of 4WD also has an impact on overall efficient figures, yet it’s pretty good for an offroading Mini-SUV. An official fuel economy figure of 47.1mpg isn’t a million miles away from what our road test revealed, with steady 70mph motorway cruising hitting 45mpg. CO2 emissions of 157g/km put the car into VED category G which currently means an annual tax bill of £150.

Ride & Handling

Skoda like to call themselves the manufacturer of happy drivers, and cite an incredible fact from the 2007 JD Power survey where 98% of Skoda drivers would probably recommend them to a friend, and after spending a considerably amount of time behind the wheel of the Yeti its easy to see why this is the case. It’s an absolute pleasure to drive, easy to feel at home behind the wheel the car provides instant feedback when you’re on the road, steering is responsive without feeling twitchy, while the 4WD gives the car an extra assurance on winding roads. With its raised seating position visibility is good, and the car suffers no noticeable roll when cornering. The four wheel drive version of the Yeti also comes with ESP as standard, and this includes a useful Hill hold control feature which is great for people that struggle with hill starts. In fact behind the wheel its easy to start thinking you’re driving a premium SUV. Over our pot hole infested roads the car doesn’t bounce along either, instead the meaty suspension just soaks up the worst of the roads, leaving the ride nice and smooth.

Build Quality & Reliability

There’s no point in dragging up old jokes about Skoda’s Eastern Bloc reputation, the fact is that a Skoda badge on the front of a car is a sure fire guarantee of a quality product. Leave your Skoda jokes where they belong, in the 1980s. And the new Skoda Yeti is no exception to the rule. Both outside and inside the car oozes quality – ok, we were driving the top spec Elegance model – which includes such luxuries as full leather upholstery, 17” alloys, heated front seats and climate control. But the other trim levels (E, S, and SE) while not offering the same luxuries do have the same exacting standards placed on them that the Elegance trim level has. Materials used through out are of a high quality – and all have that quality VW air about them. Our test car also came with a couple of additional bells and whistles, the panoramic sunroof gave the interior an additional airy feeling and let bags of natural light into the cabin – we liked this optional extra a lot. The second addition was that of a 12 speaker ‘soundsystem’ which, to be honest, we found a little pointless! The Yeti engine range has been sourced from Volkswagen; the 2.0 litre diesel unit powering the test car is a variant of one of their most popular engines – found across the spectrum of VW brands, including SEAT, Audi, and Volkswagen. What this means is that engine reliability and durability is likely to be out of the top drawer.

Safety & Security

Put through its paces at the rigorous Euro NCAP testing facility in 2009 the Skoda Yeti was awarded the maximum 5 star award. Adult occupancy received a 92% score while child occupancy was rated at 78%. It also scored 71% in the Safety Assist equipment, thanks to an extensive features list including, as standard, driver/passenger seatbelt reminders, Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA), Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) and Electronic Differential Lock (EDS). The car comes complete with a comprehensive list of safety features, as you would expect. Driver, front passenger, side, curtain all come as standard across the range, while higher trim levels also come with a Driver knee airbag. While central locking, alarm, immobiliser are all present and correct.

Space & Practicality

Perhaps surprisingly the Skoda Yeti is actually built on the same (modified) basic platform as cars such as the SEAT Altea, Volkswagen Golf, and the VW Golf Plus, so it very much fits into the mini-SUV category; in fact it has a road presence which is greater to that of its floor plan. Thanks to the car’s height and overall proportions the amount of useable space in the vehicle is good. Certainly in the front of the car there are no cramped areas even for the long legged brigade, and in the back the occupants can expect a good level of shoulder and head room, while only 6” plus people might have cause for complaint with the amount of knee room available on longer journeys. Boot capacity is pretty good too, measured at 416 litres which should be sufficient for most journeys. The rear seats also benefit from Skoda’s ‘Varioflex’ system which basically provides a greater scope for the traveller to find their perfect seating position, the back seats are also raised 20mm higher than the front seats to aid rear passenger visibility. This Varioflex seating arrangement also allows the rear seats to be completely removed to maximise load space. By the sounds of it the Czech manufacturer could have called this vehicle “Versatility”.

Ownership & Value

Skoda is pitching the Yeti at the young family market, for parents on the look out for something different to the normal hatchbacks and MPVs out there. They’re hoping to tempt these car buyers with the Yeti’s flexible interior, ride height, driving position, and build quality. And entry level Yeti’s are competitively priced from about £14,000 (to almost £23,000 for the top-of-the-range snowman). Compare those prices to the Yeti’s main competitor, the Nissan Qashqai, and it’s fair to say that the car is competitively priced. Throw in the obvious quality of the car and in my eyes the Yeti is something of a bargain. With the look and feel of a larger, more expensive, premium SUV the Yeti really does offer car buyers an enticing option. Running costs will be higher than a standard hatchback but that goes without saying for what is a bigger, heavier car – but the engineers at Skoda have obviously worked hard to create an overall package which is designed to minimise those additional running costs. You can also expect the usual Skoda warranty of 3 years/60,000 miles and a service interval of 10000 miles. The Skoda Yeti is also suitable for towing, with it capable of pulling up to 1800kg.

Submitted: 01/06/2010 11:22:08

Performance

The Skoda Yeti we tested came fitted with a 2.0 TDi engine which pumps out 110 brake horse power at 4200 rpm. It’s the only diesel engine available and comes in four or two wheel drive options. Ours came with four wheel drive and in this form the Yeti performed admirably on both A roads and the motorway whilst it also showed a willingness to be pushed on the local B road network. A reassuring level of torque was on tap once the engine was pushed hard enough and acceleration was smooth throughout the rev range with the engine not topping out as soon as some diesel units tend to. The 0-62 mph time of this model is 12.2 seconds, offering the slowest time of the range, but that does not tell the true story for the Yeti on real world roads.

Ride & Handling

Even though the Skoda Yeti may be perceived as a family orientated vehicle which regards cabin and boot volume as it’s main selling point, the car actually seems to sit in a fairly squat position, tight to the road and promising good handling. This slightly wider than anticipated, squat-like stance combined with the four wheel drive system, our model provided fantastic handling for the enthusiastic driver. The Yeti really had the feel of a car you could throw into corners with some confidence and definitely lived up to its surefooted sounding name. The 4x4 system does indeed make a big difference to the handling the car has to offer but this will mean a sacrifice on fuel economy. The seats our car came with were leather sports seats, very similar in fit and design to those found in the Volkswagen range and very supportive indeed.

Build Quality & Reliability

Solid is a word which suits the Yeti in a number of ways and the build quality of the car is one of these. Inside the Yeti holds many clues to its Volkswagen foundations with the quality of the dashboard, switchgear, fixtures and fittings all surpassing what you may expect of a so called ‘budget’ car manufacturer. The dials and in-car computer look like they come straight from the Audi range and the pedals bear more than a passing resemblance to the VW range. Reliability has never been anything other than a strong point for Skoda since VW took over, its issue has been purveying excitement and emotional involvement rather than mechanical reliability.

Safety & Security

The solidity of the vehicle relates directly to this section as it instil the occupants with a sense of safety. Rear parking sensors, hill hold and ESP came as standard on our model while central locking, alarm, and immobiliser are standard across the range. Park assist is available as an option too. An overall Euro NCP rating of 5 reflects very well indeed on the Skoda Yeti.

Space & Practicality

At 4,223 mm long and 1,793 mm wide, the Yeti offers enough space for 5 adults and a good size boot with a minimum capacity of 416 litres. It would be wrong to claim that it is purely a car for those seeking maximum load and child-carrying ability as the Yeti is not just geared for that purpose. It will however offer you a good level of both of those qualities whilst remaining fun to drive.

Ownership & Value

The Yeti we drove was the top of the range Elegance 4x4 model with panoramic electric sunroof and 12 speaker stereo system as fitted extras. At £21,010 it would be hard to describe this particular car as cheap but I would suggest you would struggle to find a similar car with the same spec and quality from almost any other manufacturer. The diesel unit is undoubtedly the engine most suited to the Yeti and it will provide the best residual values and contract hire rates for any owners and lease users out there. Diesel models start from £15,300 in the entry level E trim while the petrol range starts with the 1.2 TSI at £13,995. A 1.8 TSI is also available, starting in the mid-range SE grade at £19515, or pay £21,510 for the unit fitted with four wheel drive, in the Elegance trim. The diesel is available in two or four wheel drive, with the four wheel drive options starting at £17585 for the mid-range S trim. The combined mpg of 47.1 for the diesel 4x4 is impressive for a vehicle of this size and stature. The value of the Yeti is really in it’s ability to cover a multitude of roles very well indeed. Our model fits in Insurance group 4, which is reasonable for a vehicle of its type so it shouldn’t be too pricey, while emissions of 157g/km CO2 mean that it pays £155 a year in the first year.

Submitted: 01/06/2010 11:31:35

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