3 Engines to select from, Build Quailty, Interior space
No USB, a tad pricey,
The missing link in the chain has finally arrived for the Skoda Yeti range – in the form of the petrol powered 4x4 Skoda Yeti 112TSI. With the line-up complete, buyers now have 3 models to choose from:
• Skoda Yeti 77TSI front wheel drive
• Skoda Yeti 112TSI 4x4
• Skoda Yeti 103TDI 4X4
Skoda Yeti Overview
It has only been a couple of months since the first two Skoda Yeti’s were discovered (launched) in Australia. The addition of the Skoda Yeti 112TSI petrol engine thrust the Yeti in to the super competitive compact SUV Petrol market.
The Skoda Yeti 112TSI comes with a choice of either a 6 speed manual or a 6 speed DSG gearbox. To keep things simple Skoda has called the petrol 4X4 the 112TSI but the 6 speed manual produces 118kW compared to the 112kW of the 6-speed DSG.
Skoda Yeti Engine
With the launch of the petrol powered 4x4 Skoda Yeti, buyers now have a full suite of engines to choose from.
The new larger petrol engine is called the 112TSI but the 6 speed manual produces 118kW at 5000rpm and 250 Newton metres of torque between 1,500rpm and 4,500rpm compared to 6-speed DSG that delivers 112kW at 6,000rpm and 250 Newton metres of torque between 1,500rpm and 4,200rpm.
The other petrol powered Skoda Yeti 77TSI produces 77kW at 5000 rpm and produces a maximum of 175 Newton metres of torque which is available between 1550 and 4100 rpm.
The 103TDI Yeti produces 103kW is delivered at 4,200 rpm with the TDI engine producing up to 320 Newton-metres of torque between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm. Fuel consumption the 103TDI Yeti is 6.2 l/100kms for the manual transmission or 6.7 l/100kms for the DSG.
Skoda Yeti The Interior
The Skoda Yeti has a great use of space with its premium Volkswagen influenced interior. The 112TSI has the same level of features and quality as the 103TDI 4X4.
On first glance the interior feels as if the cabin is small but you would be mistaken. Adjusting the driver seat to accommodate a six foot driver there was still ample room in the rear for another six footer .
Throw in the smart “VarioFlex” seating system which allows you to configure you rear seating numerous ways and even allow you to remove them completely and you have a very smart, large and flexible interior. With seats in place the load lugging capacity is 310-415 litres ( depending on how the rear seats are set-up) with seats fully removed this jumps to a huge 1665 litres.
Instruments are of usual high standard with clear and easy to read dials. Standard radio on each model is upgradable to the better equipped navigation system. The navigation system comes with 30gb hard drive, 10gb which is dedicated to navigation whilst the rest can be dedicated to your music.
Skoda Yeti Exterior & Styling
The look of the Skoda Yeti 112TSI is no different to that of the 77TSI and 103TDI. As we previously wrote the idea by Skoda lead designer Jozef Kaban was to balance the design between off-road ruggedness and hatchback practicality.
The look of the Yeti will divided buyers, some will be drawn to it, whilst others repelled. With the its larger wheel arches and 17” alloy wheels the Yeti looks awesome.
Skoda Yeti On The Road
We spent our time driving the Skoda Yeti 112TSI on a mixture of highways, mountains passes and dirt roads. The Skoda Yeti gobbled up the 255 kilometers we drove on our media launch.
With the high ride height you would expect a lot of body roll but the car was remarkably stable during high speed cornering. Hitting pot holes and broken roads at high speeds did bottom the car out but it was nothing to be concerned about. At highway speeds the Yeti 112TSI performed well with a smooth ride and a very little road noise.
Driving at speed on the dirt roads you would expect the car to slide a little on gravel roads, yet the Yeti remand true and straight for the whole time. Keeping the car on the straight and narrow is Skoda’s fourth generation Haldex clutch four-wheel-drive system. The system works in conjunction with both the ABS and ESC systems to ensure that safety and stability is maintained at all times. When the ESC system is engaged, control of the Haldex clutch is taken over by ABS/ESC control unit. When the ABS system is called into action, the Haldex clutch is decoupled.
Skoda Yeti Challenges
The RRP pricing my scare some buyers off but Skoda address this with competitive offers at their dealerships.
During our drive day my iPhone ran out of battery – with no USB slot to charge my phone I was left disappointed.
Skoda Yeti Verdict
Skoda has addressed the biggest challenge by introducing the 4x4 petrol variant, with this engine they be able to gain market share. In a highly competitive segment the Skoda Yeti with its choice of three engines might just carve out a niche, just like the Kia Soul has.
Skoda Yeti The Competition
How long do you have? Nearly every manufacturer worth their salt has a compact SUV – the reason? Just look at the sales figures Australians are moving in to these types cars in their thousands.
If we had to test drive only four other cars it would be:
•The Nissan Dualis is the current king of the segment in Australia and is priced from - $
•Hyundai ix35/Kia Sportage is a strong offering from South Korea and its pricing is super share.
•Subaru Forester was the car that started this segment and its latest incarnation is superb.
•The last would be the new darling of the compact SUV the Mazda CX-5. The top of the range may be out range due to the price tag but the other models are competitive.
