Skoda Yeti 2011 review

Funny name and unusual looks hide a very practical offering from that most pragmatic of carmakers, Skoda. Here in September and loaded with family-friendly features, Skoda says its Yeti SUV is bound for sales success.

To help ensure victory, Skoda is upping the numbr of its dealers by about 20, making about 60 outlets with the feather logo in ction within a year. Skoda Australia is keeping its distance when talking price.

Skoda's head in Australia, Matthew Wiesner, says other engine variants, including a 118kW turbo-petrol with a six-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive, will follow later.

VALUE

Skoda will show the Yeti at the Melbourne motor show - along with a new Superb model and the Fabia range - and then put it in showrooms in September-October.

At an estimated $28,000 for the front-drive petrol, it equates to the Nissan Dualis 2WD Ti at $29,690; Toyota RAV4 2.4 CV ($28,990); Kia Sportage Si 2WD ($26,490); Mitsubishi ASX 2WD ($25,990); and Hyundai ix35 Active ($26,990).

A lot of the Yeti's value lies in its reliability, safety features, durability and functionality. But customers may baulk - at least with this entry-level model - by the manual transmission and unorthodox styling.

TECHNOLOGY

The underpinnings are all VW Tiguan but, like the difference between the Polo GTI and the Skoda Fabia RS, there's an awful lot of detail in how the suspension has been tuned and how the steering is set up.

The base engine is the superb 1.2-litre 77kW turbo-petrol engine also found in the Polo and Fabia. The 103kW turbo-diesel has been around for a long time and is in no need for a change.

It gets mated to the all-wheel drive system and a six-speed DSG box. The drive system is a Haldex arrangement that on dry roads puts 96 per cent of torque through the front wheels. It has sensors that detect speed variations between front and rear wheels and then can divert up to 90 per cent of torque to the rear.

There's also a rear limited slip differential to ensure torque goes evenly between the two wheels.

DESIGN

The Yeti is the same length as a Volkswagen Golf but has considerably more cabin room - mainly in height - so can afford to have the rear theatre seating and cary tall cargo. Subjectively, it's a Roomster without the quirky bits.

In fact, despite its unusual round driving lights up front, its profile and rear views show it as a neat, functional family wagon. The fact that so much thought has gone into things like versatile cargo space, personal storage for occupants, big windows for visibility and so on, that it just feels so functional.

Part of the Yeti's appeal is its flexibility. It has Skoda's VarioFlex seating arrangement so individual seats can move on runners, split and fold, reclined and even removed. The rear seats are 20mm higher than the front so this theatre seating gives children a better view.

SAFETY

It gets a five-star crash rating, all the necessary chassis aids including the full suite of airbags and Volkswagen's electronic safety gear such as stability and roll control. It even has a full-size spare wheel.

DRIVING

Its height makes it look like a people mover and that may indicate it has the same bodyroll and vague handling of such a van. In fact, the Yeti is beautifully taut and controllable. It sits flat on the road and is always composed.

It can be flung into a corner and the steering wheel rolled on without any dramas. The 103kW tested is a lazy engine and that masks the fact that the performance is pretty special. With the DSG it will slip quickly up through the gears and cruise quietly and frugally at 120km/h (Czech posted speed limit) though has plenty in reserve for overtaking.

The dashboard is simple and effective but I wasn't alone in making more than a few attempts to get comfortable behind the wheel. The high seating position, angle of the steering wheel and location of the pedals creates a sit-up-and-beg attitude by the driver that takes some time to get used to.

In its favour, the high seats make it very easy to get in and out of the vehicle - a bonus for the frail and elderly - and reduces the need to lean into the car to extract babies from capsules and grocery bags from the boot.

VERDICT

Change your mind about what you want your car to do and the Yeti may just fit into all your parameters. A surprisingly practical and efficient car.