Skoda Yeti 2012 News

US owners of VW cars with diesel engines that can cheat emissions tests have already been given $500, but local owners still have no compensation.

Three weeks after the global scandal broke, Australian owners of VW diesel cars finally know if their car is affected or not.

Skoda is punching hard as it lifts its profile, firing up cars as small as its budget-priced Citigo city car - expected here around February - and the new mid-size Rapid that will be on sale mid-year and take on the Mazda3, Ford Focus, Holden Cruze and Toyota Corolla.The entry of the Rapid - a Volkswagen Polo-based liftback - also opens the door to the 2013 Octavia that grows in size to dimensions shared with rivals including the Ford Mondeo and its own cousin, the Passat. Carsguide drove the five-door Citigo in Portugal earlier this year and was impressed by the compact car's ability to mix nimble inner-city handling with 120km/h open-road touring.The Citigo is Skoda's take on the Volkswagen Up, which is expected to go on sale in Australia before this Christmas. Skoda Australia spokesman Karl Gehling says that, officially, the Citigo is still "under consideration''.  But significant legwork has been done by Skoda to make the car fit into its Australian line up. It could be here by February and carry a price tag of about $15,000.The Rapid - which borrows its name from Skoda's sporty, rear-engined two-door model made from 1984 to 1990 - is almost the same size as the current Octavia. It is almost identical to the MissionL (CORR) concept car first shown by Skoda at last year's Frankfurt motor show and then at last month's car show in Beijing.Australia will get the Rapid from the Czech factory and not from Skoda plants making the car in India or, from next year, China. It will come with a choice of Volkswagen drivetrains, the most likely a 1.4-litre and 1.8-litre turbo-petrol and 2-litre turbo-diesel. The Rapid inherits the Octavia's liftback - a large hatch that makes it look like a sedan - and variable seating for SUV-like flexibility to make it a hit with families. Skoda hints that it will have a wagon version within a year of the liftback's launch.The arrival of the Rapid will kick start the launch of the bigger Octavia, giving Skoda by the end of 2013 an incremental model line-up from this car down to the Rapid, Fabia and Citigo. Skoda CEO Winfried Vahland told Carsguide at the Citigo launch in February that there were also plans for a larger SUV based on a platform similar to the Audi Q5. That SUV, to complement the Yeti and Octavia Scout, won't be seen until late 2014. 

Confirmation was unavailable as we went to print but Skoda has confirmed the versatile and internationally acclaimed SUV is on its way to Skoda showrooms here.  But Skoda has so far declined to commit to timing, beyond saying ‘later this year’ – it could mean October.The Motor Show could be an ideal time to check out what is sure to be one of the coolest and most distinct new entrants among the SUV set over coming months. The vehicle has snared a host of overseas awards including Top Gear’s Family Car of the Year for 2009 and Auto Express’s Car of the Year award this year.Given Australia’s penchant for finding homes for SUV’s this capable entrant is almost certain to succeed here. In Europe the Yeti offers two petrol engines, a hi-tech 1.2-litre with 77kW and a 1.8-litre with 118kW plus 2.0-litre turbodiesel power.  The 1.2-litre and the entry-level diesel is front-wheel-drive only, but the remainder of the range offers AWD capability, if not sheer all-terrain ability. Price? Still anyone’s guess, but likely to kick off in 2WD trim under $30,000.

The company last week confirmed the Yeti off-roader will hit local showrooms early next year. The much-needed compact off-roader will be available in both front and all-wheel drive with a range of petrol and turbo-diesel engines. Skoda Australia boss, Matthew Wiesner, says the wagon, which shares its hardware with the Volkswagen Tiguan, will be a critical part of the local operation's lineup and help drive more sales. "It will attract a younger audience to the brand," he says. "There's no doubt the compact off-roader segment is on fire and the Yeti will give us an opportunity to get into that." Wiesner also believes it will help shed more light on the Czech carmaker's other off-roader, the Octavia Scout. From October the Scout gets a dual clutch transmission to supplement the current six-speed manual. "I think it will be a nice little surprise package," Wiesner says. He expects that by adding a DSG Scout sales will lift considerably. The Subaru Outback rival currently gets by with a six-speed manual gearbox but with most off-roader sales automatics it has struggled against its opposition. Wiesner expects between 80 and 90 per cent of Scout buyers to tick the DSG option. The arrival of the Yeti and Scout DSG will also coincide with a lift in Skoda servicing centres across the country. At present there are 22 dealers nationally but the company is adding more specific service and after-sales centres in regional and rural areas to give the brand a solid national coverage. Apart from the Yeti, Skoda will add an entry 90kW TSI Octavia to the lineup in a few months. Skoda Australia is forecasting a lift in sales of up to 40 per cent this year, on the back of the arrival of the Superb wagon, Octavia update and addition of a DSG on the Scout. The company has sold 340 vehicles so far this year with the main seller being the Octavia. Despite its low base sales are up 27 per cent this year.

However, Skoda Australia is confident the Volkswagen Tiguan-based off-roader will be a starter and potential best-seller for the brand. Volkswagen Group Australia spokesman, Karl Gehling, says VW Group Australia executives have assessed the car and loved it. But all he can say is that it is "under consideration at the moment". "It comes down to whether we can get it in and for the right price," Gehling says. "There is a lot of work to be done." Gehling believes the off-roader could be the one car that has a chance to propel Skoda Australia into the mainstream and lift the brand's awareness among buyers. The Czech brand is still trying to build momentum locally. It was relaunched at the end of 2007 into a strong market but since then the new car market has collapsed. However, with the refreshed Octavia petrol and TDI range on sale and the RS performance sedan and wagon and the Scout crossover due later this year, the company is planning for better times. If, and when the Yeti arrives, Gehling does not think it will compete or take sales from the competent Scout. "They are essentially two distinct cars," he says. Skoda's European executives say the Yeti would be a good fit for Australia. They believe that it could undercut the Tiguan on price, like it will do in Europe when the off-roader goes on sale in a few months. The Yeti will be available in Europe with both all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive with the opener being a 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine driving the front wheels. Buyers will also have a choice of another 1.8-litre TSI petrol engine, as well as three turbo-diesels of 81kW, 103kW and 125kW. The 81kW will be available with either front or all wheel drive, while the rest of the TDIs will use the same Haldex all-wheel drive system shared with Tiguan, which automatically engages when needed. The compact off-roader is 4200mm long a features distinctive styling. The wagon also has 1760 litres of luggage space with the rear seats removed. As it is based on the Tiguan, the Yeti is expected to handle well and cope with moderate off-roading. Momentum is building for the car across Europe and it has already received some favourable reviews. Germany's Autobild magazine has even voted the Yeti ahead of the Tiguan in a recent test of five Volkswagen cars against five Skodas.

Skoda unveiled the Tiguan-based Yeti compact SUV and a pair of new and updated Fabia models, the soft-road Scout and the performance RS at this week's Geneva motor show ... and all are on the Australian importer's wish list. “The Scout — and the RS — are part of the ongoing Fabia discussion,” Skoda Australia boss Matthew Wiesner says. “We have been working on it for a while but the exchange rate dive didn't do us any favours and while it is getting closer it is not easy.” While the pricing struggle has been painful, Wiesener can see a silver lining with a freshen of the range likely to correspond with any decision to import into Australia. “Realistically, there is a facelift due for Fabia next year and that will provide a good opportunity for us to introduce the car, and not just the entry hatch but the full range.” Wiesner says the addition of Fabia and Yeti to the Australian Skoda line-up will have the effect of adding emotion to the brand and better targeting the younger buyers the Czech brand is trying to reach. “These models, particularly the Fabia RS and Yeti will do a lot for the brand. The RS has real performance credentials and the Yeti is a perfect example of what the brand is all about —making cars that offer a decent interior size without being too onerous in their presence on the roads.” The current Skoda Australia garage consists of the Roomster, the Octavia range including a scout and RS model, and the recently launched Superb. “When you look at it there is plenty of room to add the Fabia range and the Yeti,” Wiesner says. Based on VW's Tiguan compact SUV platform, the Yeti is a high-riding urban softroader with the requisite plastic cladding and sculpted wheel arches giving it a look of civil toughness. At 4.2 metres the Yeti is not much bigger than a hatch and given the platform's VW Golf origins that is not in the least surprising. However, inside the car does a good impression of an East-European Tardis with generous passenger room front and rear albeit at the cost of any genuine luggage space. If you don't need the rear seats they can be removed and that will boost load carrying capacity to a very useful 1760 litres. Yeti will be available, in Europe at least, in both front- and all-wheel drive coupled to a pair of petrol engines (1.2-litre TSI and 1.8-litre TSI) and three tuning levels of a 2.0-litre turbo diesel.