Skoda Yeti News

None of us wants to crash our shiny new car but, if we do, we want to know we're safe. That's where the Australian New Car Assessment Program's standardised crash-testing analysis is invaluable, providing comparable ratings for vehicles of all types.The ANCAP site notes that a one-star car is twice as likely to kill you as a five-star model. Carsguide examines ANCAP's results to find the best of breed in each segment. It's worth noting the advanced software in some cars that readies the vehicle if a crash is imminent are disabled during the official tests. Cars are scored out of 37 points after the following tests.FRONTAL OFFSET TEST: The subject vehicle is accelerated to 64km/h and rammed into a deformable alloy barrier to simulate a head-on crash. To increase the severity and reproduce real-world conditions only 40 per cent of the car hits the wall - equating to a driver swerving to avoid an oncoming vehicle.SIDE IMPACT TEST: The T-bone hit rams a 950kg trolley into the side of the car at 50km/h. The sled has an alloy face to simulate the front of another vehicle, which deforms and absorbs some of the impact.PEDESTRIAN TEST: Simulates the results of hitting a pedestrian at 40km/h. The test assesses adult and child impacts, given their heads and limbs strike different areas of the car.POLE TEST: This is the most demanding test in the ANCAP repertoire. Trees and poles don't deform, so all the crash energy is transferred to the vehicle. The car is put on a sled and propelled towards a fixed steel pole at 29km/h.SAFEST SMALL CARSAUDI A3 36.41 See reviews of this carOfficially the best small car to occupy in an accident. Impressively, the windscreen pillar didn't move after a 64km/h hit with the concrete block.  HONDA INSIGHT 36.39 See reviews of this carIts score reflects a 3mm movement of the pillar in the frontal offset test and "slight risk" of serious leg injury for driver and passenger.   BMW 1 SERIES HATCH 36.33 See reviews of this carThere's a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver in the frontal and side crash test and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the passenger in the frontal crash.   SAFEST MEDIUM CARSMERCEDES B-CLASS 36.78 See reviews of this carTops the charts with the highest score of any car in ANCAP database. Technically there's a 4mm movement of the front pillar and a slight risk of injury to the passenger leg closest the door.  BMW 3 SERIES 36.76 See reviews of this carBarely behind. It showed a 1mm movement of the pillar and there was a slight risk of serious injury to the driver's and passenger's legs.VOLVO V40 36.67 See reviews of this carThe only loss of points occurred during the frontal crash test, with a slight risk of serious injury to the front occupants' legs closest the door and the driver's chest.SAFEST LARGE CARSTOYOTA AURION 36.59 See reviews of this carFirst place in this class makes it the only locally built vehicle in any top-three line-up. There's a slight risk of lower leg injury for driver and passenger.   BMW 5 Series 36.53 See reviews of this carNot a bad place to be in the event of an accident either. It blitzed the side impact tests and only lost fractions of points in the head-on hit.    VOLVO S60 36.34 See reviews of this carSweden maintains its safety credentials. The passenger compartment stayed intact with only a 1mm movement of the front pillar.    SAFEST COMPACT SUVS SUBARU XV 35.53 See reviews of this carLike the slightly lower-riding Impreza, the XV scored highly in all crashes, with a slight risk of injury to the front occupants' chests and legs.    HOLDEN TRAX 35.18 See reviews of this carThe surprise packet. One of the smaller cars in the class has only a slight risk of serious leg injury for those in the front in a head-on crash.   Skoda Yeti 34.67 See reviews of this carDepite being one of the older examples in this segment, the Yeti still rates well for safety, with only a slight risk of serious leg injury for those in the front in a head-on crash.    SAFEST MEDIUM SUVSVOLVO XC60 36.53 See reviews of this carANCAP says the cabin 'held its shape extremely well" in the frontal test, with the pillar shifting just 3mm. There was a slight risk of serious chest and leg injuries to the driver.  FORD KUGA 36.33 See reviews of this carA solid second, posing a slight risk of serious chest injury for both front seat occupants. The front pillar moved 15mm.   HONDA CR-V 35.91 See reviews of this carPlaced well despite being penalised for the foot-operated park brake moving upwards and back. Structurally there was only a 2mm movement of the pillar.  SUBARU FORESTER 35.64 See reviews of this carTested this year, it scored highly in all crashes, with a slight risk of injury to the front occupants' chests and legs.   SUBARU OUTBACK 35.52 See reviews of this carFills the brand's quinella. Crashed in 2008 and at the time topped the charts as the safest vehicle ANCAP had tested. SAFEST LARGE SUVSMERCEDES-BENZ ML 36.34 See reviews of this car Luxury SUV has a slight risk of serious chest injury for driver and passenger in the head-on hit and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the passenger. The pillar moved 2mm. RANGE ROVER 36.19 See reviews of this carBig Brit has a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver and the pillar shifted by 15mm.   NISSAN PATHFINDER 35.73 See reviews of this carSlight risk of serious leg injury for the driver. Unlike the other two, it applies to the upper leg as well as the expected lower-leg hits. Docked points for a marginal pedestrian impact result.

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. 

The frenetic family-oriented SUV field gets a competitive contender with the new Skoda Yeti 112TSI - sister to the existing all-wheel drive diesel and the more city-focused front-wheel drive models - which balances price, fuel economy and performance. It will only be available with all-wheel drive and, from this week, opens the can with a competitive $32,990. Skoda Australia says it's a ``critical'' car that hits at the heartland of the nation's compact SUV market. "This sits right in the most popular section of the segment - it's priced and equipped to be competitive,'' says Skoda spokesman Karl Gehling. "It will undoubtedly be our top selling Yeti, significantly lifting our sales.'' The new Yeti starts at $32,990 for the manual and to $35,290 for the six-speed dual-clutch DSG  auto model. The 112TSI is identical externally, internally and drivetrain (less the engine) to the 103TSI turbo-diesel version but is $2700 cheaper. Fuel consumption is a claimed 8.4 L/100km for the manual - and a more thrifty 8.2 L/100km for the auto - against the diesel Yeti's 6.2 L/100km. High-distance buyers may find it more cost-effective to opt for the more fuel-efficient diesel though city buyers are probably best staying with petrol. Interestingly, the Skoda 112TSI competes with its cousin, the Volkswagen Tiguan, with only $500 between them. However, Skoda buyers may appreciate the extra space of the Yeti - 1665 litres of cargo room compared with the Tiguan's 1510 litres - and its clever Varioflex versatile seating system. That's the key to Skoda philosophy in general and Yeti in particular. The Yeti is distinctive, practical and very roomy. There's clever little things in the Skoda range to make life a bit easier for the owner - hooks for the handbag or shopping bags, tie-down hooks, luggage nets, extra personal storage space and so on. The Yeti's face goes against car trends - round driving lights alongside sweeping headlights - but it works. Inside it's neat, interesting and always easy to use. Quality is Volkswagen standard so no complaints, while seat design initially appears too narrow yet is snug on the body and eases stress over long distances. Flip, fold or remove rear seat is fabulous. This Yeti gets Volkswagen's lovely 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine with some fine tuning to make the power and torque suit the all-wheel drive system and the vagaries of bitumen and dirt roads. The automatic model has 112kW/250Nm and the manual gets 118kW/250Nm, the discrepancy to allow a more progressive power flow through the six-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission that isn't normally known for its smoothness.

Skoda this week confirmed it was “working hard" on the new SUV that is bigger than its current Yeti but smaller than a Volkswagen Touareg or Audi Q5. “We will make the final decision next year," says Skoda chairman Winfried Vahland. “We have to wait for the Euro-6 emission rules because that will affect the engines, transmissions and so on. “But the SUV will be bigger than our Yeti - probably about a Q5 size.’’ Asked if t would be a seven-seater, he says that decision had not ben made. “Do you think we need a seven seater? If so, then we wil see. The SUV will be bigger inside than our rivals so I think seven seats is possible.’’ Skoda, part of the Volkswagen Group, is likely to share the Touareg and Audi Q5 platform and engines. Touareg, Audi’s Q5 and Q7, the Porsche Cayenne and upcoming SUVs from Bentely and Lamborghini are - and will - all off the same platform and built at Volkswagen’s factory in Slovakia. The same factory will make the small-car trio of the Up, Citigo and Seat Mii.

That world has now stretched into a more hopeful vision, including uni study and better employment prospects for the 18-year-old, and more contact with other kids for her girls. The game-changer was adriving instruction program run by the Salvation Army's Oasis Youth Support Network in inner Sydney's Surry Hills, which has helped more than 50 disadvantaged young people like Amy get a licence. And after the donation of three new vehicles from Skoda through Carsguide.com.au, the Drive for Life program is set to reach even more youth. Amy is able to attest to what it will mean for them. "I did the Driving for Employment program and it has made a huge difference. It's opened up a lot of opportunities for me and for the girls too," she says. "With two young girls it was very difficult to get around without a licence. And not having any family to teach me how to drive - or enough money to have driving lessons - made it impossible to get one.  "Everything was hard to do: grocery shopping, taking the girls to the doctor, doing anything at all if it was raining. Now we can do all that -- we go to play centres and family events, and I've just started studying psychology at uni - so it has started my career, hopefully." Head of Skoda Australia, Matthew Wiesner, said while many of us take a driver's licence for granted, it had become harder for disadvantaged young people to get one. "With today's mandatory 100-plus hours of driving training - which are important to make sure that young drivers are safe drivers -- it's very difficult for those who don't have a family support structure," Wiesner said. "So this program is a fantastic opportunity for them, and Skoda's partnership with the program is a way for us to put something back into the community." Director of the Oasis Youth Support Network, Major Robbin Moulds AM said the donation of the three Yetis was more than they had ever hoped for.  "We had asked about the possibility of a single car - even a used one. And now we have not one, but three, brand new ones." Major Moulds said the Yetis would be in strong demand, and would help the program expand.  "Currently we have 75 young people at Oasis on a waiting list wanting to learn how to drive," she said. "But we can now also extend the program out to western Sydney and into Queensland." In addition to the three vehicles, the partnership with Skoda and Carsguide.com.au will include a volunteer program and promotion of the benefits in the community.

Do I need a 4WD? Probably not. An AWD? Maybe. If so, would I spend about $42,000 - including taxes and charges - to get a Skoda Yeti into my garage at home? And that’s the stumbling block.I’m 150km out of Alice Springs at a place called Boggy Hole - no joke - along with 22 other motoring writers from Australian publications. The 24th missed the plane.The Yeti 103TDI AWD has made it the 30-odd kilometres from the highway, along a thin gravel ribbon visited by wild horses, past a solitary house in the middle of nowhere that appears to be a used car lot for damaged vehicle, and down onto the river bed. There’s 250mm diameter rocks of all colours, smaller pebbles, lots of river sand and pockets of the fine talc-like sand that gets caught in the hollows of tree trunks and invites 4WDs in to play. There is the occasional waterhole and alternating sections of rocks and soft sand, marked by the tracks of dozens of vehicles before.Skoda enlisted a team of experts to set up 24 tents, arrange a campsite fire and dining tables, brought in chefs with tall white hats that looked out of place against the rugged walls of the gorges behind us, and even had an entertaining expert who spoke of the region. For outsiders, it’s an odd experience. For motoring writers, it’s a pleasant divergence before the chat (and varying points of view) start about the test vehicle - the one we’re all here to write about.It’s warm - about 30C - with 35C on the cards. Through this harsh land comes the 12 Yetis along with a support crew in three Volkswagen Amaroks loaded with recovery gear. That should have been the first hint.Some writers didn’t have much of a clue about driving a small AWD - with no low range gearbox, low-profile tyres and a paltry 180mm ground clearance - in sand. They were the first to get stuck.I only participated in two recoveries and it’s not a lot of fun. Fun is having a cold drink in a deck chair at the end of the day. Fun is laughter around the campfire after the sun goes home.Pushing and digging out a SUV isn’t fun and that’s when it hit me that I don’t want to do this. So for me, if I bought a Yeti, I’d buy the cheaper 2WD and save about $9000. I wouldn’t go off the road but I would be perfectly hapy with the amazing flexibility and the fuel-efficient buzz of the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine.Sometimes we can get too caught up in the imaginary adventure.

The 2.7-litre, twin-turbo V6 Ford/PSA engine - previously deployed in models as diverse as the Jaguar XF and Citroen's C5 - brings to this hitherto thirsty, petrol-only range the low-end torque and economy that makes diesel the power source of choice for buyers of bigger SUVs. Emissions will be cut by as much as 25 per cent compared with the Territory's venerable naturally aspirated in-line petrol six, while output should be in the vicinity of 150kW and 440Nm: just what the two-tonne Strayan SUV needs. New SUVs are thick on the ground in 2011, but the fairest of them all is the Range Rover Evoque, which brings designer desirability and - at little more than $50K - relative affordability to the segment.  Range Rover's first foray into the domain of the Q5s and X3s of this world will bring Land Rover's luxury badge within reach of people who don't necessarily use them to form convoys outside private schools. It's the smallest, lightest Rangie ever, and the leanest version emits about 130g of CO2 per kilometre.  Most of all, Gerry McGovern's sublime, compact design - especially in coupe format - will change the way you look at SUVs. Roll on September. On a softer note, compact SUVs - prestige ones, in particular - have been the growth segment of the past few years.  This year brings an especially intriguing contrast: two Volkswagen Group models, both with Tiguan underpinnings and most likely highly similar drivetrains, one built in Spain, the other in the Czech Republic. The former is Audi's Q3, the latter Skoda's Yeti. The Audi will carry a premium price tag; the Skoda won't. Compare and contrast.  In tougher terrain, the redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee lobs later this month with its newly acquired monocoque chassis, reportedly tarted-up interior and a trio of V engines; a new 209kW 3.6-litre petrol V6; a 5.7-litre Hemi petrol V8; and a three-litre CRDi turbo-diesel six. The Cherokee's Patriot and Wrangler stablemates have also been updated. Just as ballsy (more so, even) is Nissan's Pathfinder Ti 550, the most powerful version to date, with its stump-pullin' three-litre turbo-diesel V6. If the sun is temporarily eclipsed in June, it's probably due to the vastness of the latest Volkswagen Touareg with its new range of six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines and a platform shared with the exxier likes of Audi's Q7 and the Porsche Cayenne. There can be few left in this global village who haven't been exposed to pre-launch publicity for the Toyota FJ Cruiser.  This four-year-old, retro-designed device finally gets here in March, lugged along by the four-litre V6 petrol engine from the 150 Series Prado. Claimed outputs are 200kW and 380Nm.  If you must have one, that blue seems the least ostentatious colour.

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.

But it's not a Himalayan bigfoot. Yeti is the name for Skoda's first serious compact SUV and it was targeted at the Frankfurt Motor Show as the most important model yet for the Czech brand as it looks to build a serious following down under."This is exactly the car we need to break through with younger, funky buyers. It's going to give us a point of difference," says the head of Skoda in Australia, Matthew Weisner. "This is the one I think will take us to another level.It's even more important than Octavia." The Yeti only hit the scene in Europe in August and that means a slight delay for Australia while the paperwork and pricing is done, but it will land next year and the starting price will be below $30,000.Its obvious rivals are the Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan, but it will come with both front and all-wheel drive, as well as with some serious off-road ability. "We would like to think we can get it here for the second half of 2010.But we are still finalising the detail on homologation," Weisner says. "The basic mechanical package is similar to the Octavia, but running the 4Motion system. “And the Skoda engineers have done their own work to ensure it is a much better off-roader than you would normally expect in a compact SUV. “That's its point of difference."Skoda is deliberately targeting a front-drive Yeti as a price leader, although it plans for a spread of models including petrol and diesel engines, manual and DSG gearboxes. "We've got to be around the Volkswagen Tiguan from four-wheel drive point of view, and for the two-wheel drive car it has to be under $30,000. And we equip cars well, and we wouldn't change that, so we'd hold the value propostion."Weisner is confident the Yeti will be an easier sell than the baby Roomster, which has radical looks but is hard to sell in Australia's compact class. "If you look at it, Yeti is a fairly funky but typical compact SUV. Roomster is quite a radical sort of design, and it's not easy to position in Australia," he says."Yeti will sit perfectly comfortably in that growing compact SUV segment. And that's now stronger than the medium segment." Weisner believes the Yeti could eventually become Skoda's best seller, even bettering the Octavia in showrooms."We'll probably do around 1000 Octavias this year. I think it will give a similar or greater contribution. It will give us a big lift in a relatively short period of time," he says. "If we can do 1400 or 1500 cars in total this year, with the Superb now in the range, Yeti will make a hell of a difference to our total sales."