The Czech automobile company Skoda has seriously and responsibly approached the design and preparation for serial production of its first crossover Skoda Yeti. Having shown the prototype of the Yeti Concept at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, the Czechs have been bringing their brainchild to perfect condition for four long years.
The premiere of the serial crossover Skoda Yeti took place in 2009 in the same place, on the shores of Lake Geneva. Regular visitors of the exhibition were able to note a pleasant fact - the Czech SUV, ready for production, managed to preserve the original appearance of the Yeti Concept, which has been aged for four years.
In Russia, motorists were able to contemplate the first crossover from Škoda in the same fall of 2009, when the car appeared in car dealerships. Almost three years have passed since the start of sales, a sufficient time to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the car. As part of the review, we will try to find out whether the Czech company Skoda has successfully “baked” its first crossover and whether it has turned out to be “lumpy”.
From the moment of its debut to this day, the appearance of the Skoda Yeti has not undergone any changes. The front of the car with four original headlights, round ones serve as daytime running lights and part-time foglights, rectangular segments are responsible for the low and high beam. The radiator grille is designed in the Skoda family style and is decorated with a chrome strip on top, a powerful bumper with a lower air duct framed by a silver frame. When viewed from the front, the Skoda Yeti is recognizable and original, it is impossible to confuse the Czech crossover with another car even in the dark.
In profile, the Yeti SUV demonstrates the organic image of a station wagon raised high above the road. The sloping hood, powerful wheel arches with characteristic stampings will easily mix tires on 215/60 R16 or 225/50 R17 disks. Large glass area, high and flat roof, vertical rear. Calmness and severity, complete absence of aggression, every line and bend of the body is aimed at functionality and practicality.
The crossover looks compact, with its external dimensions it confirms this. With a body size of 4223 mm in length, 1793 mm in width, 1691 mm in height and a wheelbase of 2578 mm, the car is smaller than its main competitors Kia Sportage, SsangYong Actyon, Suzuki Grand Vitara and even Nissan Qashqai. The ground clearance of the Skoda Yeti, according to the manufacturer, is 180 mm, in real conditions measurements show other figures - 165-167 mm, which will not be enough even for a SUV. The angle of entry was also very small, only 18.5 degrees (you can easily tear off the front bumper). I am glad that the exhaust system and transmission are located in the depression of the central tunnel, there is protection for the engine compartment, the bottom is flat with polymer spraying, only the strongly protruding rear suspension arms and the gas tank are of concern.
The rear of the crossover with a large and comfortable tailgate, a bumper made of unpainted plastic with an insert at the bottom a la diffuser, neat shades of parking lights. The original solution in the form of contrasting (black) to the main color of the rear roof pillars, along with large side and rear windows, give the car lightness and make the interior lighter.
Let's summarize the appearance data and the readiness of the Skoda Yeti body to exit from the asphalt pavement. The car is compact and well tailored. We can safely say stylish, body workmanship and anti-corrosion treatment are correct in German, transmission and chassis elements are protected from off-road surprises, but ... before leaving the hard surface, think once again and calculate the trajectory of geometric cross-country ability.
The Skoda Yeti salon is qualitatively assembled from solid materials, but over time, the interior elements, when driving through the irregularities of the road, begin to creak. The driver's seat with rigid padding, wide-spaced side bolsters (skinny owners lack body fixation in turns) and an upright seating position. Perfectly getting behind the wheel is a difficult task, even in a car equipped with an electric driver's seat on a long journey, the back gets tired.
The steering wheel is of the optimal size with telescopic adjustment in height and depth, devices in two separate wells are beautiful and informative, between them there is an on-board computer screen. The front dashboard and center console are of a classic configuration, the placement of the controls is logical and does not cause a problem of long getting used to.
The basic version of Active, however, only with audio preparation, but with the next Ambition configuration for Skoda Yeti, a 2DIN radio tape recorder with CD MP3 and 8 speakers is available, in rich Elegance music with a multifunctional color Maxi Dot display. An air conditioner is installed in the two initial configurations, in the maximum - dual-zone climate control.
Heated first row seats with microlift. In the second row, thanks to the VarioFlex system (longitudinal adjustment and tilt of the backrest of the side seats, folding the seats and complete dismantling), three passengers under 190 cm tall can comfortably sit. There is enough space for both legs and overhead. But the high transmission tunnel will interfere with the person sitting in the center. The middle chair can be removed altogether, and the two side ones can be moved closer to the center (two people have a lot of space).
The trunk of the Skoda Yeti crossover is small by the standards of the class and can accommodate from 405 to 510 liters (depending on the position of the rear seats) with five passengers. Folding the rear row, we get 1580 liters, and removing the rear seats from the passenger compartment - 1760 liters of usable volume.
Inside, the Skoda Yeti is cozy and comfortable, it is convenient to get in and out of the car thanks to the wide doors that open at a large angle, but there were some small flaws. Owners complain about a small glove box, miniature rear-view mirrors, quickly dirty sills (saved on rubber door seals) and glass of the fifth door.
If we talk about the technical characteristics of the Skoda Yeti, then this Czech crossover is built on the Skoda Octavia platform, inherited from its sister Yeti a completely independent suspension (MacPherson strut front, multi-link rear), all-wheel drive transmission with Haldex clutch (4th generation).
The Skoda Yeti crossover for the Russian market is available with three gasoline engines:
- 1.2 TSI (105 hp) with 6 manual gearbox or 7 automatic gearbox (DSG) and front-wheel drive, acceleration to 100 km / h in 11.8 (12.0) seconds at a maximum speed of 175 (173) km / h, average fuel consumption 6.4 (6.6) liters. From the feedback from the owners, the average fuel consumption is 1-1.5 liters more, it all depends on the driving style. The initial engine of 105 "horses" is clearly not enough for a car weighing under 1400 kg, many owners reflash the engine control unit and raise the engine output to 120 hp. (the car becomes "livelier", the fuel consumption remains at the same level).
- 1.4 TSI (122 hp) with 6 manual gearbox (or DSG) and front-wheel drive, dynamics up to "hundreds" in 10.5 seconds. at a maximum speed of 185 km / h, the average fuel consumption is 6.8 liters.
- 1.8 TSI (152 hp) with 6 manual gearbox or 6 automatic gearbox (DSG) and all-wheel drive system, the most powerful engine installed on the crossover provides acceleration to 100 km / h in 8.7 (9.0) seconds, with a maximum speed 196 (192) km / h, fuel consumption in mixed mode of operation is 8.0 liters. This is a truly crossover, with a powerful and high-torque engine, and most importantly, with all-wheel drive and Off-road mode that helps on descents.
We will not talk for a long time about the off-road potential of the Czech Skoda Yeti, the car is really poorly adapted for storming rough terrain. And many owners do not risk leaving the hard surface of the road, urban crossovers, to which the hero of our review belongs, is a class of cars artificially created by marketers.
Here is the asphalt for the Skoda Yeti - this is a native element, the car demonstrates excellent handling and steering information content, a stiff and short-travel suspension sensitively holds the road at almost any speed, and how nice it is to take turns on the Yeti ... hot hatchback. Suspension settings, of course, make themselves felt when passing "lying cops", especially in the rear of the car.
Summing up our review, I would like to say that the Yeti turned out to be original and original for the designers and designers, with modern technical stuffing and a cozy interior, which provides a lot of opportunities for transformation.
Let's say right away that the Skoda Yeti is assembled at factories in Mlada Boleslavl (Czech Republic) and GAZ (Nizhny Novgorod). In 2012, the price for the Skoda Yeti for the Russian market starts at 739,000 rubles for the Active package (1.2 TSI / 105 hp with 6 manual gearboxes, where there is: air conditioning, audio preparation, Servotronic power steering, tires on steel rims 215/60 R16 ).
The cost of the Skoda Yeti 4x4 1.8 TSI (152 hp) with 6AKP (DSG) in the rich Elegance configuration starts from 1,089,000 rubles (climate control, Maxi Dot display, tires on Dolomite 225/50 R17 alloy wheels, cruise control, parking sensors ).
By ordering additional options in the form of a leather interior, a navigator, bi-xenon headlights, a parking assistant and other "chips", we will get a price increase for the 2012 Skoda Yeti to almost 1,500,000 rubles.
