What Makes The Skoda Yeti Special?
The Skoda Yeti has always been fascination for the modern civilization and there still seems to be no possible consensus on the existence of this large, possibly imaginary mountain dwelling creature with extremely large feet. Skoda however has lost the patience and has made up its own consensus with the launch of the Skoda Yeti which is equipped with an all wheel drive irrespective of any terrain. The car surely has the image of an imposing SUV yet it is very competent with its compact nature. The company owned by the Volkswagen has already created a new competition with the launch of its one of a kind crossover SUV, the Yeti. The car is available in two drive variants. The higher end model is the 4x4 version fitted with the VW Group's familiar 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine producing 103kW/320Nm. This car comes with the option of six-speed manual or dual-clutch auto transmission.
The 103TDI slightly costs more than the two wheel drive. The familiar drive trains have nothing new to offer and the diesel engine and DSG transmission offer smooth and noiseless drive even at high speeds. There is however a bit of lag interrupting proceedings in stop-start traffic. The 4 wheel drive diesel is more robust and responds well under heavy foot. The gears are also nippy and get their power from the pulling power of the engine instead of looking for another cog. The Yeti is quite present and gives you the on road feel with its high riding stance. Even the corners are not much of a bother and holds well to the ground. The grip is quite sticky and the steering is pin point accurate. On the smooth roads the Yeti rides comfortably and even gulps any lumps on the road quite easily. The suspension seems a bit stretched and feels cranky at smaller bumps.
The Yeti for a crossover suv somehow seemed to have forgotten the interiors and there is practically nothing new on the cards. The car is fitted with a modular rear-row of three individual seats that can slide, recline, and even be removed completely that come as a standard for all the variants. The luggage space of the Yeti like the Tiguan is also small with the rear seats in their most passenger-friendly position and under normal circumstances it has a space of 322 litres in capacity. However, once the seats are flipped and pulled out, you have a huge space of 1665Litres which is not far from the Mitsubishi Outlander's 1691L capacity. The functionality in the cabin is quite good for storage. There is adequate storage in the cabin for loose items in the centre console, and rear passengers also get a small central storage drawer under the rear air-vents.
It goes without saying that nobody who was around to remember the Civic Si or the GTI 30 years ago has aged anywhere near as well as these two athletic machines. The Mk 7 GTI has been around a few years already, basically making it a senior citizen by automotive cycle standards. Honda, on the other hand, has taken a different approach. After the past few generations looking a little frumpy, the new Si (especially in coupe format) is quite striking, especially from 20 paces. Its profile is long, lean and raked, and appears to be a proper sports sedan. It鈥檚 also visibly larger than the GTI in every obvious dimension except height. There are angles to it that are overdone, though nowhere near as vulgar as the scooped and spoiler-happy Type R. The giant lobster-claw tail lights are still just weird despite the familiarity that thousands of other Civics have brought.
And there鈥檚 an awful lot going on up front too, with oversized black cut outs that are supposed to resemble giant air intakes, but do little more than house the small fog lights. The headlight housing is menacingly squinty with rows of LED bulbs. Even the choice of wheels highlights the differences between the two design philosophies. Volkswagen has fitted the GTI with an evolution of the giant Cuisinart blades they鈥檝e been successfully using for more than a dozen years. The Honda鈥檚 are a busy, twisted multi-spoke design that鈥檚 trendy right now. Both companies have paid careful attention to making the driver鈥檚 cockpit not only the command center for performance driving, but also a comfortable place to access the car鈥檚 considerable technology and amenities. The Volkswagen鈥檚 interior is familiar and serious with controls and textures that will be familiar to anyone who鈥檚 driven any VW product in recent years. Our mid-trim 鈥?-door Autobahn鈥?adds a bit of whimsy with its Clark plaid seats - a look that鈥檚 either loved or hated, it seems. Best of all, the GTI still presents its speedometer and tachometer in big, ol鈥?round dials, just the way it ought to be.
