new  skoda yeti front

New 2014 Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI Review: Groomed Grizzly

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At Motoroids, the Skoda Yeti 4×4 has been one of our all time favourite machines. We have heaped praises on this extremely versatile, extremely well-engineered, if a bit unusual looking machine in the past, have taken it out for some challenging multi-day drives on and off the road and have come back stupefied. Thanks to its incredible on-road manners, especially in the 4×4 guise, we have always looked forward to putting ourselves behind the wheel of this exceptional automobile.

So the invite from Skoda to drive the latest version of the Yeti in Kashmir valley, in the lap of the Himalayas, the abode of the Abominable Snowman, which lends the contraption its interesting name, came across as a lip smacking proposition. Incessant rains in the valley, the worst in the past six decades, made the experience even more challenging, to put it mildly. Wet, broken, water logged terrain, small intermittent landslides and scarily violent, overflowing rivers in view, we piloted this machine through an atypically challenging Kashmiri weather for this time of the year. Here’s how the stocky little thing fared in a rather unusual setting in its backyard.

Design and styling

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The previous Yeti exuded loads of character. It was a non conformist design with a uniquely styled fascia featuring oddly positioned, big, round fog lamps overlapping the inner end of the headlamps, lending it its exceptional, if a bit quirky personality. For its 2014 avatar, the wild Yeti seems to have somewhat been groomed to appeal more to the traditionalists. The new design also conforms to new Skoda family design, with sharper, edgier lines and a clearer, crystalline form.

To achieve this, the new Yeti gets a new headlamp with sharply styled outlines. Below the headlamps, the car now features new straight LED Daytime Running Lights. The new fog lamps have gone down and are now angular, narrow and rectangular in shape to lend a wider stance to the car. The shape of the chrome radiator grille rim is new, and it forms a trough at the top to create space for the Skoda logo, which was earlier borne by the grille itself.

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The bumper is new, and now has a more angular look. The lower grille, or the central air dam, if you will, has been restyled and so have been the air intakes flanking it. The satin silver garnish surrounding the lower grille has also been given a makeover with three rectangular, narrow slits in the lower portion lending some more attitude to the SUVs. The aforementioned changes bestow the Yeti’s face with a cleaner, if slightly less funky look and make it more recognizable as a Skoda product in a fleeting glance.

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In profile, the ORVMs and side moulding inserts are now finished in a satin silver shade as a differentiator over the previous model. The 4×4 and 4×2 variants are further differentiated by their 10 spoke ‘Forest’ or the 5 spoke ‘Dolomite’ alloys respectively. The wheel arches on the new model are a bit more flared than the previous version, too, and are home to practically sized 16 inch wheels.

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At the rear, the new Yeti now features the characteristic Skoda C-shaped tail-lamps with LED illumination.  The bumper is restyled with the reflector elements having been moved higher up for better visibility. The tail-gate gets upwards tapering twin creases surrounding the registration plate. Even the faux diffuser has been restyled.

Skoda will be offering the Yeti with a funky bi-color roof available in black/white/silver shades for the 2014 version. A contrasting roof looks fabulous on this machine in the flesh, adding bundles of character and uniqueness to its form.

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The Yeti, even with this comprehensive facelift has not lost its soul though. Sure, it’s more civilized, more in tune with the family design, and more recognizable as a Skoda product, but just a glance, and you cannot mistake it for anything but a Yeti. The design team at Skoda sure deserves a pat on its back for pulling off the fine balance.

Next page for cabin, features and equipment >>>

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