Ride and handling
The new Yeti keeps the fantastic underpinnings of its predecessor, which means that the handling is quite unparalleled up to the segment the vehicle represents in the SUV class. The suspension feels stiff at slow speeds, especially from the back seat. The ride quality gets better as the speed increases, but there is still some stiffness to be experienced on rough, undulating roads.
In all honesty, the Yeti isn’t the plushest vehicle to ferry you around on broken, rough stretches we traversed in the Himalayan valley, though it feels much sorted on the kind of roads we would come across on an everyday basis – broken, but not tattered. And by saying that, we don’t at all mean that the Yeti cannot handle broken terrain – it’s a fairly accomplished off-roader with some serious AWD gear under its courteous visage. It’s just that it doesn’t wallow like a boat while negotiating the torturous terrain, so it feels perfectly on home when you pit it against the racy pretenders around a set of challenging bends.
The real beauty of this machine is about the way it drives on the tar. A flat wide stance, relatively low height, low centre of gravity, wide track and sufficient grip from those 205 section tyres makes this beast capable of generously handing facepalm moments to those supposedly ‘sporty’ sedans. Sharing its underpinnings with the erstwhile Laura, the Yeti drives fantastically well both in a straight line, and around bends. The body roll, for a segment that the Yeti represents is ludicrously minimal, the steering precision and feel, delightful! A fun to drive machine which can off-road to a reasonable extent – the Yeti is a true all rounder for its class.
Verdict
It’s quite evident, even for Skoda India that the Yeti cannot be a high volume product for the Indian market. Its solid build quality, uncompromised engineering and generous list of features makes it a product which cannot match its compromised counterparts on price. The CKD route adopted for the car’s assembly in India also attracts more duty than on the models which are fully manufactured here. All of that, in our country, where giant sized tin boxes attract more buyers than a proper, well engineered automobile means that the Yeti will appeal only to a discerning few. The ones who buy it would be the erudite bunch of aficionados who would choose it for its versatility and capability, and not just for its size and looks.
Having said all of that, however, the Yeti does sorely miss a DSG automatic transmission. The top honchos at Skoda India by all means should do whatever it takes to persuade the decision makers to get the car equipped with the twin clutch auto. It would help Yeti differentiate itself more authoritatively from other SUVs equipped with agricultural torque converters or agonizingly dawdling CVTs, and present itself as a truly top-of-the line premium product.
Our detailed discussion with Mr Sudhir Rao, Chairman and MD at Skoda India also enlightened us about the extreme measures the company is taking to enhance the experience of its customers as regards spares and service. Details about the extensive steps the company is taking to make buying and living with a Skoda a better experience than ever were shared with us, in a rather convincing manner. The management’s reinvigorated focus on sprucing up its after sales service should bring reassurance to prospective customers with prejudiced opinions towards the brand.
The Yeti is a world-class product featuring uncompromised engineering and generous features. It’s not your budget compact SUV, so it’s going to cost, even if it’s assembled locally. If you don’t have a problem with that, though, you’ll cherish your choice for as long as you own and drive this wonderful, wonderful machine.
Price: NA
Tech Specs:
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