My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review (Pete's Remapped, K&N & Bilstein B6)

[manojodungat]

Re: My Yeti !

woow.. nice Yeti. I saw the same post in other forum also... update us more with driving experience with this white.

Yes. It's me there as well.

On the inside:

My Endy was many a levels above Scorpy, when it comes to interior quality, fit and finish. Yeti takes it to another level. The soft touch in places and the harder plastics lower down actually make it more practical and premium. Every single switch/ button just functions on a light touch. No pushing/pulling, just tap instead; such is the quality. There is a learning curve on finding the right control buttons though, this one being the first European.


Silver alloy design decor on front dashboard looks nice. Dual-tone front padded are the dashboard, centre console and door panels.


Well thought out storage areas as well


The steering wheel:
The leather wrapped four spoke steering wheel, with signature chrome inserts on it, is a joy to hold. The steering can be manually adjusted for height and reach and again the sliding action is effortless. No steering-mounted audio controls on this variant.


Entertainment System:Skoda Swing Audio Player
Single CD/MP3 with Radio player with 8 speakers. The set-up is just amazing to say the least, when it comes to sound quality. There is a dedicated AUX cable in cabin under the centre armrest. Nicely placed and convenient. My iPod classic worked flawlessly.


Tweeters and speakers have been well integrated with 'tight' sound quality


Comfort and Convenience (interior):
Yeti will give you little to complain about in this regard. The front seats are spacious and the rear seating is good too. Both driver and passenger seats are supportive with lumbar support, slightly on the firmer side though. Both can be height adjusted mechanically. The rear seats are great for two adults- decent headroom and legroom.

Fact sheet:

• Leather Upholstery - great
• Air Conditioner - No automatic, but single zone, just adequate, I feel. The testing time is yet to come though. Will update in a couple months during the scorching Kerala Summer. The blower isn’t quite quiet, but not too noisy as well; definitely not super-silent from speed-2 onwards.
• Rear AC Vents - works fine
• Power Steering - very sharp and precise, even better than my Endy. Light at slow speeds and weighs up nicely with speed
• Adjustable/Tilt Steering - check
• Power Windows (Front) - with express up/down, for both driver and passenger
• Power Windows (Rear) - check
• Adjustable Seats including hight – both driver and passenger
• Rear Seat Headrest- for all three passengers
• Rear Seat Centre Arm Rest – Just fold down the middle seat, you have the arm rest with Can holders
• Folding Rear Seats – Varioflex seats, one of the hits of this car for me. More on that later.
• Remote Fuel Lid Opener – Just unlock the car using remote and press the lid
• Luggage Compartment Lamp - check
• Rear Reading Lamp -check
• Height Adjustable Front Seat Belts –check
• Central locking – check

The Vario Flex seats:
The flexibility of second row Varioflex seats can’t be missed here. One can remove any or all the rear seats such that you can have two captain seats or just one of them or none at all, extending the boot into a massive cargo area. The seats can be slid back and forth for leg room and reclined as well. The middle one alone can be folded down to function as your armrest with cup/can/small bottle holders. Quite a unique feature, I must say.

All seats in place


Seats folded down


All rear seats removed: Though a bit on the heavier side, removing them is quite easy I must say.

 

[manojodungat]

Re: My Yeti !

Under the hood:

Engine & Transmission details

• 2.0 TDI CR Diesel Engine
• 1968 cc
• Power - 110 bhp @ 4200 rpm
• Torque - 250 Nm @ 1500~2500 rpm
• FWD
• Manual 5 speed

Engine performance & driveability in the city:

• Superb. Soft clutch, silky smooth accelerator pedal, silent engine, sharp and responsive steering and sharp and abrupt brakes - means a decent town car. The turbo lag isn't felt at low city speeds. The compact dimensions helps parking Yeti a breeze. The torque is adequate for city driving and the refinement and NVH levels at low speeds are superb too.

Engine performance & driveability on the highway

• Initially, Yeti was launched in India with the same engine with 140BHP on offer. That was the 4x4 version. This variant has been detuned to 110BHP. That doesn't make it an underpowered car at all. It's only when you push it hard, the start feeling the need of that extra horse power. You still are very much in the business all the way until 100-110 mph. Only when you try beyond that, the engine starts to feels a bit strained. Didn't feel like pushing it above 120 mph, as the engine started to be heard inside losing out on refinement a bit. 100-110 mph at 2000-2100 RPM is the way to go on highways.

Driving is car like

• This car is for practicality, not to beat those rude boys off the lights, as I stated earlier. Both Scorpy and Endy were torque monsters, but you can actually have a bit of fun with yeti as well. Slot in to the right gears, you should be at home. Initially I did manage to stall the machine a couple of times. Coming from the likes of m-Hawk and that 3.0L on the Endy, I was perceiving poor low end torque and could not cope. Now that I am tuned, it hardly is an issue. Still, one needs to slot in the right gear all the time. With my Scorpy, I could start moving even while on 3rd gear, not a great idea though. Such was the torque spread. The turbo lag isn't a concern, gets obvious only when you push it hard from stationary. This car is not meant for such exercise any ways. The driving position is high enough to give good visibility – better than Endy but not in the league of Scorpio. One of the reasons why I let my Endy go was the low seating in the first row.

• Overall, the engine performance is excellent for city and just adequate for highway drives. Would love to have had that additional 30BHP any day though.

Gearshift & clutch

• It’s a 5-speed manual. The 4x4 elegance (140BHP) gets a 6-speed which I thought I would miss on this variant of mine. The gear shift isn’t bad at all. No shudder at start or vibration. The Gear stick on my Scorpy used to dance through out. But I loved it along with the long throw. On Yeti, it is the other way around – smooth, effortless and short. But I prefer those on the big boys though, even if I had to put in some effort on the stick. The gearshift indicator is observed on MID when changing gear

Braking

• Braking is one of the strongest points of yeti. The brakes are sharp and brutal - both at low and high speeds, confidence inspiring indeed. At low speeds, just give the pedal a tap, Yeti stops in no time. Great bit/feel and effectiveness. Its adequate at seeds as well. Coming from my Endy AT, the difference felt was instant and noticeable. It gets Ventilated discs upfront and rear solid disc brakes.

Overall NVH levels

• The engine noise is very well controlled and up to 110kmph over even 120, you don’t get to hear the diesel growl at all. Up to 110 mph - silent,more petrol like. My Endy used to be crude in this regard. Having said that, the road/tyre/wind noise creeps is quite quickly as you pick up the speeds. May be the Apollo rubbers it is riding on. May also be the tall and boxy design being bad for aerodynamics. There is quite a lot of wind and road noise at speed, say from 90km/h which isn't great for long journeys. It is surprising as it does have decent cladding/insulation under the hood and on the wheel wells. For city driving, it is super-quiet and refined.

Suspension, Ride quality and handling:

• Though came in pre-worshiped, this ‘box on wheels’ has already impressed me on many counts. It is by far the best family car I have owned, in terms of ride quality and handling. The 4WD version would have been perfect though. It rides with fluid smoothness, both at low and high speeds. The ride quality is a bit firmer than the likes of Duster, but way nicer than my Scopry/Endy (unsurprisingly). It was fun to drive along those roads to Munnar as the car was planted on the road even when pushed through those tight bends. Amazing grip levels

• Front - McPherson suspension with lower triangular links and torsion stabiliser
• Rear - multi-element axle, with one longitudinal and three transverse links, with torsion stabiliser

Safety features:

• All wheel disc brakes
• ABS+ EBD+ ESP
• Parking sensors
• Hill Hold control
• Dual air-bags
• Automatic front wiper system
• Gear-change indicator

Steering

• The steering is electromechanical power steering. The power steering enables you to steer the vehicle with less physical force. With the electromechanical power steering, the steering assist is automatically adapted to the speed and to the steering angle.The steering can be manually adjusted for height and reach and again the sliding action is effortless. The steering while driving is sharp and accurate, better than even my Endy. Very light at slow speeds and weighs up nicely as you pick up speeds.

Ground clearance and turning radius:

• Yeti ambition 4x2 gets a ground clearance of 180 mm and a turning radius of 5.0 m. The ground clearance is decent enough to sail over those potholes and speed-breakers on our Indian roads, but still felt ( may be psychologically) less prepared to do so – spoilt by Scorpy and Endy here. The turning radius is excellent and taking those sharp U-turns is a breeze.

Fuel Efficiency:

• Excellent Fuel consumption. Consistently returned 16.5 km/L on average – mixed driving [tank- full methodl method]. Relaxed 60-70 kmph gives me up to 20.5 kmpL as per the trip computer. A normal easy 80-90kmph cruising gives a consistent 17.5 kmpl on highways.

• ARAI fuel efficiency = 17.72 kmpl

Can Yeti stand up to the comparison with my Scorpy or Endy ?

Definitely not, when one talks of size and perceived ruggedness. In the first place, this Yeti 4x2 isn’t meant to go off the tarmac. That monocoque construction Vs the body on frame. Having said that, surprisingly, it is the Yeti which gives you that unsettling feel and ride comfort while driving over bad patches and undulated average Indian roads. It is simply built and bolted to last a life time.



Bought a new comprehensive zero dep. from HDFC Ergo. Paid up Rs 28.7k. Learnt that Pinnacle Skoda has a tie up with HDFC, Oriental and National Ins. Went on to choose HDFC for obvious reasons, though either of the other two would have worked out to be a lot cheaper. Wanted to get one through Skoda for cashless claims, which didn’t materialise eventually. The reason being- more than 5 year old, not eligible.

Running costs?

Unsure as of now. Didn’t have to spend a paisa, apart from the fuel of course, in the first 2000kms. Decent fuel efficiency as well. Thanks to the fact that it is a 2012 make, with multiple users/owners, the long term reliability is definitely a concern? No faults and niggles to report as of now. Will be sending it in for a service in a couple of months. Will update here with the same once done. As of now, this Yeti stays and very well poised in for a long haul.

 

[bhvm]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Do you actually mean 110 MPH? (175KMPH) If so the values and handling are pure bliss indeed.

 

[Prabhagar]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Do you actually mean 110 MPH? (175KMPH) If so the values and handling are pure bliss indeed.

I bet it's 110KPH and the typo must be due to his jet lag .

@Manoj,
Congrats on your new ride and my wishes to clock millions of happy miles. As always, great photography there, enjoyed all the pictures. Your review is crisp and to the point, kudos for that as well. Hooking up to your thread for further updates!

 

[manojodungat]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Do you actually mean 110 MPH? (175KMPH) If so the values and handling are pure bliss indeed.

Apologies for the typo and thanks for pointing it out. Will report for corrections.

I bet it's 110KPH and the typo must be due to his jet lag .

You might as well be correct, traveling quite a lot these days

@Manoj,
Congrats on your new ride and my wishes to clock millions of happy miles. As always, great photography there, enjoyed all the pictures. Your review is crisp and to the point, kudos for that as well. Hooking up to your thread for further updates!

Thank you Prabhagar. Will be flying back home in the first week of April. Will post here if there any updates to report.

 

[Nimu]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Congratulations, handsome looking car

 

[MoRa]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Congrats Manoj. That's a nice choice. Hopefully 2nd hand Germans are doesnt prove costly in maintenance department. As usual, your photographs are absolute delight to watch. Keep posting more.

 

[manojodungat]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Congrats Manoj. That's a nice choice. Hopefully 2nd hand Germans are doesnt prove costly in maintenance department. As usual, your photographs are absolute delight to watch. Keep posting more.

Thank You MoRa. Maintenance of this German ? - Fingers crossed.
My photo-kit is hardly coming out of the dry cabinet these days. Thanks for the comments though.

A couple of updates: - missed it completely.

1.FASTag:

• Dropped by the nearby toll plaza at Attapallam, near Palakkad, which runs a Fastag POS[ICICI]. Submitted copies of the following documents
  • Aadhar card
  • PAN card
  • DL
  • RC and
  • a Photo
• The gentleman at desk filled in my details and completed a form online. Paid Rs.600 and collected the receipt which stated the customer ID. The tag was stuck on the windscreen and drove away. The total time spent at the POS = 15 minutes. The account was created and was active instantly with Rs.200 (from the fee paid) already in it.
• On reaching home, logged in to my account with the given customer ID and DOB. Set up a new ID, and password. Topped it up with some amount online. All set

2.Horn Upgrade:
Got a pair of Dual Tone horns from Hella. Costed some Rs.2500 with installation. Decent, yet effective. Had the same fitted on my Endy and Scorpy as well. Scorpy also had an additional pair of Roots Megasonic monster, the one on Kerala Police vehicles. Much needed to survive on roads in the God's own country

 

[bhvm]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Manoj, do we have to buy separate tags for each of our vehicles?

 

[manojodungat]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Manoj, do we have to buy separate tags for each of our vehicles?

You will need to take separate FASTags for your differnt vehicles as a FASTag is issued to particular vehicle based on KYC documents submitted, which includes RC and the details of which goes in to the record.

 

[bhvm]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Thats a bummer.
No use to me as I keep juggling vehicles as per my mood.

They should've made it as per mobile number or e-wallet rather than RC and veh No.
That way we can also pay tolls when we have group trips or with friends vehicles.

 

[manojodungat]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Thats a bummer.
No use to me as I keep juggling vehicles as per my mood.
They should've made it as per mobile number or e-wallet rather than RC and veh No.
That way we can also pay tolls when we have group trips or with friends vehicles.

Get one on each of your vehicle. Problem solved

 

[Ambylovers]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Hi,
Interiors of the car is very neat. Whenever we get used car in this setup, nobody will miss it. It looks like brand new.

 

[vikvis14]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Congrats Manoj. The car looks neat and clean both inside and outside. Happy Motoring

 

[CasualSurfer]

re: My Skoda Yeti: Ownership Review, Now Pete's remapped !

Congratulations, Manoj. Will always miss the Scorpy though. Wishes for great many (s)miles & adventures.