SKODA AUSTRALIA has confirmed that the versatile Yeti crossover is on its way, and it’s gunning for a significant slice of the small softroader market.
The Yeti will be in Australian showrooms in mid to late 2010. Skoda expects to be able to offer it in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive variants.
“Yeti is obviously a priority for us… we’ll be looking at (its arrival) sometime next year,” Head of Skoda Australia Matthew Wiesner said yesterday.
Engine choices for the local market have yet to be confirmed. But with the Yeti offering a 77kW 1.2 litre and a 118kW 1.8 litre petrol engine alongside three 2.0 litre turbo-diesels in Europe, the focus will undoubtedly be on frugality, not rock-hopping grunt.
The 1.2 TSI petrol is available only as a front-driver, as is the lower-spec 81kW 2.0 TDI. The rest of the Yeti range will be all-wheel-drive and, coupled with the crossover wagon’s tall ride height, should allow some limited off-road thrills.
The Yeti’s launch date is still too distant to speculate on pricing or trim levels, but Skoda Australia aims to offer a comprehensive level of standard equipment across the Yeti range.
A precise retail sticker price has not yet been decided, but Mr Weisner confirmed that the FWD Yeti line-up will start below $30,000.
The rest of the range will be priced similarly to the Volkswagen Tiguan, with which it shares much of its 4Motion all-wheel-drive underpinnings.
With its urban utility and genuine off-road ability, Skoda is optimistic that the Yeti will quickly become one of its best-selling models in Australia.
“We’ll probably do around 1000 Octavias this year,” Mr Weisner said in a recent interview with Carsguide.com.au.
“I think it will give a similar or greater contribution. It will give us a big lift in a relatively short period of time.”
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Apparently the only auto gearbox option available in the UK where Yeti is being introduced next moth (Sept ‘09) is front-drive only. This is crazy, surely Skoda can manage an auto box with 4WD (they’ve done it with Superb, and dozens of models use Haldex 4WD system with auto in Europe, including the Tiguan on which the Yeti’s based!) The Superb V6 even has 4wd mated to the DSG box, what on earth is Skoda holding back for?
I can’t see Skoda selling too many Yetis in this country unless there’s a 4WD/auto available (preferably diesel) and this is also a problem for Skoda with the Scout and the diesel Roomster. Very few people want manual gearboxes in this class, and let’s face it, there are no shortage of competitors- Skoda’s advantage could, and should be the availability of diesel/auto/4wd which is rare in this (and most other) classes. Yeti would certainly be high on my list of contenders if it’s released with auto box.
Another point in Yeti’s favour (at least compared to Tiguan) is the better choices of body colour and interior materials, assuming Skodas main site has choices available to us Aussies (not always a given!) Presumably too, Yeti options will be less expensive than VW’s outrageous asking prices.
It won’t get past the “border patrol” in their Toyotas though lol. Man that ad cracks me… “put the hair dryer down”
You should really do some homework before posting these things. I am a Skoda salesman and of the 12 units a month we are doing 50% is the manual TDi Scout. Not big numbers in anyones terms but for a product that 90% of people know FA about it is still a high proportion.
Yeti will be the brand launcher for Skoda with or without or negativity
Skoda salesman, you’d double your units sold if Scout came in an auto version. Ditto the Yeti, when it’s released. Few people want manual boxes these days, it’s a fact of life. Personally, I wouldn’t have one in a pink fit. What’s so bloody hard about 4wd and auto anyway? VW manage it, and as my first post intimated, other Euro makes with Haldex systems can manage auto boxes (or automated manuals), why can’t Skoda? Could it be they can’t be bothered? Skoda makes a terrific product, it’s a shame to lose 60% of potential buyers because of NO AUTO OPTION!
Mike, i have a solution. Why don’t you and other Aussies actually learn how to drive. Problem solved.
What problem, dude? I was probably driving manuals before you were conceived, I’m over it now. You one of those wackers that think they’re superior because they can wriggle a knob?
Huh, auto (assuming 4 speed if they put it in) diesel with 80kw. Awesome. I’d be choosing the manual everytime. If you dont like manuals buy something else (an exciting corolla wagon maybe)
The Yeti comes with several diesel options, including the 103kW and 125kW engines used elsewhere in VW range. Its cousin, the Tiguan, comes with a torque converter auto box in diesel, other Euros using Haldex 4WD system have DSG boxes. I’ve driven a Skoda with the DSG box and it was brilliant.
For what it’s worth part of my dislike of manual boxes comes from having owned both types, and having had far more mechanical trouble with manual boxes compared to autos.
The auto in the Tiguan (same floorpan as Yeti) is a 6-speed, by the way. The DSG Skoda uses behind diesel in Octavia is a 6-speed (7-speed in turbo petrol models). So, Dave, your info re Skoda is way out of date.
hmm, i dont think it is. While I agree its very likely they would use a vw gearbox, wouldnt it be counterproductive to put their best gearbox in a skoda, sort of defeats the purpose of having vw….
Given there is no info on the diesel auto (as it doesnt exist) I’d say Im neither wrong nor right….both points of view are unproven.
More problems with manual than auto….could this be a driver issue?
Dave, you are wrong!! Nowhere in any country has Skoda used a 4 speed box in the last 3-4 years. The diesel option when it arives will be the 103kw CRd that is in the VW now and will initially be mated with a man but will then have am option of the 6 speed box in the Tiguan later this year.
The initial stock of petrol 1.2 ltr turbo engines will have the optional 7 speed DSG in the line up.
To say that by offering these or having them in the skoda range makes VW pointless is like saying Audi is pointless becuase it to shares the same engines chassis and transmissions as the VW and Skoda, it really highlights you are reasonably uneductaed in these matters and should spend sometime on the WWW thing and bring yourself up to speed, at this point in time Dave Google is your best friend.
Anything coming in around A$24,000-$25,000 looks quite promising. We have looked at Jimny and this was O.K. but my husband found that it requires more leg room and Yeti seems to have covered that quite nicely. A release date and test drive information would be wonderful. Thank You.
24-25k is being a little silly as this is a car that gas been listed by Gernans Autobild magazine as a better vehicle than the VW Tiguan, sighting it’s interior quality was mire Audi like.
Under $30k means $29,990 fir a base manual before on roads. All things considered though this will leave the competition for dead because 99% of buyers in this class would not need the 4wd.
I hope they don’t do what VW are notorious for, bring in a hand full of cars and then make potential owners forward order and wait 4-5 months. This audience can walk into Nissan, Honda and Toyota and get a car now. A huge portion of the audience will be new mums first child, they can’t wait for months for obvious reasons.
I’ll be trading in the Golf for the 1.2ltr Dsg, the Tiguan by all accounts is lesser quality and has less safety than the Yeti, it’s a no brainer
Skoda have confirmed the Yeti for July 2010 launch so dealerships should see them in June. 1.2Tsi man and 7 speed DSG, as well as the small 80kw,103kw, 125kw TDi, and 118TSi manual only.
More auto stock will be launched towards the end of 2010, this is what another online report has described.
Hope it’s true, i can’t wait.