Skoda Yeti test drive since 2009 -

Skoda Yeti. Yeti: Here he is

Skoda Yeti. Price: Not determined on sale: since December 2009
For many decades, a snowy man was searched in the Himalayas and Elbrus, and in the Cordillera A to get acquainted with Yeti, as a result, we managed to get in the relatively low Julian Alps in the north of Slovenia, where Skoda arranged a debut test drive of its first crossover
Test pilot
Vladimir Makkaveev, 31 years old, automobile journalist, driving experience of 12 years, personal car - Volvo C30
Currently wriggling, the narrow path of huge white traces led from the building of the Lyububsan airport straight to the outskirts of the nearest forest, behind which gray-green alpine peaks rose. Here, on a huge parking platform, as if several dozen Yeti are located on a picnic.
Deliberately massive, thanks to the huge round warts of the fog heads near the nose, they seemed childishly naive, friendly and slightly clumsy as we painted Yeti in their imagination. But the appearance was deceiving. On the road, a Czech variation embodied in metal on the theme of a similar person demonstrated a living character, pleasantly surprising a combination of a soft, ruined gait and very decent handling.
The designers of the Czech company decided not to invent a bicycle. Separate elements are clearly borrowed from VW Tiguan. In general, the chassis of the Yeti is based on the Octavia and Octavia Scout chassis with McPherson racks with transverse levers on the front axle. Unless the back multi -link was slightly modified. A rigid reptile stabilizer with a diameter of 23 mm significantly increased stability in corners. And the installation of an additional lever connecting to the body through four flexible supports made it possible to significantly reduce working noises and vibrations. Compared to Superb 4x4, heaven and earth! Yeti suspension turned out to be soft enough, but not so much that its characteristics negatively affect controllability.
The Yeti family turned out to be very numerous. Six individuals with five different hearts are three diesel and two gasoline capacity from 105 to 170 liters. With. Provide the future owners with a very closed range for selection. Having tested almost the entire line of new Czech engines in the Julia Alps, I admit, we were pleasantly surprised by the results. Despite the fact that the hearts for Yeti were developed based on the weight loss strategy,
having played with turbochargers, the engineers achieved their goal without loss of power, and even significantly expanded the range of maximum torque of the engines. And in the Alps, and, moreover, on the plain, Yeti, as befits snow people, showed themselves strong and hardy.
Unless the smallest in the Yeti family of a front -wheel drive car with a tiny 1.2 -frauded turbocharged heart with a capacity of 105 liters. With. In the mountains, sometimes he felt not in his elements, slightly panting at revolutions up to 2000 min-1 and desperately smoother of burned clutch on impassability. Alpine flies, this smell clearly came to their taste, with frenzy, the Yeti cub, trampling along the slope. The child of civilization is grown for the greenhouse conditions of the stone jungle of modern megacities. It is no coincidence that this version is the only one of all equipped not only by the manual transmission, but also with a 7 -speed dsg automatic machine. All other Yeti are available only with mechanical KP. Those to whom the city enthusiasm of the 1.2 -liter Yeti will seem enough, it is better to immediately get acquainted with his older brothers. They, although also SUVs, but thanks to a complete drive and more voluminous hearts, they provide much more freedoms. Top versions were especially pleased: with a 160 -horsepower 1.8 -lit -free gasoline turbo engine and a 170 -horsepower 2 -liter turbodiesel. Given the bestial power and very modest appetites of the large Yeti: the diet of the head of the gasoline family in the mixed operation of the operation is 8 liters of fuel per 100 km, and even less, only 6.1 l/100 km, these two engines seem more than the best choice, equally Like all -wheel drive.
As in the case of chassis, Skoda engineers very successfully integrated the Octavia 4x4 and Superb 4x4 in the Yeti design. Everything is quite corny, but quite a multi-disc power-hydraulic clutch of the fourth-generation Haldex is quite to the place, it provides a constant dynamic distribution of torque for all four wheels. On dry coating, the basic electronics settings are transmitted to the front wheels of 96% of the moment. However, if necessary, the range of the system that controls the difference in the speeds between the front and the rear axles allows us to produce reverse redistribution, transmitting to the rear axle up to 90% of the moment. The torque at the same time is distributed between the wheels quite smoothly, helping to achieve a completely given, taking into account the soft suspension of Yeti, stability on the highway.
On the off-road, noticeable assistance is provided by all-wheel drive versions of OFF-RODSTICE installed in the basic configuration of all all-wheel drive versions. It is worth clicking on the button on the central console, and the character of Yeti will change before our eyes: from a reckless sulfur-head, viciously and confidently rushing to steep turns, it turns into a cunning and cautious hunter-attribute. And the system of assistance when lifting and descent from the hill delicately, but confidently restrains the gait of a half -ton beast, preventing him from slipping on the lifts and accelerating on steep slopes. So with all its seemingly good -natured, these Yeti are far from as simple as it might seem.
Inner world
The decoration of the Yeti salon is designed in the traditional VW style of moderate asceticism for most brands of the VW concern: the imagination is not amazing, but it is not annoying. All details are very functional, and mostly performed moreatical than among competitors in the class. The rear sofa is especially pleasing. A high roof and 20 mm raised above the front chairs of the second row create the effect of a cinema for the rear passengers, significantly expanding the visibility in the front hemisphere.
In the luggage compartment, there is also something to profit from the degree of transformation of the cabin, the luggage volume varies from 416 to 1760 liters. At the same time, the cargo placement scheme is very variable. The basic equipment includes a traditional set of all kinds of fasteners, nets and hooks for fixing goods for cargo cars. The trunk himself at the request of the client is available in two variations: with a niche under the spare tire and without it. At the same time, you can even order a camping set as an option: an original folding table with stands for removable front seats simply laid on the bottom of the trunk, as a reproductive panel. Rest in nature with Yeti is a pleasure!

We do not love
Columbus optional navigation records off -road routes and paves the return trip. Comfortable
Off -road settings exacerbate the Yeti reaction to gas pressing. Acute
Skoda was not able to combine all -wheel drive with an automatic gearbox. Not converged
 
Driving
The soft suspension does not prevent Yeti from clearly prescribing the trajectory. Unless the reaction to the opening of gas could be sharper.
Salon
Good side support of the seats. Finishing is noticeably better than many competitors.
Comfort
At an unexpectedly high level in terms of suspension and acoustic comfort. An annoying incompatibility of automatic transmission with all -wheel drive.
Safety
At the level of modern standards.
Price
Not determined.
Advantages and disadvantages
+ Comfortable suspension, an optimally selected modern line of motors.
- lack of automatic boxes in equipping all -wheel drive versions, slightly sluggish overclocking reactions.

Specifications
Mark and model - Skoda Yeti
Dimensions - 4223x1793x1691 mm
The engine is gasoline, 1798 cm3, 160 liters. s./45006200 min-1
Transmission - mechanical, 6 -speed KP
Dynamics - max 200 km/h; 8.4 s to 100 km/h
Competitors - Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Suzuki Grand Vitara
 
Our opinion
Yeti is good! He has everything to deal with competitors in class on equal terms, if not more, and primarily with Nissan Qashqai. On the side of Yeti youth and wide variability of the motor line. But how massively it will take root in Russia, it will largely depend on the price: at the moment, the possibility of producing Skoda Yeti in Kaluga is currently being considered.
 

Author: Vladimir Makkaveev
 

 

Source: Magazine 5 wheel [July 2009]