Skoda Yeti test drive since 2009 -

Not terrible at all

The first crossover in the history of Skoda was named after a snowy man. The fifth model in the line of the Czech company turned out to be as fast, strong and hardy as a semi -mythical humanoid creature
Skoda and Volk-Swagen partnership are akin to the adaptation of the Slavic peoples to the foundations of the European Union. Slavs seek to perceive Western European values, not breaking away from ethnic roots. Integration does not always occur painlessly, but the culture bonded by Euroconstitution is ultimately mutually enriching. The rallying of the Czechs with the Germans in the field of the automotive industry is a relatively recent process and not at all simple. Skoda with its centuries -old history affiliated with Wolfsburg residents almost 20 years ago. And all this time the Czechs are fighting for self -identification. VW units and units are widely used, but break the road and original, competitive know-how Skoda. A similar situation is formed in the field of design. The appearance of modern Skoda cars is a synthesis of German order and Slavic artistry.
The new representative of the Skoda family is a compact Yeti crossover - like a German cuisine dish brought out in the Cyrillic menu. A suitable example is a Czech k, tasty round of flour, eggs and cottage cheese. The Czechs consider this culinary delights their own, but it has analogues in both Germany and in Austria. Finding out the original origin is an ungrateful business. As well as deal with the etymology of the name of the Czech new product. Yeti is a snowy man allegedly found in various high -mountain and forest regions of our planet. So the monstrous creature is called in India and Nepal. The same term operates on cryptozoists of the post -Soviet school. In America and Western Europe it is called Yeti, Bigfoot or Sasquate. But these names do not change the essence of the phenomenon. A snow person is perceived by ordinary people and scientists as a strong, elusive and persistent monster. And part of these features can also be detected in the fifth model in the Skoda line.
Friend
To be up to the end, the aforementioned features of the snow person was fully embodied in the fully not in the serial crossover, but in the concept of the 2005 sample then in Geneva Yeti appeared in the emphasized brutal form: an abundance of stubborn chopped faces, shark teeth of a radiator lattice, bulging eyes of anti -tumens, bulging eyes, bulging eyes, bulging eyes, bulging eyes. The massive plastic jaw of the front bumper, the hind hands hidden in the framework of the windows, the intended fifth door, like the mini clubman, is finally luggage relings, as if growing from the body of a horn - almost all of all the strong features lost the serial version. The chopped edges remained, but were smoothed by roundings in the style of the modern Skoda model range. The crossover eventually began to be less like Land Rover Frelander 2 and more on the calm Skoda Roomster. To break the ego of shaggy yeti, however, did not work out to the end. The accents introduced by the ex-designer of the brand Jens Mansk were preserved in the overall body drawing and the front of the front line. The optics of complex shapes look stylish and assertive, the radiator grille emphasizes the off -road abilities with its massiveness. When opening, the front doors when opened are toned with sharp sharp edges. An impressive central stand seems even denser due to camouflaged racks in the back. The knitting needles of 17-inch wheeled wheels resemble a screw from a meat grinder.
Yeti's interior looks even more friendly. Aesthetic irritants are not found. The salon is replete with details borrowed from other Skoda models. Some transplants have taken root, others seemed to try to tear off. It is felt how the designers left the stylistic templates of the closest relatives of Yeti - VW Tiguan and Golf VI. The left side of the front panel begins in German convincingly and unpretentiously, it ends with cozy rounding and stamping. The Bullet of the steering wheel in Burger is protruding, like more representative Octavia and Superb. The panel of devices with deep wells seemed to drag Superb from the flagship, but did not fit in size. The steering wheel overlaps the upper sector of dials, and this is poorly treated with adjustments to the chair and steering wheel, especially if the driver is tall. But the chairs with excellent lateral support, the sealing lever of the manual transmission and the pretty screen of the navigation system fit into the interior very organically. The toothprokes of the audio system and climate control are tactfully pleasant, visually - at the premium level, and in general, the finish is at a height. Unless the upper parts of the door panels are made of hard plastic.
Intelligent savage
The first thing you react to by penetrating the kingdom of Yeti is a spacious salon. The wheelbase of the Czech is shorter than that of the donor VW Tiguan, by 26 mm, but the cutting of the salon space is not striking. For a person of medium height, sitting behind the driver is not a problem. A good 10 cm will remain in front of the knees. Above your head is a solid supply of free space. The second pleasant surprise is the possibility of transforming the internal space. The back row is divided into three sections that can not only be folded in parts, but also completely dismantled. And only the central part of the sofa can be taken from Yeti. The crossover will become 4-seater, and in the resulting gap can be attached, for example, four pairs of skis with equipment. The rear seats are also installed 2 cm above the front. As a result, the effect of the cinema is achieved: passengers on the gallery have a review over the heads of the driver and the front passenger. The practical essence of Yeti is also emphasized. Like any savage, he tenaciously holds his prey. In the luggage compartment - undercover containers, niches for bottles, a lot of hooks and even a hemispherical corral for trifles. In the underground, only the tire remote control is an unacceptable solution for our market. Most likely, Yeti for Russia is equipped with a completion. We dare to assume that in this case, with folded seats, an even floor is formed.
I would like to note the extremely pleasant to the touch and the optimal steering wheel in diameter and cross section. Silver metal on the pedals, the lever of the manual transmission and the opening handles of the doors invites and goes well with the glossy inserts under the tree. The optional hatch in the roof visually expands the salon, but it will hardly be available in Russia even as an option. External mirrors are informative and conveniently regulated. But there were claims to mark the scales of devices. The speedometer labels did not give numbers, and dashed cut off, on the contrary, an excess. As a result, it is not always clear how fast you are. Speed \u200b\u200bdata can be displayed on a rectangular screen between two circles of dials. But the dials are small here, and they have to peer at them. This is not a nit -pick, but a consumer’s wallet - an excess of speed by 10 km/h in some European countries will cost several hundred euros.
Slav in Slovenia
It is quite logical that they decided to hold a senior presentation of the Czech crossover in Slovenia - a good reason to emphasize the Slavic pedigree new items, sharing its German roots. A smiling guy shows a departure from the parking lot. He has giant feet of plastic in his hands - Yeti's legs. He operates them like a traffic controller planting fighters on a aircraft carrier. The road from the Ljubljana airport to the start of the test drive cannot be found. The rubber traces of the yeti stretch along it. In the press hall, journalists are met by two girls-yeti, similar to Playboy bunnies. PR machine works! It is time for us to launch a 2-liter turbodiesel that issues 140 hp. (There are also 110-horsepower and 170-horsepower options). The mechanical 6-speed transmission is impressive by the clarity of switching. It seems that the lever does not meet even the slightest obstacles in its path. The steering wheel of diesel yeti seems a little empty in the near -Stolium zone, but supplied when parking. In addition, he has a good feedback and allows you to keep a snowy man on a short leash.
Yeti is not accepted by the official science of Yeti, but you can’t call a crossover to the crossover to the crossover with a 140-horsepower engine. The motor almost lacks thrust on the bottom. The car, however, confidently starts, if you do not stand on ceremony with gas supply, it provides a pleasant patch in second gear, but frank aggression pleases mainly on the third. For a city with the need for quick rebuilding in the flow, such a modification is ideal.
But the 1.8-liter TSI, which issues 160 hp, presents a real surprise, since it corresponds to the qualities of mythical goyt more than diesel. The gasoline unit loses to diesel in both the working volume and in the peak moment, having, however, a wider range of revolutions. It is also more elastic, that is, it is less demanding of the choice of transmission. In a word, the engine, which was assisted in our case, the 6-speed manual transmission is a miracle how good. If I seriously thought about buying Yeti, I would choose with such a motor.
Another indisputable dignity of the Czech is a balanced suspension (in front - Mcpherson, back - a multi -link). It will not be an exaggeration to call her omnivorous. Small, medium and large flaws of the roadway are worked out by five. Yeti is ready to hunt for bumps and swallow them without choked. At the same time, the car is hardly torn in turns and does not annoy the longitudinal tag on the highway.
There are no miracles, however. The fee for confident behavior on the asphalt is small passages of the suspension and clearance of 180 mm. For comparison: VW Tiguan, with which Yeti shares the platform, will give a head a head of a 15 cm of road clearance. Skoda does not disclose cards, but it is possible that Russian modifications of Yeti can receive a slightly larger clearance, as well as a more off -road variation of the front bumper.
Soft OFF-ROD
As the foregoing understands, Yeti does not stick out its off -road potential, in addition, it is able to develop it by factory settings and manipulations. Samples for the role of an off-road conqueror took place at a specially prepared landfill, located 150 km northwest of Ljubljana. At first, however, there was no less incendiary riding on the soil winding in the forests. Only 5 km of the highway, on which Yeti willingly broke into drifts and stubbornly screwed into the turns. We emphasize that the all -wheel drive regime was not activated, ESP provided the crossover freedom of action. You go to the arc a little later than usual, a sharp turn of the steering wheel, gas, and Yeti dies into a turn, sonorously trim soil. ABS corresponded to delicate intervention, guaranteeing a predictable slowdown.
Actually, the off-road highway turned out to be gentle slopes and quite civilian pits. It is clear that Yeti overcame all the obstacles with a bang. It would be possible to do even without connecting an off -road mode (key on the central console). But the function of assistance during the descent was fully involved in us and turned out to be very useful. The main feature here is the ability to move off the tilt even when choosing a neutral position of the manual transmission. At the time of descent, you can operate with gas and brake pedals, setting the desired pace.
Money is not a pity
Like all cars of the Czech company, Yeti will not be cheap. How much will the pretty Czech cost, however, have not yet been announced. In private conversations, representatives of the Czech company, however, mentioned: the car will be cheaper than the fraternal VW Tiguan, but is slight. Some modifications of Czech and German cars will be comparable in price. In our opinion, not only a price tag will solve the issue of choosing from two cars. The question of external attractiveness, loyalty to the brand, finally, of charisma, legend, will come to the first positions. In the last question, the advantage is clearly on the side of a snowy man.

Technical characteristics of Skoda Yeti 1.8 TSI AWD
 
Dimensions, mm 4223x1793x1691
Base, mm 2578
Equipped mass, kg 1445
Trunk volume, l 405-1580
Benzine engine type L4
Working volume, cubic meter. cm 1798
Max. Power, L.S./rpm 160/5300
Max. moment, nm/rpm 250/1500-4500
Mechanical transmission 6-band
The drive is complete
Max. Speed, km/h 200
Acceleration time 0-100 km, from 8.4
Fuel consumption (average), l/100 km 8.0
Tank volume, l 60
Vasily Sergeev
Photo by the author and the manufacturer

Source: Avtopanorama magazine