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Skoda Yeti Oudoor SE Drive Review and Test Drive

It might not be long for this world, but we’ve recently had the chance to test the Skoda Yeti and can let you know whether those ‘end of the line’ bargain offers are worth it.

Back in May, you might have seen our article about the new Skoda Karoq, the car to replace the Yeti, and many will probably think it’s worth holding out for the new car. That might be true; however the Yeti still has some fight left in it and is a very different car from the one that replaces it.

All images are of Skoda Yeti Outdoor SE L Drive

The Yeti is built on the VW A5 (PQ35) platform, shared with the old MK6 Golf and MK2 Audi TT, meaning that like all the other vehicles on that platform, it is due for a major revamp. This also meant the Yeti had a good base for actually being a nice car to drive.

Although some people will call the Yeti a crossover, in my mind it’s really one of the ultimate all purpose utility vehicles, combining car, (small) people carrier, van and off-roader. While it may not be the master of any of those, there are few vehicles that can tick quite as many boxes.

Our car was a Skoda Yeti Oudoor SE Drive 1.2 TSI 110PS with: hill hold Control, KESSY (keyless locks and ignition), park assist, partition net screen and space saver spare wheel coming in at £20,255 (£21,620 with options). This isn’t too far from the Yeti’s £17,770 starting price and means that car comes with a host of extras inc: Amundsen touchscreen sat nav with DAB and extra speakers, front and rear parking sensors, heated windscreen and 17” Matterhorn alloys.

I’ve always thought the Yeti had a purposeful and rugged look to the front end, but this was the first time that I paid attention to the rest of the car. It’s when you do this, you figure out why the Yeti has remained a bit of a cult favourite amongst motorists – it’s not the prettiest. From a side profile, and in basic white (didn’t take good enough pictures of this one, sorry), a few people mentioned that it was a bit like a “Popemobile” with those large rear doors. While this is great for practical reasons, for those fashion conscious SUV lovers it was probably a big turnoff.

On the inside the Yeti has a basic and yet rugged and well built quality about it. You have all the tech that you’d expect from a car of this price range and you’re unlikely to feel short-changed from the low starting price. Having said this, compared to the current Nissan Qashqai, it does feel a bit more utilitarian.

Take the Yeti out on the road and you can get back to understanding the cult following it’s built up – it’s much more car like than it is SUV. While some of the most recent SUVs like the SEAT Ateca finally getting to the stage where they drive more like a hatchback, the Yeti has been doing this since 2009.

The 1.2 TSI 110PS engine is not the one I’d usually recommend for any VW Group car, but it does the job well in this scenario and easily handles both motorway and local commuting needs. For A road overtakes and more extended motorway driving the 2.0l TDI 150PS would be a better selection to make. Like with most family SUVs, there’s no need to take the 4×4 option unless you live out in the deepest, darkest countryside. Front wheel drive gives you better fuel economy, lower co2 and a car that’ll be cheaper to run in the long-term.

After using the Yeti as family transport for a week it proved very easy to live with. Those big door that make the car awkward to look at, make it easy for getting children into car seats and bulky items in and out.  One thing that did surprise me a little is the size, or lack of, the boot. It’s 416l but is quite short meaning buggies or other long items take a manoeuvring to fit in.

On balance, the Skoda Yeti can still be considered as very good value and a great compromise if you’re looking for a vehicle that handles like a hatchback but is more practical. As the Karoq and next generation Nissan Qashqai hit the streets then it will probably seem quite dated meaning the Yeti could be the bargain purchase of 2017 for those in the know.

PRICE: £20,255 (£21,620 with options)

ENGINE: 1.2 TSI Six-speed manual

POWER: 110 PS

TORQUE: 175 Nm

PERFORMANCE: Top speed 111 mph, 0-62 mph 10.9 secs

CONSUMPTION: 51.4 mpg (combined)

CO2: 128 g/km

TT Rating:

 

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