Skoda Yeti facelift review, test drive

Skoda’s urban SUV is back with a cleaner look and a bit more equipment.

Published on Sep 01, 2014 10:30:00 PM

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There are more subtle styling changes too. The tail-lamps now have LEDs in Skoda’s signature ‘C’ pattern, the rear bumper and tailgate have been ever so slightly re-profiled, and there are slim strips of chrome along the doors. The alloy wheels come in two new designs – one each for the 4x2 and 4x4 to give them a bit more differentiation, but they’re still 16-inchers. And finally, you can now have the roof painted silver or white on certain colour options. Little things, but they help give the car a bit more personality.

On the inside, you’ll notice that the steering wheel is the three-spoke design you now find on all of Skoda’s other cars, that there’s a starter button where the keyhole used to be, and that the driver’s seat is now electrically operated, with memory settings too. The audio system has also been updated and now features Bluetooth connectivity as well, but it’s not the high-res touchscreen that was introduced with the Octavia, but rather the previous-generation Skoda touchscreen unit.

What is it like to drive?

Unsurprisingly, it’s pretty much the same as the old Yeti, but that’s no bad thing. We’ve always loved the way this SUV felt from behind the wheel, 4x4 or 4x2, and it’s just as good as it ever was. Skoda says it has worked on the clutch to make it lighter and less prone to stalling, and you can see the effects of that to some extent when you set off. We did still manage to stall it on a couple of occasions when we weren’t being careful though.

The 4x2’s 109bhp engine has been tuned for better bottom-end grunt, and it has a pretty good mid-range as well, though it runs out of puff towards the top of the rev range. It’s hardly an issue in practice, however, particularly given this car’s more urban intentions. The 138bhp engine in the 4x4 version has a much better top end, which is welcome, but here too it’s the powerful mid-range that’s the highlight of this engine. Overtaking, even on the highway, is an absolute breeze.

We haven’t yet had the chance to test out the new ‘off road’ button on the dashboard of the 4x4, version, but what it’s meant to do in effect is change the way the car behaves via the ECU. The engine sticks to lower revs, the 4x4 system is primed for off-road use and even the ABS and ESP behave differently.

Another Yeti highlight that’s been retained is its ride and handling package, thanks largely to its all-independent suspension setup. Granted, it’s not as good as a Honda CR-V through a string of corners, and the suspension errs a little on the firm side, but it does rather well for what feels like a solid and heavy SUV. You get the sense that it has a lower centre of gravity than its tall dimensions would suggest when you take it through corners, and the steering feels pretty good in your hands. As for the ride, the firmness means that at lower speeds, it does crash a bit through ruts and potholes. However, pick the pace up even just a little bit and it starts to pound away road imperfections superbly. It is also unflinchingly stable at highway speeds with hardly any body movement.