With the success of the yeti, as well as other skoda models against VAG cars. Will they (VAG) start to reduce quality and specs? Or will they just make skoda customers wait ages to get their cars.

Ah this old chestnut again.

Well, they havent yet and this train of thought crops up quite often. Although part of the VAG umbrella, Skoda is a brand in it's own right. A car sold is a car sold. I dont think Wolfsburg care either way.

With the success of the yeti, as well as other skoda models against VAG cars. Will they (VAG) start to reduce quality and specs? Or will they just make skoda customers wait ages to get their cars.

Remember that Wolfsburg won't give a damn which brand sells a vehicle, so long as they're making money - for them, the only downside of selling a Å koda instead of an Audi is that the Audi could have been a more expensive vehicle. And I'd bet they have market research types looking at just who Å koda are stealing customers from - it may well be financially sensible to sell fewer Volkswagens and more Å kodas if (for example) the Yeti is taking buyers who would never consider a Tiguan away from Land Rover or Mitsubishi.

If Å koda are stealing more sales from other manufacturers than they are from higher-priced Volkswagen Group brands, it's dangerous to mess with them; keep VW and Audi branding as "premium" branding (with more goodies, newer engines etc) and let Å koda steal from Ford, Vauxhall/Opel, Mitsubishi et al. Maybe add more high-spec options to the Å koda range, providing a way to increase the profit margin on each car, but don't cripple your ability to take other manufacturers' sales away just to protect your premium brand. After all, if you like your Yeti, who's to say that your next car purchase (assuming you come into money) won't be a Tiguan, or an Audi Q-series?

Erm, I beg to differ. IMO they certainly have been speccing the Yeti down, ive certainly noticed it when comparing my April 2010 car to newer dealer demo vehicles in the last six months. Handling changes, trim removal etc, I'm convinced the Yeti has already been through a round or two of cuts.

Erm, I beg to differ. IMO they certainly have been speccing the Yeti down, ive certainly noticed it when comparing my April 2010 car to newer dealer demo vehicles in the last six months. Handling changes, trim removal etc, I'm convinced the Yeti has already been through a round or two of cuts.

I wouldn't say cuts. More like saving money by sharing more parts across their range, which increases their profitability and their long term ability to survive. And we all want that.

Erm, I beg to differ. IMO they certainly have been speccing the Yeti down, ive certainly noticed it when comparing my April 2010 car to newer dealer demo vehicles in the last six months. Handling changes, trim removal etc, I'm convinced the Yeti has already been through a round or two of cuts.

I agree with this. The 2wd model now has 1 exhaust instead of 2, my April 2010 model has silver gear knob and new ones get a black dull one. As TP post stated previously, the rear suspension is now the same as a 2wd Golf rather than the Tiguan assembly I have on my Yeti.

I think the Yeti has tempted many from Tiguans, and to be honest the Freelander is too expensive even when compared to the Tiguan, considering the price of the old one. I don't think VAG would make a car as long as it can profit from it, it would be more interested in making more profit on each car.

Focus,

The suspension change is just a standard part-bin change following product development, and is common over many different manufacturers. I haven't heard anyone here say it has altered the handing.

What trim has been removed? I haven't seen anything different when I was last in a dealers.

And to be quite honest, having spent more than 2 weeks with a Tiguan Match I would say that the Yeti trim is actually better quality!

Focus,

The suspension change is just a standard part-bin change following product development, and is common over many different manufacturers. I haven't heard anyone here say it has altered the handing.

What trim has been removed? I haven't seen anything different when I was last in a dealers.

And to be quite honest, having spent more than 2 weeks with a Tiguan Match I would say that the Yeti trim is actually better quality!

Id agree its better than the Tiguan, Ive never said any different but then Ive always thought the Superb was better than the then current Passat also which many people disagreed on.

I noticed that on a particular favourite long sweeping higher speed bend that a 2011 car didnt seem as planted at the rear and also that the car felt less well damped at the rear than my one. Two new ones Ive been in along local roads that Im very familiar with both 'skipped' slightly outwards at the rear on a (admittedly badly done) tarmac expansion joint on our local main A road roundabout - mine doesnt show such a characteristic, again in my mind pointing to damping ability at the rear. In regards to the trim I noticed that the showroom/demo cars coming through this year have had the carpet removed from the side of the rear arches in the boot area (which on a 2,000 mile example already showed the plastic scratched both sides) and also the only two that ive seen underbonnet have lost the large plastic sealed battery compartment in favour of a simpler insulating material just running around the sides of the battery.

Loosing height adjustment on the passenger seats (as they now use the cheapest seat base available within the VAG group) doesnt fill me with any further confidence that we've seen the last of the cuts either.

I have insufficient experience to make comparisons but my Yeti 10 reg (but January 11 PDI) came with the disgraceful felt battery wrap. This was just as fitted to my 07 Seat Leon. My first mod was to fit the VW Golf V battery box. A 15 minute/£12 operation. I quite accept that it doesn't really matter but such a tawdry piece of cheapskating just offends. Every time the bonnet is open it just shrieked "Trabant".

I have insufficient experience to make comparisons but my Yeti 10 reg (but January 11 PDI) came with the disgraceful felt battery wrap. This was just as fitted to my 07 Seat Leon. My first mod was to fit the VW Golf V battery box. A 15 minute/£12 operation. I quite accept that it doesn't really matter but such a tawdry piece of cheapskating just offends. Every time the bonnet is open it just shrieked "Trabant".

You've not tried fitting the beautiful 3.0 TDI engine yet from the Audi range instead of the 'cheap' 2.0 CR engine in the Yeti?

When I open my bonnet, if I can lift it, due to there being no telescopic strut, I see a cheap 2.0 CR engine. I want a BIG diesel engine in there.....not a toy.....

Hmm my September 11 Yeti has the cheapo felt battery enclosure but it also has the very expesnive (apparently) and previously much sought after folding mirrors. So if they're cutting down on some things, they're splashing out on others it seems. Now what would I rather have, a plastic cover on the battery or s****y mirrors?

Did somebody say the MY12 has no height adjustable passenger seat?

I hope that's wrong because it helps our two year old see over the dashboard and we are planning to trade in a MY10 for a MY12.

Did somebody say the MY12 has no height adjustable passenger seat?

I hope that's wrong because it helps our two year old see over the dashboard and we are planning to trade in a MY10 for a MY12.

Think it was TP that posted that one previously. Iirc it uses the more basic unit from the Seat group now.

Aafaik, the folding mirrors weren't ever available to be removed... They were added this year. :-)

Think it was TP that posted that one previously. Iirc it uses the more basic unit from the Seat group now.

Aafaik, the folding mirrors weren't ever available to be removed... They were added this year. :-)

I'll have to go out and look but I thought mine did have that, but then I tend to sit on the right

well I just checked and I can confirm that the elegance spec does still include a height adjustable passenger seat.

But as has already been mentioned the wheel arches in the boot are plastic lined rather than carpeted.

well I just checked and I can confirm that the elegance spec does still include a height adjustable passenger seat.

But as has already been mentioned the wheel arches in the boot are plastic lined rather than carpeted.

Thanks for that. Will upgrade from an SE to an Elegance so that's just what I needed to hear!

Erm, I beg to differ. IMO they certainly have been speccing the Yeti down, ive certainly noticed it when comparing my April 2010 car to newer dealer demo vehicles in the last six months. Handling changes, trim removal etc, I'm convinced the Yeti has already been through a round or two of cuts.

Skoda has built up new assembly factories to Russia to increase the volume. The demand is continuously so high that the suppliers has not enough capacity.

This is another main reason for delays. If you cannot get some of the options, you have to cut them off to produce even some amount of cars.

If the buyer wants all bric-brac to his/hers new car, he/she must just wait for that the assembly factory get the options from the suppliers.

Edited 29 September, 201114 yr by Grumpy Finn

I noticed that the showroom/demo cars coming through this year have had the carpet removed from the side of the rear arches in the boot area

That change came in about half way through last year, judging by reports on this thread.

Back to the question of whether Skoda will be down speccing future cars...

Taken from the horses mouth.....

Ie the technical chief Eckhard Scholz

The Czech firm wants to be selling 1.5 million cars per year by 2018, up from the 762,600 it sold in 2010.

The three-door Citigo will be the sole member of Skoda’s New Small Family at launch, a line-up that will include a four-door version and possibly a small MPV.

Skoda has been buoyed by the success of the Yeti and sees room in its product range for a larger SUV, particularly to further fuel its growth in China.

Don’t expect to see a straight badge-engineered Skoda version of the VW Touran or Sharan for its new MPV, though, as Scholz pointed out Skoda “always goes its own way” in the VW Group when it comes to new models, except on cars such as the Citigo and Fabia that require partners in order to be profitable.

I think the answer is clear in the last paragraph

Back to the question of whether Skoda will be down speccing future cars...

Taken from the horses mouth.....

Ie the technical chief Eckhard Scholz

I think the answer is clear in the last paragraph

I always thought that Skoda were the drivers (pun?) of their own designs. Even the Fabia, within the limits of the floor pan etc.

So many people say when I tell them that I drive a Skoda say "they are good cars - because they are a VW" NNNNOOOOOOOO they are not. They might use parts from the VW groups parts bin, but they have designed them......(but I'm ranting at the converted anyway)

if you look at vw as a whole it is already going on. it started to be serious sometime around 2009, ( w/fabia facelift and octavia tour classic II) and it became apparent even to moderately informed customer as myself.

with czech currency unfavorably strong against euro and official position of skoda brand as a "value" brand within vw ag one can not expect anything else.

Actually, I think Skoda's value brand status only apply to some parts of the world. I was surprised to find that Skoda are prices higher or similar to VW in China with same spec.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/211685-skoda-brand-direction/

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/201479-skoda-market-position-around-the-world/

Actually, I think Skoda's value brand status only apply to some parts of the world. I was surprised to find that Skoda are prices higher or similar to VW in China with same spec.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/211685-skoda-brand-direction/

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/201479-skoda-market-position-around-the-world/

good for them then. but here in europe as well as in russia, mideast etc.. it's certainly value brand, big luggage compartment, variable interior slightly lower technology/equipment... ("a bit cheaper, simpler almost a volkswagen" - that's the skoda)

Edited 2 October, 201114 yr by rc__46