These are the sales figures from 2013 in total for these segments:

 

 

 

Look at the pitiful sales in the large SUV sector.

 

In total Škoda made just over 60,000 Yetis. But look how many Capturs Renault have shifted in its first year of manufacture: over 90,000!!! With Nissan shifting 109,000 Jukes, a 100,000 Dusters getting homes, nearly 72,000 Mokkas sold and Peugeot shifting over 61,000 of the 2008 (also its first year of manufacture).

Why on earth would Škoda want to make something bigger than the Yeti and sell what, maybe 10,000 of them a year when they could make something in the Juke class and probably sell 80,000 or more of those a year?

Or will the Yeti II be made smaller still?l  I hope not. I don't want something much bigger than the current Yeti. Yes a bigger boot but just add say 100mm to it no more. I don't think I'd want a Snowman as it will be too big. I certainly don't want a micro-SUV like the Juke et al.

Good point. Looking at those figures, it makes you think what their logic is.

Very good point, with the figures to back it up.

I've been looking at new cars recently and one I considered was the Yeti. I looked in the boot, then moved straight on.

Apparently they are;

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/volkswagen/taigun/65094/volkswagen-taigun-review

Although this is a VW, rumour has it there will be a Skoda version. There is also talk of a seven seat Yeti, which means Goldilocks will be able to choose one that is 'just right!'

Fin

The current Yeti is small ,as above miniscule boot. 

Skoda are producing as many vehicles as they can so why would they look for part of the smaller market? They are unable to supply without longish delivery times so where and how are they to make so many more vehicles/ The profit per unit isn't just a percentage of sale price but is typically more on larger vehicles. So why not make the same or evem fewer vehiles if you can make more money by doing so. Some of the very biggest sellers make very little money.

Personally I think they'd be better off addressing the 6-7 month lead time on new orders (JCP somewhat beat me to it!). Lack of availability is probably the fastest way to push people to a competitor.

Apparently they are;

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/volkswagen/taigun/65094/volkswagen-taigun-review

Although this is a VW, rumour has it there will be a Skoda version. There is also talk of a seven seat Yeti, which means Goldilocks will be able to choose one that is 'just right!'

Fin

 

Ah yes the Taigun...  tiny tot indeed. Hideously ugly too alas. 

 

 

Skoda are producing as many vehicles as they can so why would they look for part of the smaller market? They are unable to supply without longish delivery times so where and how are they to make so many more vehicles/ The profit per unit isn't just a percentage of sale price but is typically more on larger vehicles. So why not make the same or evem fewer vehiles if you can make more money by doing so. Some of the very biggest sellers make very little money.

 

That is Škoda's main problem I think. They don't have enough factories (as I said in another thread recently) and hence are painting themselves into a corner.

 

 

Personally I think they'd be better off addressing the 6-7 month lead time on new orders (JCP somewhat beat me to it!). Lack of availability is probably the fastest way to push people to a competitor.

 

 

See my point above. Factories can't produce enough hence they can only sell in limited numbers and / or have huge waiting lists.

Personally I think they'd be better off addressing the 6-7 month lead time on new orders (JCP somewhat beat me to it!). Lack of availability is probably the fastest way to push people to a competitor.

 

Lead times seem to have improved, 7 weeks from order to delivery for my FL Yeti.

Me thinks there's a lot of unused Tuareg bits about what better way to get shut than call them a new Skoda snowman and off load the old junk. These Dinasors are going the way of the dodo.

I also was under the impression that Skoda was following VW lead and producing a small SUV like the Taigun. Audi are certainly producing the Q1 so I can,t see Skoda being left out of the equation.

Tony

Me thinks there's a lot of unused Tuareg bits about what better way to get shut than call them a new Skoda snowman and off load the old junk. These Dinasors are going the way of the dodo.

 

I sometimes wonder whether this website is called Briskoda or Bashskoda

Selfishly I hope Skoda do produce something bigger than the Yeti.

 

I would buy one!  I miss my Yeti a great deal ... Tiguan is a good car, but miss the charm of the Yeti .... so something that can easily tow 1500Kg, 100Kg noseweight limit  and 180+ bhp diesel in an SUV bodyshell would see me reaching for my wallet!

To answer the question at the top of the thread, a couple of reasons I would guess:

 

1) They can make more money on the bigger car

2) Large SUVs are popular in the emerging markets that Skoda are looking to grown in (Russia, India, China)

 

BTW, in what segment do the Touareg/Q7 fit?

Maybe it's because larger SUVs are just more profitable?  Cost not a lot more to build, but much higher prices can be charged.

There's been a rumour for some time that there will be a 7-seat option.

Lead times seem to have improved, 7 weeks from order to delivery for my FL Yeti.

 

Just shy of 6 months for my dear old mum's Citigo, and the dealer reckoned lead times of 6-7 months for everything. Could be they'd used up their allocation or sommat. 7 weeks is very good.

Just shy of 6 months for my dear old mum's Citigo, and the dealer reckoned lead times of 6-7 months for everything. Could be they'd used up their allocation or sommat. 7 weeks is very good.

7 weeks sounds like a cancelled order that was already in the system and was just about to be built.

Lead times seem to have improved, 7 weeks from order to delivery for my FL Yeti.

 

I suspect they altered a model that was already in the build queue and allocated to them.

 

 

 

What I find most interesting in post no.1 is that the small SUV/crossover chart has three vehicles all from the same group in the top three.

Nissan, Renault and Dacia are all connected.  They have clearly got a good headstart on that type of car.

Maybe it's because larger SUVs are just more profitable?  Cost not a lot more to build, but much higher prices can be charged.

 

Are they? Only true if certain manufacturers make them alas.  Porsche is widely known as the most profitable manufacturer per car sold:

 

http://www.dw.de/porsche-emerges-as-worlds-most-profitable-carmaker/a-16727077

 

So they make on average about £14,000 per car.

 

Other end of the scale is Vauxhall and Ford making £686 and about £800 per car respectively - from that article.

 

Škoda had a 5% operating profit in 2010 (Subscription required:  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/332791e4-663b-11e1-979e-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2uzIH3X80)

 

"In a sector that subsists on thin margins, Skoda earned a 5 per cent operating profit in 2010 and will show it did “considerably better” in 2011, says Mr Vahland, when it reports results later this month. Alongside Audi and the truckmaker Scania, it is one of the chief contributors to VW’s profits."

 

So (and this is no huge study I'm making here by the way - I'm playing with rough numbers here and assuming a lot) let's say for argument's sake Škoda's profits per car is £1,250 per car (based on that 5%).

 

BUT in this large SUV class you think Škoda will make more profit.  Fine let's say they make double at £2,500 per car (which is highly unlikely for the brand).  Now let's assume they sell more cars than the Hyundai Santa Fe at 20,000 a year - DOUBLE its sales - again I'm dubious about them being able to sell that many.  That's £50,000,000 profit.

 

Now with a mini SUV let's assume they sell 70,000 a year (putting them in number 5 spot) and assuming a magic factory appears somewhere to make so many and they make the average £1,250 a car I assumed above (based on 5%).  That is £87,500,000 profit.

 

So yes like with anything you need to sell more of a cheaper thing to make money but by my reckoning there's more money to be made making a smaller Juke thingy (which is far more in the target market for Škoda anyway) than a high cost Touareg sized car (for which the budget brand Škoda wants BMW money - Škoda is not quite there yet).

 

BUT not if it looks like that Taigun.  Ugly never sells. Quirky and charming does - see the Yeti and Juke - but pig ugly never does.

I think Skoda have talked about SUVs both bigger and smaller than the Yeti, although the big one will come first.

Ugly never sells. Quirky and charming does - see the Yeti and Juke - but pig ugly never does.

 

I dunno - I've seen more than one Ssangyong Rodius!

I dunno - I've seen more than one Ssangyong Rodius!

 

Maybe the owner was ugly too?   Hence didn't notice.  You know how a dog sometimes looks like its owner...

I dunno - I've seen more than one Ssangyong Rodius!

That will be 2 then - ugliest car on the road. 

 

If you want quirky then this is the car for you.