https://www.autocar.co.uk/opinion/new-cars/has-land-rover-made-right-decision-new-defender

 

Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery an all that  .  .  .

 

since to my eye the silhouette is near enough identical

 

mth

Edited 15 December, 20178 yr by marcusthehat

More flattering pictures posted here:

 

 

OOps!, I did wonder was I the first

cheers

mth

Looks like a new land rover to me 

Is the Yeti not a copy of the Kia Soul?

 

Or do we all have rose-tinted glasses?

 

Bill 

Maybe the Designers were of the same Universities and worked in design studios under the same senior designers that know about Cross Over / MPV Design 

since they were concepts at the same era and then first revealed at similar times.

 

The Kia never got to be a AWD vehicle and the Yeti just a Softroader even though there were 'Extreme' Concepts that looked like Off Roaders but that never went into production.

11 minutes ago, AwaoffSki said:

Maybe the Designers were of the same Universities and worked in design studios under the same senior designers that know about Cross Over / MPV Design 

since they were concepts at the same era and then first revealed at similar times.

 

The Kia never got to be a AWD vehicle and the Yeti just a Softroader even though there were 'Extreme' Concepts that looked like Off Roaders but that never went into production.

 

 Yes, I always thought we need more flair and less computers in design (apart from the obvious safety & legal niceties).

 

Mind you a lot of the legal stuff compromises design I suppose. And I got to say Kia must be gutted when they see both cars side by side and realise what their car could have looked like.

 

I wonder what the sales figures for both vehicles have been to date. (Just found some figures for European Sales - Yeti well over 400,000 - Soul over 94,000. Game, set and match to the Yeti - in Europe anyway).

 

Bill 

Edited 17 December, 20178 yr by lawnmowerman
Additional info.

The Kia Soul is however still in production, available as an EV and might just have sold many more than the 900,000 or so that Skoda delivered new.

Over 1 million Soul built by 2015 i read, and still selling.

Edited 17 December, 20178 yr by AwaoffSki

Just looked at total car sales in China for 2016 - over 27,000,000 - staggering.

 

Now I understand when I was in Beijing 2 years ago there weren't 9 million bicycles there (sorry Katy Melua) - they were all driving cars!

 

Bill 

Is it under 700,000 Yeti Built in 8 years and selling out that well that Skoda still have ones not bought yet, just still owned by VW.

http://carscoops.com/2016/09/skoda-increases-yeti-production-to-meet.html 

 

 

Edited 17 December, 20178 yr by AwaoffSki

Had an e-mail from my dealer very recently saying they had 5 new still in stock and were offering £3k off. Doesn't come close to some offers that have been out there.

 

Don't need one mind you. This one will do fine.

 

Bill 

Increased production to meet increased demand and then found that spinning the great success of sales and just because there were production delays and waiting lists the demand for Yeti in the UK was not that high and picks up when there are offers, as there was now and again in 8 years of poor sales even by Skoda UK standards.

I think the Yeti was a bit 'Marmite" - I know I warmed to it rather than instantly liking it.

 

Certainly there have been many such 'Marmite' cars the Allegro Estate being one amongst many. Putting aside its reliability reputation (or lack of it). The shape tended to appeal to all the service bods - sales staff hated it.

 

 

Bill 

Marmite 

 

I loved my Allegro Estate, my two Roomsters - and now my Yeti!

 I unnerstand die Germans used the disparging term "Brotwagen", for vehicles so designed, speaking as an ex owner of an early 1980's VW Polo estate, kinda a shrunken Volvo estate, except for the "chocolate teacup" oil pump drive arrangment, and collapsing drivers seat .

So even way-back-then the VAG could make very poor engineering decisions.

mth

 

 

The only mechanical issue I had with a 1.1lt 1982 polo was the head gasket failing every 20k miles and leaking oil onto the alternator. Relatively easy job to change the head gasket, and an opportunity to clean up the head and valves to improve performance. The car was bought new by my mother and changed hands through the family for the next 20+ years as it became the first car the younger members drove after passing their tests; until eventually written off in a small accident when it had no residual value. One of the early ones coated with underseal and the box sections virtually factory filled with wax sealant which was still running out on hot days 20 years later. As it never went back to a dealer it was never steam cleaned under the bonnet either so the protection there stayed intact. Not a trace of rust at its final demise.

 

One of my favourite cars with the breadvan shape, actually reminiscent of the Yeti; probably why I liked it instantly it came out and managed to get a very early one on my company car scheme in 2010.

 

Brakes were appalling though as the right hand drive version couldn't fit servo assistance in the bulkhead space available!

You are absolutly correct about the efficacy of the rustproofing, not to mention the enduring quality of the (pre Enviromentaly  friendly) paintwork.

BTW. I me, mesel, only replaced one head gasket in 150,000 miles driving, after I "cooked" her in heavy August traffic, I think I recall, due to a known, but ignored slow coolant leak.

Did it myself too, taking the head to be skimmed on the back of a push bike, my then backup vehicle.

The only thing I recall re the appalling brakes was the almost non-functional parking brake, with me turning up for one MOT, covered in oil &  grease-bound brake-dust, with assorted brake components in the boot, fully expecting to get a retest,

but somewhat surprised to be given a "Pass" accompanied by the testers comment, "the back brakes in these cars never work much anyway".

I hasten to add some of the brake parts in the boot should have been fitted to the rear hubs, but wer'nt, hence absolutely zero, well near enough absolutely zero rear brakes.

It finally  got written off due to being rear-ended at a notorious (for rear ending shunts) roundabout. 

The wee 1100cc petrol engine  only done about 30mpg,(from recall) in a small car, though youthful driving probably had a bearing on that!

How things have changed, not least my driving style.

mth

Edited 17 December, 20178 yr by marcusthehat

Yes we got it at 5 years old from my mother with 11k on the clock; my wife used it for a couple of years and it went up to 18k.

 

I then used it for work for a year and put 20k on that year. Then it went to the father in law as his Maxi was falling to pieces with rust although only a few months older.

 

It was a real struggle to get it over 30mpg as you say, even driven carefully.

Now Skoda has announced the Kamiq for Europe (not to be confused with Chinese model of same name)

 

Do we finally get the Yeti a replacement, or is it simply a clone of the Seat Arona or VW T-Cross.  Obviously not a replacement for those who want to drive across a ploughed field, but a smaller Karoq (possibly sharing interior with new Scala)

 

Seat have both sizes already, the smaller Arona and the Ateca (a rebadged Karoq), and recently revealed 2018 sales figures which show the Arona was 3rd most popular Seat, with Ateca 4th (Leon and Ibiza got top 2).  So If the Arona outsells the Ateca, did Skoda make an error in introducing the Karoq ahead of the smaller Kamiq. (Some Skoda drivers changed brands as Karoq was too big which may have supported the Arona).  I would have stayed with Skoda but couldn’t wait until late 2019 as my change was due Sept 2018

 

In the meantime will Scala or new Kamiq steal some sales from Karoq, probably some (and from the aging Octavia too).  But still won’t be a true Yeti.

 

 

Someone on the "other" Yeti forum commented that the Kamiq "...still looks like everything else in the car park... If you put a Kodiaq into a hot wash it turns into a Karoq which in turn after a hot wash turns into a Kamiq…"

 

I agree, and for those reasons my Yeti may well be be my last Skoda.

I think the Duke of Edinburgh has good taste, to me the Freelander 2 looks just right.

Another discontinued vehicle that was practical without too many frills or un-necessary tacky plastic, or bling.

They did do ones without AWD to satisfy those that wanted the look, or maybe just the easy in and out and carrying passengers and luggage.

Edited 28 January, 20197 yr by Skoffski

I bet the new Kamiq will go the same way we see things happening in VAG. It will be a bit smaller karoq that sits somewhere in the middle. In terms of size its currently something like this (from smallest to largest):

 

VW T-cross < Seat Arona < VW T-roc < Seat Ateca < Skoda Karoq < VW Tiguan < Skoda Kodiaq < VW Toureg

 

So my guess is it will be between T-roc and Ateca, since the gap seems to be bigger between those two (unless i forgot a model, lol).

The SEAT Tarraco will be the daddy.  If they build enough it will out sell the Kodiaq. Or have more First Registrations annually as VW / SEAT make sure the Lease Companies get them cheap enough.

As SEAT are doing with the Arona, where lots are sold to Motability Finance.

 

 

 

Edited 28 January, 20197 yr by Skoffski

It will be an almost clone of the Arona, maybe slightly larger rear windows and softer suspension.

Which is good if Skoda can do 'Vorsprung Durch Technik',  so from the Arona they learn what the snagging issues are.

If the 1.5TSI EVO is being used as well as the 1.0TSI they can be sure the Engine Management / Software has a drivable car with no kangarooing.

As they need to do with the Kamiq. 

 

No point passing on faults model after model.

They need Fuel Filler flaps that do not freeze closed. Door Seals that seal, and Interior Heating and Demisting that works and means the end of Steamy Windows.

Heated Front Screens as standard would be 'Simply Clever'.

Then Dealerships that know the specs, and the price of options, or accessories like Tow bars, Mud Flaps etc before the Order Books even open,

& when they can be delivered and what servicing is needed when and for how much. 

 

Not Rocket Science stuff.