Can not find a replacement for dear old Yeti

[rarrar]

8 hours ago, Brijo said:

Back when I was running long wheelbase Landies, our next-door neighbour had a G-Wagen.  Very nice... 

 

Noteworthy that Merc consider it a viable product, even at its 1% share of their US business. 

 

 

Had a LWB G wagon (1983) lovely and boxy , rubber matting throughout which could be hosed out and far comfier than the LandRover offerings at the time. But 2250kg unladen with 85bhp diesel made it distinctly underpowered.

[gadgetman]

11 hours ago, FurryFriend said:

Interestingly, at the recent Detroit Motor Show, Mercedes are reintroducing an updated version of the original 1979 shaped model which they have called the G Class. 

Funny that......

It looks very similar to our Yetis...... Mercedes say "The shape resonates with our customers and the attention it's getting is unbelievable" 

 

 

** Four things we learnt from this year's Detroit car show - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42699500

 

You screwed up Skoda.   We LIKE the shape.  BRING IT BACK!! 

 

 

 

They're the current go to 4x4 for celebs & rappers apparently. The escalade and hummer are out of fashion, and the new Range Rovers are too much of a dime a dozen. Apparently. 

[Brijo]

24 minutes ago, rarrar said:

Had a LWB G wagon (1983) lovely and boxy , rubber matting throughout which could be hosed out and far comfier than the LandRover offerings at the time. But 2250kg unladen with 85bhp diesel made it distinctly underpowered.

Hmm...  I'm pretty sure my neighbour's was a bull.  I was 'allowed' to drive it once - awesome

[SurreyJohn]

The PCH deal on my Yeti ends in September and been struggling with replacement.  Don’t want the longer karoq.  Want the petrol auto (do about 9000 miles per year, with long journeys being rare)

 

Live in Surrey, where traffic is heavy, and road surfaces are badly worn, full of ruts and holes.  So comfort and avoiding low profile tyres important 

 

Sat in VW T-roc (windows shallow, and eye line was too near sun visors, even with seat lowered, felt like roof had been squashed down

Kia Stonic - no auto available 

Hyundai Kona - dealer thought auto delayed until Autumn

Maxda CX3 seemed wide

Mini Countryman - expensive

 

So I think I might be defecting to Seat Arona as (smaller) size matters.   Very few options, but appears good value.  Has anyone tried one ?

 

 

 

[graham47]

1 hour ago, SurreyJohn said:

The PCH deal on my Yeti ends in September ......

 

So I think I might be defecting to Seat Arona as (smaller) size matters.   Very few options, but appears good value.  Has anyone tried one ?

 

 

 

 

Not actually driven one, but otherwise very impressed.  Specs look good value.

 

I’m in a similar position.....

Looked at Arona, Suzuki Vitara, C3 Aircross (not 100% confident about Citroen)...Even Fiat 500X (but not really seriously).

Even thought to look at 1 year old 1.2 yeti to buy some time.

Even thought to pay the GFV and keep for the Fabia sized suv in 2019 but my expectations are very low looking at the Karoq which I think looks incredibly ‘bland’ compared to the Arona.

Edited 30 March, 2018 by graham47

[Guest FurryFriend]

What IS coming over loud and clear is that UK car sales are at an all time low. 

 

With the little boxes, all looking the same, that are on sale, I for one am not at all surprised. Jelly moulds wherever you look. No style, and no choice translates into lousy sales. 

 

The manufacturers tell us that their models  are ON TREND whatever that fatuous statement is supposed  to convey. 

I buy a CAR not a TREND. 

 

As a buyer. I say that the current selection of vehicles on sale in the UK is about as appealing as cold soggy pizza

 

And that, guys is why car sales are so awful. 

 

And why they need to UP THEIR GAME which is another modern fatuous statement. 

 

Hey Ho. 

 

 

 

[ejstubbs]

13 hours ago, graham47 said:

my expectations are very low looking at the Karoq which I think looks incredibly ‘bland’ compared to the Arona.

 

Blimey.  I've not inspected the Karoq in any detail but since my first impression of the Arona is that it's yet another Qashquai lookalike, the Karoq must be sleep-inducingly uninteresting.

[ernieb]

I think a couple of factors come into play with external car design.  The market leader in the mid size SUV market is the Qashquai so the trend is to copy a winner.  Secondly they all seem to use the same aero dynamics software packages so most of the lumps and bumps look all too familiar.  With the VW cloned cars they all use the same chassis and mechanics so there’s probably not much chance of making radical changes.

R.I.P. our lovely YETI.

[graham47]

Have to slightly disagree with you here....

VW group ‘design’ seems to me to be driven, at the moment by Audi (current Fabia has very ‘Audi’ like lines).

Ateca/Kodiaq/Karoq are virtually indistinguishable, Arona at least has some Seat influences showing.

I have long held the view that the reason Quashquai is a ‘market leader’ is driven purely from high motability sales (at least in my neck of the woods) rather than style or value.

 

The Yeti is certainly ‘unique ‘ from a design point of view but that wasn’t my main reason for buying (twice).

I look at the Q3 or Q2 and know immediately what marque they are....so far I’ve seen several Kodiaqs and a Karoq and thought nothing, even if they weren’t too wide for me.

[ernieb]

@graham47,  my reference to VW cloned was perhaps badly worded, I meant it to mean that the cars in the VW stable, VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat, agreed that Seat have maintained some of there features but for me essentially the ride and feel of the cars is all very much the same.  I suppose it’s this that made me look outside the group and to eventually the Subaru XV 2018 I’ve ordered the ride and feel are to my mind so much better, the new chassis making a major contribution I think.

Edited 31 March, 2018 by ernieb

[Guest FurryFriend]

Wouldn't  have a Qashqai at any price. Apart from being the ugliest of the ugly jelly moulds, they are sold without indicators and bought by people with zero regard for speed limits. 

 

We live about 4 miles from the factory.... We know! Believe. 

 

 

[Stubod]

I have only just purchased my first Yeti after 3 previous Octavias.....but I am already hankering for a Karoq.....is there any cure for this?

[Bowdie]

Probably not. I've had both and I think the Karoq is bigger, more comfortable, loads of tech that I'll probably never use, I think better looking and probably depreciate at a slightly slower pace. If you read some of the threads on this forum, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Skoda have cocked up, but I suspect not. I think they did get it wrong with the last few months production of the Yeti by making too many, so new and nearly new Yeti's have flooded the market which has killed the residual values. Meantime, the Karoq has been so successful that they're now manufacturing in 2 factories and you still have to wait 4 or 5 months to get one. Doesn't  really sound like a bad commercial decision by Skoda!! Time will tell but I suspect the Karoq will easily outsell the Yeti worldwide. I don't believe that the Yeti was ever that popular outside of the UK.

[PeterKn]

I'd be tempted to try a Vitara 1.4S auto. 

[eribaMotters]

I don't think you are ever going to find another Yeti type car, so it's down to what best fits your needs.

If I have to save the planet it would be a 1.5 petrol Karoq, as it ticks most of the boxes.

If I go the polar bear killing route a Mazda CX5 would be a consideration. I can get a 150bhp 2wd manual with an excellent standard specification that offers good value for money. It is also a Japanese car built in Japan, and that means quality. We are all different though.

 

Colin

[pinkpanther]

4 hours ago, Bowdie said:

Probably not. I've had both and I think the Karoq is bigger, more comfortable, loads of tech that I'll probably never use, I think better looking and probably depreciate at a slightly slower pace. If you read some of the threads on this forum, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Skoda have cocked up, but I suspect not. I think they did get it wrong with the last few months production of the Yeti by making too many, so new and nearly new Yeti's have flooded the market which has killed the residual values. Meantime, the Karoq has been so successful that they're now manufacturing in 2 factories and you still have to wait 4 or 5 months to get one. Doesn't  really sound like a bad commercial decision by Skoda!! Time will tell but I suspect the Karoq will easily outsell the Yeti worldwide. I don't believe that the Yeti was ever that popular outside of the UK.

I suspect the (recent) poor residual value of the Yeti relates more to a market shift away from diesels, rather than just over supply.

 

I hope it won't be too long before a petrol 4x4 (hopefully manual) Karoq becomes available - natural successor to the L&K 1.4 TSi Yeti

 

[aerofurb]

 I previously posted a bit about the forthcoming Skoda SUV to be based on the Vision X on PP's thread here:

 

Here are some comparison figures, size-wise, which would mean the production Vision X should be very similar in size to the Yeti (though not as tall). Most of the reports say that the new one will be based on the same floorpan as the new Rapid which is an extended version of the MQB A0 platform.

 

	Length	Width	Width	Height	Wheelbase
			(with mirrors)
Yeti	4222	1793	2087	1691	2578
Vision X	4250	1800		1500	2645
Arona	4138	1780			2566
T-Roc	4234	1819			2590
Karoq	4382	1841	2025	1603	2638
Ateca	4363	1841	n/k	1601	2638
Tiguan	4486	1839	2099	1632	268

 

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/skoda/rapid/100638/new-2019-skoda-rapid-to-become-czech-brands-vw-golf

 

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motor-shows-geneva-motor-show/skoda-vision-x-concept-previews-2019-crossover

 

From Skoda:

 

http://www.skoda-auto.com/world/vision-x

 

This later report from Auto Express says it's Arona sized which goes against their previous report - unlike the Press to get things wrong (if they were right in the first place!):

 

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/skoda/yeti/103078/new-skoda-vision-x-concept-review

 

Okay, so it doesn't have the vertical tail like but personally I think it's much better (different) to the Karoq/Kodiaq et al.

 

I'll be interested in the new arrival when it appears (rumours of a launch at next year's Geneva's motor show so UK bound end of 2019?). Until then, the Yeti will do me just fine - I don't need anything bigger in reality and apart from that, nice that the Karoq is, it just isn't different enough from the masses for me.

 

Edited 1 April, 2018 by aerofurb

[SurreyJohn]

The more I look at the pictures of the Vision X, the mote I become convinced it is partly a reworked Arona, the front doors look identical 

 

Unfortunately its too late for me, I do not expect production before Autumn 2019.  In same way Arona is an suv version of Ibiza, my prediction is that it will end up being a stretched Arona with revised Fabia interior

 

However I doubt it will be a bargain Arona alternative, can easily see some of the better equipped versions being £25k+    I really cannot see it priced as a Fabia Plus.  

 

Skoda has probably lost me as a repeat customer, I have had a few, including two L&K Octavias, but now I need a shorter car and Skoda have lost the plot (redline Fabia etc), as I cannot buy a well equipped shortish car currently.

[ejstubbs]

The Vision-X doesn't look as bad as I'd feared, in comparison to the Arona.  All a matter of personal taste, of course.

 

I do like the idea of the electric motor being used to provide part time 4WD.

 

I don't like the exaggerated inward curve towards the bottom of the doors.  Is that a structural feature or just "style"?  I hate to think how it affects the capacity of the door bins.

 

The cockpit in those photos puts me right off.  All that unnecessary fake chrome - and green ambient lighting, what are they thinking of?  That steering wheel looks like something a bad set designer might have dreamed up for a low-budget sci-fi series.  If it's like that when it goes on sale then sorry, I'm out.

 

At the moment I'm talking to Skoda dealers about one of the last few Drive models.  If I get a decent deal for one of those then I anticipate the market will look very different by the time I'm ready to replace that one.  I might not even need to own a car at all, if some of the predictions about how personal motorised transport might evolve come to fruition...

[Expatman]

Vision X is almost 2 years away. I can't imagine that Skoda will do a simple clone of the Arona, just like the Fabia is not a clone of the Ibiza. Maybe same basic underpinnings but will need positive differences to justify market and attract sales. Interior will certainly be toned down compared to Vision X and, hopefully, interior will be brighter than Arona. A lot can happen in the car market in 2 years.

[ernieb]

This was in the Car Magazine, for what it’s worth, my dealer suggested MY20/21:

 

Bernhard Maier, Chairman of the Board for Skoda Auto confirmed at the Geneva motor show that it’ll be available in production form as soon as 2019 in Europe. 

Expect it to be available in the UK shortly after.

 

[Ryeman]

The Suzuki Vitara is slightly smaller than the Yeti and amazing light which enables excellent economy .

[Ootohere]

& Built in Central Europe.  (Hungary)

 

Or there is the built in the Czech Republic with equally as good build quality and a warranty that gets honoured, so a Hyundai.

Even Hybrids available to buy right now, not sometime maybe in the future once VW get the hybrid technology sorted and the ICE engines less polluting.

http://hyundai.cz/en/models 

Edited 2 April, 2018 by AwaoffSki

[Guest FurryFriend]

On 31/03/2018 at 22:14, PeterKn said:

I'd be tempted to try a Vitara 1.4S auto. 

Hope you like rust. 

My wife had one. Never again

 

As Ryeman says, it's very light. That actually equates in real terms to tinny. Go and see one by all means. Shut the drivers door, everything rattles. Replacement of leaking fuel lines, and fuel tank within 4 years was unexpected. 

We went to see a Hyundai Tucson. Suzuki was next door so we popped in purely out of interest. 

Not remotely close. The Hyundai was a really nice car. The Vitara was basic and poor quality build. 

 

 

 

Edited 4 April, 2018 by FurryFriend

[Ootohere]

^^^ What year was that Vitara?  Was the fuel tank not plastic?

Edited 4 April, 2018 by AwaoffSki