Kiwi Yeti set to make its mark

The beefy look of the Yeti is more than matched by its performance. Photo / Supplied

Superwheels has tracked down the Yeti - and the four-paw critter is likely to make its first appearance in New Zealand next year.

Skoda's compact, go-anywhere crossover promises to be the most flexible and versatile Skoda yet. It goes into right-hand-drive production for the British market in September, where it will lock horns with the Nissan Qashqai and Peugeot 3008.

Production for New Zealand and Australia is expected to start before Christmas. Says Skoda NZ general manager James Yates: "We are looking to have a couple of manual models here for evaluation earlier in 2010 and an automatic later on."

The Yeti is pretty much the same as the concept unveiled at the Geneva motor show in 2005, apart from a few tweaks here and there and the addition of rear doors.

Spotlights and a protective grille give the Roomster-style face some grunt, while a skid plate and chunky bumpers at the rear add to the beefy look. Roof rails and a squat stance finish off a design that owes more to a tougher small station wagon than an rough-and-tumble off-roader.

At 4.2m long, the Yeti is only slightly bigger than a Toyota Yaris hatchback, for example. But it has a Roomster-style interior with ample head and legroom in the back and a pretty spacious boot, at 410 litres with the seats up.

The seats, like those in the Roomster, can be individually moved, folded flat or removed altogether, freeing up 1760 litres of space. Adding to the car's practicality are a number of lashing points and a luggage-covering net.

Under the skin, the Yeti has much in common with the Volkswagen Golf-based Octavia 4WD, but picks up rear suspension parts from the Passat for improved stability and refinement.

Skoda will offer front- and all-wheel-drive versions. The four-paw will be pulled along in normal motoring conditions by the front wheels, but a Haldex clutch varies torque to individual wheels when things get sticky.

Standard equipment in the 4WD is a hill descent system and a push-button off-road setting, which softens throttle response and tweaks the traction control and anti-lock brakes for off-road surfaces.

Front-drive models are likely to be powered by either a 78kW 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol unit or a 82kW 2-litre turbo-diesel. Four-wheel-drive versions get a choice of more powerful 2-litre diesel units, with 105kW or 125kW on tap.

Skoda says the 125kW unit produces 320Nm of torque, has town-and-around fuel economy of 5.6 litres/100km, and a CO2 exhaust emissions rating of 140g/km.

There will also be a 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine. Gearboxes run to a six-speed manual or a six-speed DSG automatic.