What the hell is a mumsy diesel-powered crossover doing on the pages of PH? Fair question perhaps. But I'll take a punt on the Yeti being something of an undercover PistonHeads favourite. I may be proved wrong and it'd be a natural for our new 'Guilty Pleasures' series, had Matt not
already submitted one
Let's off-road ... just a little bit
And just what the hell is a Yeti Laurin & Klement anyway? I'll tell you what - it's an amusingly mischievous subversion of designer label bling and a very pragmatic Skoda approach to luxury and opulence. And for twisting the accepted wisdom about how we use our cars as mobile advertising hoardings for our materialistic aspirations it deserves a hearty round of applause. Those who'll endure fabric seats and a basic radio but put money into big wheels and a bodykit for fast lane bragging rights won't get it. For that alone this is an admirable vehicle.
Those who still snigger at Skodas are missing a trick too. OK, so PH is some years behind the rest of the world on this. But turns out the Yeti is just a smart, well realised product that comes closer to realising what people actually want out of SUVs and crossovers than most. L&K spec though?
If Skoda did bling ... hang on, it does!
Frankly it's nothing fancier than a Yeti with a fulsome spec, bit of brown leather, contrast stitching and 'decorative inserts' for a starting price of £27,840. Which is nearly two grand less than the cheapest Audi Q3 with the equivalent 2.0 TDI engine and dual-clutch transmission; chuck in just the leather, panoramic roof and xenon lights the L&K Yeti has as standard and you've inflated that premium to over five grand before you've even started hitting the options with a vengeance. Who's smug now?
It's crossover tall without being bossy or intimidating and has the appealing qualities of token off-roadness, speedbump/pothole swallowing suspension travel and a usefully boxy shape. Now that the Forester has turned into a 'proper' SUV the Yeti is among the few genuine crossovers that actually live up to the name. That it has more than a hint of Matra Rancho about it does it no harm whatsoever either.
Mythical track day spec Yeti has been spotted...
Like the Forester the Yeti's looks conceal a decent steer too. Indeed, there is one doing the rounds on the track day circuit that looks bog stock but concealed a 300hp upgrade to its 1.8-litre TSI engine, KW suspension and a big brake kit under near-as-dammit stock body and wheels. Concealed past tense too - its owner recently got in touch to say it's had an entire drivetrain transplant and now runs TT RS running gear with the (comedy) potential for 500hp. Reminding me we need to get in touch with him and do a story on it...
Back to the L&K though. It's not perfect, the Yeti actually not as spacious and practical as you might think inside. For that you need to really swallow your pride, test your dedication to the cause and go for a Roomster with the same adaptive seating, much bigger boot and no Mumsnet fashion tax. And appealing as it is I'm not sure the L&K treatment is entirely appropriate for the Yeti. I'll take mine with a hose-out interior, upholstery impervious to muddy outdoors kit and a proper utilitarian vibe. And perhaps that 500hp TT RS drivetrain transplant for good measure.
SKODA YETI OUTDOOR LAURIN & KLEMENT
Engine: 1,968cc four-cylinder, turbocharged
Transmission: Six-speed DSG, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 170hp@4,200rpm
Torque (lb ft): 258@1,750-2,500rpm
0-62mph: 8.6 seconds
Top speed: 122mph
Weight: 1,565kg (kerbweight)
MPG: 44.8 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 164g/km
Price: £27,840 (£30,040 as tested comprising of £525 for Moon white metallic paint, £150 for a temporary space saver wheel, £30 Isofix front passenger seat, £295 for a multi device interface and premium GSM III with bluetooth, £120 for partition net screen, £535 for electrically adjustable driver's seat, £250 for a rear view parking camera and £295 for rear side airbags.)