[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

As someone who is seriously considering buying a softroader the Yeti is right up there on my list of choices. It should rightly be, especially with its fit and finish among other points.
I am not too sure though that comparison with UK prices is justifiable. I state this only with my own example. For the same job that I do in either country, my purchasing power is different in India and UK. In my experience, I get paid better in the UK than in India. So, comparing/ converting the UK price does not sound correct. Only my 2 cents.

Agree with you there Selfdrive!
Salaries in UK are much higher and comparatively a car like the Yeti costs as much as 3-6 months salary whereas in India, it can be anywhere from 1-2 years salary (rough average!).
This difference will continue to exist with developed countries where having a car is a necessity as compared to a luxury in India (which is also changing in modern metros to a necessity now.)

Some of the benefits that I have actually seen in my Yeti vs the Laura (which I also assessed in Dec-2010, when I bough my Yeti).
Inspite of getting less bootspace (below the parcel shelf -322 L) in the Yeti, I actually get a lot more bootspace if I take it out and it also has a good height - so my dog (Labrador 37 kgs) can fit in comfortably, which would not have been possible in Laura.
The smaller length of the Yeti 4223 mm actually helps it fit easily in small parkings in most malls / offices and also takes less space at home.
The turning radius of the Yeti at 5m is also very good for city driving and I can easily take U-turns, without the need for multipoint turns!

All in all, these are also the benefits that most Hatches offer!
Overall it was the engine power, fit finish, good handling, partial offroad capability and uniqueness that finally won us over the Laura!.

Regards,
Behemoth

[MaserQ]

Still priced on the higher side. Skoda have not learnt from the discounting on the AWD variant, this too seems like it will go down that road soon. Power output figures are not too different from the Vento/Rapid diesel. Might as well have launched the 4X2 with the 1.6 TDi and positioned it competitively.

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

Some of the benefits that I have actually seen in my Yeti vs the Laura (which I also assessed in Dec-2010, when I bough my Yeti).
Inspite of getting less bootspace (below the parcel shelf -322 L) in the Yeti, I actually get a lot more bootspace if I take it out and it also has a good height - so my dog (Labrador 37 kgs) can fit in comfortably, which would not have been possible in Laura.
The smaller length of the Yeti 4223 mm actually helps it fit easily in small parkings in most malls / offices and also takes less space at home.
The turning radius of the Yeti at 5m is also very good for city driving and I can easily take U-turns, without the need for multipoint turns!

Very succintly put Behemoth!
In fact I was wondering what made me put the Yeti on top of my priority list. And I see it clearly. They are the same reasons why I chose the Jazz over the City/ Civic. In your post, if I just replace Yeti with Jazz and Laura with City/ Civic it summarises my pre buying thought procedure

I just hope that unlike the Jazz I buy one at its most discounted price!

[harimakesh]

Yeti 4x2 with 110 HP must have been priced much lower than what Skoda came up now. It is 2-3L expensive for what it offers Size, detuned engine, etc. Skoda missed a great opportunity to covert Yeti into a volume player. XUV could have had great challenge if Yeti Ambition 4x2 priced @ 11.xx L price.

[shankar.balan]

no quibbles with your point.
but the comparo gives us a sort of benchmark thats all.
I guess if I was working in the UK I would be driving a Landrover Freelander or something but since Im here in India I can only afford a Yeti ish sort of beast!

Originally Posted by selfdrive

As someone who is seriously considering buying a softroader the Yeti is right up there on my list of choices. It should rightly be, especially with its fit and finish among other points.
I am not too sure though that comparison with UK prices is justifiable. I state this only with my own example. For the same job that I do in either country, my purchasing power is different in India and UK. In my experience, I get paid better in the UK than in India. So, comparing/ converting the UK price does not sound correct. Only my 2 cents.

[shankar.balan]

No actually that poll thread will morph into my ownership thread so the whole history is visible to anyone who wants to read it. With a bit of help from the MODS, we can perhaps change that thread title to my LittleBigFoot. I ve chosen Silver. Easiest to look after overall.

Road Presence here in India does seem to mean big size. Might is Right here! But despite being an M&M loyalist for several years, I didnt see the XUV to suit me at all even though it offers so very much to the consumer.
I wanted to move up several notches and hence, the Yeti Elegance.
cheers

Originally Posted by ssh1979

So I suppose you closed your poll? Many congrats shankar.balan!!! This is an amazing vehicle still quite ahead of time in India. With such amazing features and the market maturing, this definitely won't go the Ford Fusion way. What color have you chosen?

If road presence only means "big size" then yes, the Yeti doesn't have one. But it is still one of the most stylish vehicles you can see on road.

[DeKay]

I think the current prices would have suited a 4x2 version of the Yeti but with the same 140bhp engine. It would have made a lot more sense. But, whats done is done.
IMO, people looking at the 4x2, the Active variant will make the most sense. It is a pretty good buy according to me considering the quality and reliability it offers and definitely cannot be compared to the XUV and the Aria or the scorpio.

Well, let's wait for the official reviews and see how it performs.

[mTorque]

Still over priced, thanks to Mahindra's pricing of the XUV 500.
In one of the 'Fifth gear' programs (Discovery Turbo), i distinctly remember the host saying that the Yeti sells well in the UK and is infact has a waitlist!

[mailtosid]

I too have booked my yeti after countless thoughts on which vehicle to go for. I favored Yeti over the rest given its practicality of city driving, well-planted drive, soft off-roader (when situations call for and u never know looking at the state of indian roads, we mite need it badly!), quality and the finesse. I have decided to go for mato brown.

[thesilentone]

Top Gear in its article writes " after the success of the earlier launched 4x4".... I wonder under what parameter they have termed the 4x4 model as a success.

[BikerSG]

Originally Posted by driveanddrive

Ambiente is now Ambition, globally.

Actually Ambiente is 4x4 and Ambition is 4x2.

The new brochures list only 3 variants - Active (4x2), Ambition (4x2) and Elegance (4x4).

[GTO]

Skoda is basically stuck in a self-created rut of overpricing. They simply couldn't price the Yeti 4x2 @ 11 lakhs. Reason? Who would buy the Laura then? The poor Yeti's pricing is dictated more by where the Laura is positioned, than a price that the market will purchase it at. Heck, the AWD (after discounts) costs about the same as the 4x2 variant.

That said, and keeping the funny looks aside, the Yeti AWD is one heck of an SUV. Simply amazing quality, engine, ride & handling. It makes for a pretty good deal with the discounts on offer.

I wish manufacturers would start pricing their products correctly from day one. It would save them a lot of headache in the longer run. Hatchback segment pricing became truly VFM after competition intensified. We saw this phenomena occur recently in the sedan segment too (City, Vento, Verna et al). The 10 - 15 lakh segment will also experience a shakedown in the near future. You only have to analyse sales of over-priced, under-equipped cars like the Civic to know that the time has come.

Price (properly) or Perish. The market says it out loud.

[rxpaul]

When the Laura was introduced, people said that it was overpriced (as compared to the Octavia), but it slowly started overselling the Octavia. I believe Skoda want to push the Yeti as a niche product and the Rapid as a volume sale.

Yeti may still do well once the Duster & Ecosport come in and the concept of a small city SUV is accepted by the Indian public.

I also hear that Skoda plan to get in the Fabia Scout. Possibly the Scout could have a volume pricing ?

[Hayek]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

I am not too sure though that comparison with UK prices is justifiable. I state this only with my own example. For the same job that I do in either country, my purchasing power is different in India and UK. In my experience, I get paid better in the UK than in India. So, comparing/ converting the UK price does not sound correct. Only my 2 cents.

That is why the kind of people who buy Skodas in India would buy BMW 5s or 7s in the UK, and those who buy BMWs in India would buy Porsche's in the UK.

Behemoth's post suggests total VAT in the UK of about 20%, vs. customs duties on parts of 10%, CENVAT of 24%, state VAT of 12.5%, Octroi of 4% and registration charges of 7% (64% total) in Bombay on CKD imports (with locally sourced engine and transmission). Add the inefficiency of running low volume assembly lines in India. It's obvious that Skoda is really cutting margins on sales to India if OTR is similar to the UK.

[shashank.nk]

Skoda does it wrong again. The price looks OK to me, but not at the cost of a engine with a lower state of tune. I think if Skoda really wanted the Yeti to generate volumes, they wouldn't have cut down on the things as important as the engine.

Having said that, Yeti still remains a very good buy in my opinion, if you can live with the small size of the car. Much smaller than the Laura or Octavia in terms of length so easy to park and drive in the city.

Higher GC and almost sedan-like manners help on bad roads and highways. Even with the discounted 4x2 version, if i were looking at a Yeti i'd go for the 4x4 version without a doubt.