Skoda Yeti 4x2 launched @ 13.20 lakhs

shankar.balan · 27th November 2011, 17:48

i understand. however, what's their problem with having a super affordable top vehicle?
they will still get their lauras and rapids sold to those wanting a simple sedan. but it would be good for them dont you think to have a top seller in the yeti?
cheers

Quote:

Originally Posted by vb-san

it’s a very popular vehicle in Europe, and I was looking at some of the comparison reviews online a couple of weeks back. Yeti was the winner when compared to the likes of Mini Countryman, Nissan Juke etc.

But the trouble here is, if they bring it with lower engine variants (at a reduced price point), it will impact the sales of the Laura, and maybe even the Rapid.

Sn1p3r · 27th November 2011, 19:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

i understand. however, what's their problem with having a super affordable top vehicle?
they will still get their lauras and rapids sold to those wanting a simple sedan. but it would be good for them dont you think to have a top seller in the yeti?
cheers

+1 the sales matter, also more importantly it creates goodwill amongst the crowd, who do not research their vehicles.

The latest news doing rounds in goodgaon crowd is that Skoda engines last about 1 year and there are too many on the flatbed as there are on roads. I asked my story teller as I suggested him Yeti (before XUV was launched) about the source and he said, its one thing to be called premium and its another to be premium. These guys do 2L+ km in a year and now shifting their focus on Qs Xs and Rangies rather than thinking Skoda, VW. This has direct effect on the mass as they feel buying a BMW is more sense than Skoda for if you are in the band to buy Skoda stretch yourself and get the BMW. People wanting to buy Yeti actually went ahead to buy Fortuner, Captiva and Endeavors.

shankar.balan · 27th November 2011, 19:39

i seriously wonder how these chappies drive their vehicles! Skoda is known for strong VW derived diesel engines so I cannot understand what they must be doing to their cars to destroy them completely in a year!

but the moneyed lot in goodgaon (or badgaon) as the case may be - certainly they wont have any issues popping up the brand ladder to the beemers and mercs and rangies!. Why would they even bother with the lesser European motors?
I guess if I were able to afford it, I would myself go and buy a Freelander2!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sn1p3r

The latest news doing rounds in goodgaon crowd is that Skoda engines last about 1 year and there are too many on the flatbed as there are on roads. .

vb-saan · 27th November 2011, 20:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

i understand. however, what's their problem with having a super affordable top vehicle?
they will still get their lauras and rapids sold to those wanting a simple sedan. but it would be good for them dont you think to have a top seller in the yeti?
cheers

They would have… But they have been messing up with the pricing for quite a while. It’s hard to erase the negative perception created by the initial pricing. Earlier the Fabia, now the Yeti. Even a price reduction now may not bring in the big volumes.

Anyway, why to bother about the volumes. You’re getting yourself a great product, and I feel the Yeti is here to stay.

On a side note, I am seriously considering a Skoda as my next car in India. I can see that they are taking efforts to shed off the negative publicity related to AS&S. And they have recently opened up a dealership in my hometown.

shankar.balan · 27th November 2011, 20:17

i have always liked skoda cars. they look truly solid and european and are very well appointed inside. i love that attention to quality that none of our own manufacturers seem able as of now to emulate.

i have never been able to afford one before (or have chosen not to try to afford one either) but i always aspired to own one sometime. i guess end 2011 is that time, for me.

I have no regrets in my decision and I will move heaven and earth to get the service that a 20 lac car customer deserves. as always I shall follow my belief that it is important to build relationships in order to assure one's self of great service.

and yes i do appreciate that im getting myself a super product and i also do feel that the Yeti is here for a long time. the guys in Europe and UK cant be that off the mark, in their appreciation of the Yeti.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vb-san

Anyway, why to bother about the volumes. You’re getting yourself a great product, and I feel the Yeti is here to stay.

.anshuman · 27th November 2011, 21:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sn1p3r

The latest news doing rounds in goodgaon crowd is that Skoda engines last about 1 year and there are too many on the flatbed as there are on roads. I asked my story teller as I suggested him Yeti (before XUV was launched) about the source and he said, its one thing to be called premium and its another to be premium. These guys do 2L+ km in a year and now shifting their focus on Qs Xs and Rangies rather than thinking Skoda, VW. This has direct effect on the mass as they feel buying a BMW is more sense than Skoda for if you are in the band to buy Skoda stretch yourself and get the BMW. People wanting to buy Yeti actually went ahead to buy Fortuner, Captiva and Endeavors.

fi.robin · 28th November 2011, 08:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by vb-san

But the trouble here is, if they bring it with lower engine variants (at a reduced price point), it will impact the sales of the Laura, and maybe even the Rapid.

The top variant of Rapid costs 11.2 lacs OTR Bangalore. The cheapest Laura Tsi costs 15+ . The Active 4X2 110 bhp Yeti is 16+ lacs. There is a good gap which Yeti may fill owing to it's small size and smaller engines and still retaining premiuim branding.

aks_karthik · 28th November 2011, 09:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

i
I have no regrets in my decision and I will move heaven and earth to get the service that a 20 lac car customer deserves. as always I shall follow my belief that it is important to build relationships in order to assure one's self of great service.

This is cent percent right. I too get very overwhelming response in some of the TATA and Maruti service centres in Chennai even in Skoda & Chevy. which gives me much confident in buying these products though people are very much afraid to buy because of the A.S.S.
This strongly reflects in my Car buying decision. Skoda Laura DSG (Elegance or L&K) might be my next car.
The rapport is the matter and definitely we can get a good service if we have it in our mind.

fi.robin · 28th November 2011, 10:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I have no regrets in my decision and I will move heaven and earth to get the service that a 20 lac car customer deserves. as always I shall follow my belief that it is important to build relationships in order to assure one's self of great service.

Building relationships - I get my Fabia serviced at Vinayak and have always found it useful. At one point I was taught how to replace fuse, clean air filters and other stuff (including fuel pipes, which I forgot because I wouldn't have dared to mess on my own). Seeing my interest the manager then even proposed an intern job for me on Saturday's

. I am sure he wasn't serious but even that was good enough.

We often go in groups. That helps too.

Would I buy another Skoda? If I had the money why not.

shankar.balan · 28th November 2011, 11:07

good one.
this world works only with good relationships with people. the human element cannot be ignored in favour of pure process!

Quote:

Originally Posted by fi.robin

Building relationships - I get my Fabia serviced at Vinayak and have always found it useful. At one point I was taught how to replace fuse, clean air filters and other stuff (including fuel pipes, which I forgot because I wouldn't have dared to mess on my own). Seeing my interest the manager then even proposed an intern job for me on Saturday's

. I am sure he wasn't serious but even that was good enough.

We often go in groups. That helps too.

Would I buy another Skoda? If I had the money why not.

Sn1p3r · 28th November 2011, 15:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

i seriously wonder how these chappies drive their vehicles! Skoda is known for strong VW derived diesel engines so I cannot understand what they must be doing to their cars to destroy them completely in a year!

but the moneyed lot in goodgaon (or badgaon) as the case may be - certainly they wont have any issues popping up the brand ladder to the beemers and mercs and rangies!. Why would they even bother with the lesser European motors?
I guess if I were able to afford it, I would myself go and buy a Freelander2!

I think it's all about the perspective again, my point exactly as to why the mass has moved so quickly away from Skoda. There was a time when all you can see we're Octavia diesel as the perceived notion of rich man's diesel car with good economy, then they all simply shifted camps.

Quote:

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Skoda, VW and Audi share the same engines and in some cases transmissions too apart from huge list of shared components. Skoda is a very popular brand in Gurgaon, Laura DSG being one of the most popular cars in the segment. We cannot really rate a car's engine good enough for only a year based on a single guy's comment. If Skoda's engine fails every year, VWs and Audi assembled in the same Skoda's factory sharing the exact same parts will fail too. My friend's X1 spends lots of time in BMW workshop every month, my Laura has only spent 4-5 hours in one visit for 15k kms scheduled service.

Go through the ownership threads of newer cars to check how many of them survived for more than a year. I am listing Yeti and Laura ownership threads...

I understand, thus I was explaining the perspective change. The gentleman to whom I suggested Yeti (according to his need of a compact SUV) didn't buy it but went ahead and bought the Q5 cash down. He got the information from grapevine. So it all depends on perceived value and goodwill. Coming back to point if Skoda can do lucrative deals on less cars or small margins on more vehicles, it enhances the mass appeal. Cheers!

.anshuman · 28th November 2011, 16:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sn1p3r

The gentleman to whom I suggested Yeti (according to his need of a compact SUV) didn't buy it but went ahead and bought the Q5 cash down.

Did he know Audi Q5 2.0 TDI has the same engine(in a different state of tune) as Yeti? I do not say Q5 is a bad car at all, at the prices it's sold at now, it is good value.

Quote:

I think it's all about the perspective again, my point exactly as to why the mass has moved so quickly away from Skoda. There was a time when all you can see we're Octavia diesel as the perceived notion of rich man's diesel car with good economy, then they all simply shifted camps.

It's all because of improved affordability or may acceptance to more expensive cars. A decade back, Octavia was a luxury car and nowadays entry level Bimmers do not turn heads anymore. Back then 15 lakh rupee Hyundai Tucson failed, now even Mahindra is successfully selling a SUV close to that price point.

Sn1p3r · 30th November 2011, 14:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Did he know Audi Q5 2.0 TDI has the same engine(in a different state of tune) as Yeti? I do not say Q5 is a bad car at all, at the prices it's sold at now, it is good value.

It's all because of improved affordability or may acceptance to more expensive cars. A decade back, Octavia was a luxury car and nowadays entry level Bimmers do not turn heads anymore. Back then 15 lakh rupee Hyundai Tucson failed, now even Mahindra is successfully selling a SUV close to that price point.

Yes, he knows that VW owns all these companies. But it is one things to have blown DSG on Skoda its altogether another on Audi.
However, the point that is lost in what we talk is that Yeti can sell like hot cakes but still Skoda needs to be committed towards customers and market.