[abbey4u]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Its a good vehicle.

I guess that our market overall is just not yet ready for the small SUV type vehicle except if it is priced dead cheap OR if it is perceived as super prestigious.

I don't quite agree. While Yeti is a good vehicle, the pricing just doesn't in line with extra features in facelift. A DSG should have been added and they should have played smart in keeping ex-showroom below 20l May be 19.99 as some states have extra road tax component on vehicle over 20L.

Going back to our market, i think duster terrano is doing very well and is small SUV and I personally don't think they are dead cheap. in fact i think they also are overpriced by a Lac or so.

It should have been priced at 18.5

[androdev]

After having been shocked by the OTR prices of most of the 20+ lakhs cars, I can't single out Yeti. Relatively speaking, the price is OK. It has a lot of kit to justify that price. Only mistake is they should have offered an AT option.

[scopriobharath]

Well, if features is what sells an SUV/MUV, they why does the fortuner sell more than the Yeti ?

They might offer German Quality and best in class safety and luxury features, but at the end of the day, fortuner, even though less equipped sells more and people would buy an under-equipped Q3S or a used X1 just for the "A" and "B" badge.

[Catamaran]

I bought my 4×4 elegance for 17.3 lakhs on road in Jan 2012 after all the discount. The vehicle is one of the best for Indian roads. But such insane pricing without DSG will kill the product. I think skoda just wanted to showcase it on their portfolio and concentrate on Rapid and Octy only.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

9 7 2 1 2 0 0

These were the sales figures of the Yeti for the last 7 months. And everyone is bothered that Skoda will kill the product due to the new pricing?

I think the market is not ready for this product yet. They should just discontinue it and re-introduce it later once the SX4 S-Cross and Hyundai IX25 hits the market - at competitive prices against these models.

[razor4077]

Pretty much parroting what has been said already - pricing is terrible. The Yeti will now cost almost double that of a Duster??!! Wow. Sad, step-brotherly treatment to a brilliant car which was perfectly suited for the booming urban SUV segment. Smaller engines that Skoda already uses in its other cars (1.4 TSI, 1.6 TDI, maybe even the UK spec 1.2 TSI) could have been used to lower the pricing. DSG should have definitely been an option. And where are the lower trim levels??

Didn't even see an ad in the papers. Why bother Skoda, if you aren't really interested?

[GTO]

Skoda might as well give a 'DO NOT BUY THIS CAR' placard to each one of its sales persons. It was a flop at the old price and will be an even bigger flop at the new price.

I don't understand why they even bothered with bringing this facelift in. The Yeti might just be another nameplate to rest in peace (after the Fabia).

Trivia: The company's flagship car (Skoda Superb) has a lower starting price than the Yeti.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I guess that our market overall is just not yet ready for the small SUV type vehicle except if it is priced dead cheap OR if it is perceived as super prestigious.

Actually, the market is wide open for a well-priced premium compact SUV. Problem with the Yeti is that it's too overpriced. Ugly too (though looks are subjective).

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

I think the market is not ready for this product yet.

On the contrary, I don't think Skoda is ready for this product yet. They butchered its original launch just as they did with the facelift. Both Yetis are DOA (dead-on-arrival).

[Fusion2006]

Makes one wonder how the company management is so detached from the real world that they would launch this priced like this? I mean, do they reside in some alternate reality?

Even the previous version of the Yeti was too expensive, and now I really wonder what would make a person say, "I really want that car" ??

The looks are indeed subjective, maybe someone who likes the quirkyness might buy in spite of the price, but I doubt Skoda marketing would be creating their forecasts based on that category of buyer? So....who exactly are they targeting then...?

[F150]

Originally Posted by GTO

Skoda might as well give a 'DO NOT BUY THIS CAR' placard to each one of its sales persons. It was a flop at the old price and will be an even bigger flop at the new price.

I don't understand why they even bothered with bringing this facelift in. The Yeti might just be another nameplate to rest in peace (after the Fabia).

Trivia: The company's flagship car (Skoda Superb) has a lower starting price than the Yeti.



Actually, the market is wide open for a well-priced premium compact SUV. Problem with the Yeti is that it's too overpriced. Ugly too (though looks are subjective).
They butchered its original launch just as they did with the facelift. Both Yetis are DOA (dead-on-arrival).

Exactly my thoughts, couldn't have put in a better way.

That said, Skoda aficionados will buy it anyway as I can see few people on this thread, who think that the price is OK.

[rohanjf]

Originally Posted by GTO

I don't understand why they even bothered with bringing this facelift in. The Yeti might just be another nameplate to rest in peace (after the Fabia).

In this thread, we can only discuss why Skoda India decided to launch Yeti facelift

- manufacturing of some of the older components which have now been modified (e.g., headlights) is reduced
- Skoda did not want to discontinue Yeti because they just discontinued Fabia. They don't want to be known as a brand that discontinues its models and thus reduces the resale value of the cars even further (as if it is high already)


I don't think Skoda's reasoning behind overpricing the Yeti was the absence of competition. Although there is no direct competitor to Yeti with respect to size and premium feel, there are very few people who will consider Yeti as an option when they are looking for premium compact car. Because most of them want an automatic!

[shankar.balan]

Your views are excessively harsh in my opinion.

As far as I am concerned I am quite glad indeed that it is NOT a vehicle with mass market appeal.

For me, the very fact that only really enthusiastic people who appreciate its virtues will consider this vehicle, sets it apart and keeps me happy.

I do not and never have liked conventional behaviour and being a part of the herd. I ve always preferred to make my own way and the Yeti gives me that opportunity.

Originally Posted by GTO

Actually, the market is wide open for a well-priced premium compact SUV. Problem with the Yeti is that it's too overpriced. Ugly too (though looks are subjective).

[Sheel]

Maybe, once Duster AWD's prices will be revealed, few might find a Yeti to be somewhat VFM. Whatever advantage it has over the Yeti (the Duster) like strong underpinnings, more abuse friendly etc gets negated by Duster's interiors & that gem of a 2 liter 6 speed gearbox from Skoda.

Sorry if I missed, but does the Yeti come with autofold mirrors, GPS? I would want a good sunroof too at that price point.

[shankar.balan]

I would ask you to consider the following;

1. We pay 32 lacs for a Toyota Fortuner here in India. It costs around half that in South East Asian, Australian and other Markets. It doesn't get a lot of kit either. Yet, we worship it.
2. We pay 32 lacs for a Ssangyong Rexton in India. This is considered a piece of junk in the developed markets. Yet there are people here buying it if not extolling its virtues.
3. The Duster is considered widely to be the world's cheapest SUV and is priced at around 8-9 lacs everywhere else in the world and does come with lot of safety kit and other functional stuff over there. Over here we pay close to 15 lacs for the top end variant, which doesn't even come with the full Euro Spec, in terms of kit. Yet we have everyone singing its praises.
4. All the other so called "Prestige SUV's" are hopelessly overpriced here in India, causing serious people, to completely eschew them from the consideration set! Q3, Q5, X1, LR Freelander et al - all of these are ridiculously overpriced indeed in India!

And we are sitting right here and cribbing about 18.5 lacs for the Yeti, which actually is priced very much in line with what they charge for it in the UK, Europe, Australia and other developed markets. The best part is that they have not reduced any kit from the Indian Yeti when compared to the European one. It is just that the number of variants available have been reduced to a more manageable portfolio, given Indian conditions.

To me, this smacks of some serious bias, which people like us should not propagate, in all fairness!

This is my submission, in order to provide a little balance, because I am tired of this constant Yeti bashing by all and sundry.

Originally Posted by abbey4u

I don't quite agree. While Yeti is a good vehicle, the pricing just doesn't in line with extra features in facelift.
It should have been priced at 18.5

[wilful]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

We pay 32 lacs for a Ssangyong Rexton in India. This is considered a piece of junk in the developed markets. Yet there are people here buying it if not extolling its virtues.

Errr... Shankar (my apologies for butting in) - a small correction - the Rexton's price is 21.38 lacs ex showroom in Maharastra & 21.59 in Delhi ex showroom for the AT (top) version according to their website.

[rutvij]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

To me, this smacks of some serious bias, which people like us should not propagate, in all fairness!

This is my submission, in order to provide a little balance, because I am tired of this constant Yeti bashing by all and sundry.

I agree with your observations about pricing of other cars in India as well as other markets.

With regard to Yeti, complains about its price seems to be because of frustration about the fact that we genuinely like the product but it has been made out of our reach! Skoda should have come with other trim levels with lower price point.