[Vitalstatistiks]

Good to see balance on comments about pricing of Yeti. It is a car that deserves to be discussed, because of how good it otherwise is. The reason why people find Yeti overpriced while seeing a similarly overpriced Duster fly off the shelf is because of the expensive 'tag' attached to the vehicle (Yeti).

Think Jazz. Despite the price cuts, it continued to occupy the 'expensive' mindset and never sold, while Duster, Ecosport and even XUV have considerably increased the prices since launch, but continue to be seen as VFM. Because they just occupied that VFM space in our mind.

Most folks don't keep a daily tab on price movements of cars. They get blitzed by the initial publicity and remember what they thought of the car (VFM or expensive) then and keep their belief. This is where Yeti got it wrong. Should have launched at a great price, created that VFM space in buyer's mind and then proceed to increase prices.

[Vid6639]

Shankar, a few clarifications to some of the points which I think are incorrect.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

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.

As an owner I can completely understand that you are happy at the thought of owning a niche vehicle. But this is only the case for a handful of people. Having a car which doesn't sell will result in shortage of spares at some point or the other, lower resale since only you will understand the virtues of the product whereas for a mass market it's a flop model.

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.

Didn't you have a Scorpio before the Yeti? The highest selling UV in the segment at one point of time.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I would ask you to consider the following;

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.

The Rexton is 25L for the top end manual trim not 32.

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.

The Duster sold in Europe is bare bones basic. If you compare the prices of the 110DCI 2WD it is 14,000 pounds which equates to 14L which is more than the ex-showroom prices in India.

The 8-9 lakhs is the 1.6L petrol in europe and in India the 1.6L petrol is 9.1L ex-showroom as well.

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!

These prestige SUV's are indeed over priced and not worth the money, but in the end the sales numbers for these are more than what the Yeti does.

I am not saying anything against the Yeti but I don't see any justification in the premium pricing. Interior quality while better than the Duster, it's nowhere as good as Octavia or Jetta if you compare the 2WD models of both. Where the Octy and Jetta give you 140BHP motors in the 2WD mode, the Yeti makes do with a 110HP 5 speed engine/transmission. Only additional thing the yeti offers is slightly more ground clearance.

When you look at the 4X4 Yeti, I can understand it can appeal to a very select few who will genuinely need the 4x4 hardware. For those who won't be taking it beyond the beaten path, I don't see why the 4x4 should be considered. It only adds to the pain with a heavier clutch and one that takes a while getting used to.

[F150]

I see only the existing owners thinking that the pricing in OK, but in all probability they wont buy one because they already have one.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by F150

I see only the existing owners thinking that the pricing in OK, but in all probability they wont buy one because they already have one.

I was actually wondering how Shankar thought that the Yeti was priced decently since the features are similar to his car and he got a very very sweet discount on his car (If i remember correctly). so even he did not pay what Skoda was asking 2 years back. And now it is almost 6-7 lakhs more than what he paid 2 years back.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by F150

I see only the existing owners thinking that the pricing in OK, but in all probability they wont buy one because they already have one.

Not immediately since the vehicle is still new and trouble-free, but would definitely consider a replacement once this one's time is up. However, I think its good for 5 years at the very least considering the fact that it still feels exactly as new despite being 2 years and 50k kms old.

[aseem]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

I was actually wondering how Shankar thought that the Yeti was priced decently since the features are similar to his car and he got a very very sweet discount on his car (If i remember correctly). so even he did not pay what Skoda was asking 2 years back. And now it is almost 6-7 lakhs more than what he paid 2 years back.

Couldn't agree more. Some of the comments here are condescending and demeaning regular folks justifying buying decisions by calling their product niche and others choices as herd mentality.

Lets call Yeti for what it is... a poor attempt by Skoda to half heartedly launch a premium mini compact crossover!

At these prices the resale value of existing owners would go south and not north as there will not be many takers and the spares would become an issue eventually.

[Sheel]

I honestly don't think it is a half hearted attempt. What more do you expect from Yeti? As a cross over, it drives better than most others, can seat 4 people in comfort and handle whatever our Indian road throws at it. Has good solid built, safety features, good engine.

I am sorry, but if you drive one you will know it is a genuine, honest product.

I am unsure as to what extra feature does the new Octavia have, so I am clueless.

As far as VFM goes, it is a double edged sword. What works for me, might not work for you and hence I won't justify my purchase.

Would I buy one again? Maybe not. A Fortuner's positives in my case (now) outweighs Yeti's.

When we got the car, price was 18.64 ex-showroom. It is a Nov '12 car, done 50k on the odo. So I am clueless again as to how much have the prices jumped. We were offered a discount below 1L.

Consumable, regular spares have not been an issue.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by aseem

Lets call Yeti for what it is... a poor attempt by Skoda to half heartedly launch a premium mini compact crossover!

It’s not a poor attempt by Skoda. On the contrary, it’s a very competent product and a well-received model in Europe. Probably that’s the reason they just have it here in the portfolio, as a filler product (like how the new Fiesta is now placed in Ford’s India line-up).

------

Read somewhere that Skoda wants to showcase its capabilities with the face-lifted Yeti, and hence launched it only in the Elegance trim. If that is the case, they should have launched a fully loaded version it with all the bells and whistles, like how Volvo has done with the V40 Cross Country.

[ajaypjayaraj]

Okay, I see lots and lots of points against the Yeti for its price tag. Since the negatives have been repeatedly mentioned here, lemme just talk of the positives. Not saying there are no negatives but read enough on that here already.

A common man looking at buying a car would go by the price, quality, size, A.S.S., brand value, resale value, features commonly seen in cars, etc. Skoda Yeti would not appeal to the mass who judges a car in this conventional way and stops the research right there because Yeti's advantages are not confined to these popularly admired list of features. One needs to dig deeper, know the car technically to appreciate its value.

Before I get back to that, the other day I was discussing the VFM of the previous model L&K Laura compared to that of a lower trim like ambient version of Laura. If you actually see the price difference between the 2 cars and take each additional feature and sum up the cost, one would wonder how the company manages to offer the whole extra lot at such less cost difference which makes L&K much much more VFM than an ambient though it is more expensive.

Similarly, Yeti needs to be looked at from a different perspective. It is not just another car which does one or two roles happily. It is a proper cross-over which takes care of multiple roles at its best.

Just take the Haldex intelligent AWD system. Skoda offered that level of AWD traction only in 4x4 V6 Superb in India which is their flagship model. The other cars in which the Haldex AWD system was featured in India were Freelander 2 and Volvo XC 60 both which costs more than double the price and belongs to a higher category. Means you can't even dream of Haldex AWD system (be it any version) in a car anywhere near this price bracket. Forget the 4x4 capabilities. I'm not saying Yeti is a very capable off-roader. I would not buy Yeti if I wanted a capable off-roader. I would buy a Thar, Pajero or X-trail if I wanted to go off-road. That is the mis-leading part. Apart from off-road capabilities, or shall we say above and beyond the off-road capabilities, what people fail to see is the on-road capabilities and the level of unbeatable traction this system offers with a whole lot of electronic aids to make sure you ride safe and sure footed. Though Yeti has slightly more GC and taller than the Laura or Octavia giving it a slightly disadvantageous higher COG, with this system it offers more stablility than the sedans with same engine and similar power. This comes from a tuner who has tuned up enough Yeti's and Laura's and tested them together. And I can endorse that very confidently. The traction and stability this system offers puts sedans to shame. Only Skoda's flagship model Superb V6 would offer better traction than that or talk about cars atleast 20, 30 lakhs more expensive. A person who is actually looking for a sedan with manual shifter, oodles of torque and power, mind blowing traction, excellent handling, etc. would not look into this category while actually Yeti fits all this better than any car in that price range. That's the sad part. That is why Yeti owners appreciate it so much and others fail to understand it. Octavia, Laura, Jetta, Passat, Superb (except the discontinued V6 4x4) all are very capable cars but they are FWD cars and AWD cars are on a league of its own (not talking about full grown SUVs but just AWD cars).

When a person sees the dimensions of Yeti, the first thing that he would imagine is it must be pretty cramped inside. Wrong! Sit inside and you fail to understand where all that space appeared from. Most efficient utilization of interior space is what you see. You get varioflex seating. The flexibility these seats offer are in a league of its own. And the taller seating position unlike sedans make sure you travel with less fatigue. And since Yeti does not roll like an SUV, you don't get thrown around. You are in slightly better travel comfort as compared to a sedan in that range. Rough patches, broken roads, no roads - all taken care of without any trouble.

While new Octavia offers refreshed interiors, I don't think quality wise it has improved over the Yeti's interior. Aesthetically it might appeal more like the Passat but Yeti's interiors are not far behind. It uses quality materials and do not show any signs of deterioration in close to 4 years of ownership. Not only looks good but functionally great too with lots of storage space.

It is not just a city car, it is not just a weekend car, it is not just a soft roader, it is not just a highway cruiser. Give Yeti any of these titles and it feels like Yeti is that. It does not just take up each role, but be the best at that.

Compared to the additional features available in the Yeti abroad like DSG, more engine options, Pano roof, Auto parking, etc. Indian version feels quite basic. But it still is technically rich in what it offers. And for the guys interested in mods, there is plenty of scope! Very few goes that deep researching about a car before purchasing it. And being a crossover means, a person looking for a sedan might not consider it, and a person looking at an SUV also might fail to consider this car. Could be another reason for this car to be not considered seriously by a large crowd. In Indian market, it did not sell much but ours is a very strange and highly price sensitive market. Add to it the experience of some owners and stories about Skoda that scares the bejesus out of many to go anywhere near Skoda brand, our size to price ratio - way of evaluating a car, it is not surprising that it did not do well in India. But Yeti sold suprisingly well in EU and other parts of the globe unlike India. I think the supply of cars vs initial demand has played a key role too in making it a poor seller. I remember the initial bookings at Marikar Skoda in Kerala had crossed 60 nos. even before the first Yeti was delivered. But shortage of supply meant most of it got cancelled and only very few got actually delivered.

A person who is looking at an all round car with good built quality, who needs huge FTD factor, enjoys manual shift, is tech loving to appreciate the advantages of Haldex traction system, etc. can invest in a Yeti without thinking twice. I am one of the first Yeti owners in India and got it OTR for around 18.7 lakhs in 2010 soon after the launch. Driven around 57K Kms now and Yeti still impresses me with every drive.

I am aware I just spoke about Yeti to a market which sees it as a car which is totally not worth the price tag. I know I have spoken about a Skoda product positively. I speak from my experience, from my perspective and not making any kind of commercial endorsements here. Majority of you might disagree on justifying Yeti's price and I'm not going to argue on that , but I agree to disagree with that thought process which fails to see its technical worth and overall VFM.

Now coming to the new model, while it has a more balanced VW family corporate look, I feel it was better left the way it was for it had a character of its own.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by Sheel

I am sorry, but if you drive one you will know it is a genuine, honest product.

A person who drove one wouldn't throw such statements around so confidently. Don't bother correcting someone to whom the temporary limelight is more important than the facts will ever be.

[vinj14]

I think most of the movement will be happening in this thread, not on skoda yeti's sales chart.
I own a skoda yeti. Bought it for just below a dozen big ones. Yes a pre-owned 2011 elegance 4x4 done only 16k kms. Its a wondeful car. Love it for those long trips.
Would i spend 25 lakhs buying a new one.. Uhm. NO! But yes if it came with a DSG! Bad move by skoda.. Really missed a trick by not offering the dsg variant.

[iTNerd]

Well put ajaypjayaraj! Another point most of us fail to consider is the price point of competing products. For instance, in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, the Yeti Elegance 4x4 variant is more expensive than equally spec'ed Mini Countryman. But consider the price of countryman in India (ex-showroom delhi):

CountryMan D - 28.5 lacs
CountryMan D High - 31.4 lacs

None of the Indian spec'ed CountryMan offers AWD, puny 112 bhp engines, with features far lesser than the Yeti on offer. The only thing ticking for the Mini is the inclusion of an auto box and the brand name. The Yeti outperforms the countryman in every parameters - be it comfort, performance, mileage, build quality and off-road capability for much lesser pricing. Regarding the price point it is re-launched here, doing the math, the pricing is in tune with the European pricing. Can you say the same about the CountryMan? Not at all. So, why do we crib when the Yeti is priced equivalently as that in Europe, where else we justify the mini's exorbitant pricing because its got the brand name?

Yes, what is beyond logic for Skoda India, is the decision to not have lower trims (with possibly the 1.2 turbo and 1.6 diesels) at lower price points which could take the fight to the duster/XUV.

[suhaas307]

I don't think any car has been priced this obnoxiously and that includes the Jazz. Skoda has certainly missed a golden opportunity with the face-lift Yeti. Instead of giving it a DSG and extra equipment, they've just updated it a little inside-out and inflated the price-tag to make it absolutely unreasonable! Thoroughly disappointed with this, Skoda. I hope you're listening.

[shankar.balan]

Yes I owned a Scorpio before the Yeti and a Bolero plus Swift before the Scorpio and an old Gypsy before that and if you want to know the history, then earlier I had an Esteem and a Santro and a Maruti 800 and another Gypsy and my first ever car, an old 800DX.

The moment I bought my first Gypsy it was my honest attempt to keep away from the typical "herd mentality" of people like me, because most of those people tended to buy the standard "three box sedans" which just grew larger and larger as they moved up in life.

It is only whenever the companies I worked with, gave me a vehicle, that I was forced to be conventional. The moment I stopped saying yes to company vehicles, preferring to go my own way, is when I was able to indulge my own particular vehicular passions.

Its also that I learned a lot about ergonomics, design, safety, quality and comfort on various International trips and of course, from friends here in India. Particularly, my moment of truth happened when I drove around in a Subaru Forester in the UK some years back.

The moment I came back home all I wanted to do was to dump the Scorpio and buy something refined. When I got the chance to negotiate and buy a Yeti at a good discount, I jumped at it.

In all humility, I also learned about the good things of life over time. I was also an exponent of the "Size and toughness matters" philosophy which is why I bought a Scorpio and truth be told, many an exciting Golfing Trip has happened in that vehicle, with and without friends in tow.

Would I buy a Yeti again? Yes, in all probability, but human nature being what it is, I would probably prefer a Tiguan or a Q3 as the next upgrade from the Yeti, provided of course, I can afford to pay for such an upgrade.

My Yeti is 3 years old (from its date of import/ assembly) and almost 3 years old in my hands. It still feels as good as new and it is indeed one of the best cars that I have ever driven.

Whatever anyone on this thread and in the world at large may say or may not say, I personally think the Yeti is a truly fantastic and versatile product but which will never appeal to the mass consumer mind set here in India.

My need state is met beautifully by the Yeti, which is in fact a large hatch which has some extremely useful features in it. More than enough for me. I hope to maintain it well and hold on to it for some years to come because I genuinely love the vehicle.

Its been good to me and for that, I am happy.

[scopriobharath]

In thier interview with Autocar Magazine, Skoda has told, "We want to sell this SUV in a "profit"."

With the Pricing and what the average customer expects they should tell in a press conference next month that "We want to just "Sell" This SUV ".

It is a niche product with loads of features but the average customer would not venture into buying one. Skodas also have that "service centre unfriendlyness" associated with thier brand.

A Crossover customer would settle for an XUV AWD or an SUV customer would buy the Fortuner. It is certainly a niche product and there will be a customer base for it, but I am sure Skoda management would not be happy with the sales to that customer / fan base alone.

My prediction is this should sell around 25-50 cars per month and not more. I am pretty sure Skoda is prepared for this as the sales and marketting tea very well would have studied the market on what happended with Aria and What happened with XUV5OO.

If Skoda was as responsive as toyota and A.S.S was better and cost of service is on par with japanese, Skoda CAN command a premium on the Yeti. Skoda cannot build a skyscraper, sitting on a Marsh land.