[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by RKM

Why do so many car manufacturers neglect proper foot placement for the rear middle passenger?

India is a bit different from the other markets in which its extremely unlikely that the car will ever have more than 3 or 4 passengers in it at a time.

Hence, more center storage, and rear AC vents are given more importance than 5th passenger legroom!

Originally Posted by Locomotive

Any idea if the 1.8 TSI yeti would be launched sometime?

Sorry, i have no information on the TSI engines other than the fact that they are being evaluated. Perhaps someone else can chime in with more specifics.

Originally Posted by oss

Hope the central locks get activated once you are in and the vehicle starts moving - can you pls clarify?

Yes they do.

Originally Posted by idofsuresh

I disagree. I love this feature....

As mentioned, i've updated the original point.

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Another thought: in a vehicle with reasonably even spread of torque, why a six speed? Couldn't the cost have been better spent elsewhere?

Platform sharing? Marketing? Fuel economy / emissions?
Naturally, i don't know the real answer - but those are some guesses.

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Is first gear a crawler? Then a 6speed would make eminent sense.

It is not. Though that might have helped two issues :
1) Stailling / learning curve when starting-off
2) Required clutch slipping when faced with particular off-road challenges

Originally Posted by Gerardfdz

What about ARIA vs Yeti- As these are both "loaded to the gills" would make interesting review!

They are both fairly loaded - but the Yeti is clearly a step ahead when it comes to interior quality, and the thoughtful little details. The Aria is Tata's first try at this, its a good effort, but it still has to get up to speed.

Originally Posted by sabynag

Does Yeti suffer from similar AC problems as in Laura - less cooling and more windshield misting ?

Not at all. The AC was excellent and there was no windshield misting.
I'm not familiar with this Laura issue you mention, are you sure the AC is not on the de-mister setting or something similar?

cya
R

[RKM]

An update - Today's DNA newspaper says that Pune is emerging as a major hub for car sales. Skoda has got the highest market share this year in Pune across all its products. Out of the 1000 orders already received for the Yeti (before its launch), 100 orders are from Pune.

RKM

[bubbu64]

For all I care I am just worried on the A.S.S front when it comes to SKODA. Enough tales and experiences have been heard already. It will take time to restore customer faith in this brand. Those with deep pockets can afford to buy this at risk.

[shankar.balan]

this is a very nice and clear review based on simple consumer perceptions
my needs are quite similar to yours as articulated and for this reason when I was in the market 2.5-3 years ago I rejected the Diesel Fusion PLUS with ABS +EBD in favour of the plain jane Scorpio - largely on account of space.

The YETI is lovely indeed. I would love to have one, but alas,I fear that it will simply not be sufficient in terms of size/ space. I really like the 4x4 it has, the excellent Safety features, the gizmos like Hill Descent and so on along with the other little luxuries in this car. It does make one feel much more pampered that my simple Scorp UTE feels positively poverty stricken and under-privileged in comparison!!

But taking 3 large dogs to the vet will not be possible in a YETI. Nor will those Golfing holidays with friends, where the luggage area has to handle atleast 2 golf bags and assorted luggage and my picnic KOOLBOX and car TOOLBOX and blah blah! Concern will be for someone like my Dad to sit comfortably in the back on account of leg room challenges.

For me, perhaps something like the Toyota Fortuner would be most sensible next upgrade. Yes, the Bangalore ON ROAD Prices certainly dont help. I wish that the Government sees some sense and introduces an Uniform policy of Life time Taxes and Excise on cars across India if not a simple Standard MRP across India. Shall dream on for a bit longer I guess...

Originally Posted by crackingride

I spent a bit of time in and around the Yeti(s) at Vinayak Auto yesterday. They had a test vehicle,.....

I have been interested in the Yeti given the practical advantages of its offer: small footprint, more rough and ready compared to the sedans, as well as what I expected would be availability in dark/ black leather interiors. This as I cart a large dog around fairly often for fairly long distances (1400 km round trips), and the Palio is long in the tooth year wise though not Km wise. I liked the darker, more olive, shade of leather on the seats, though you can see the dirt even on the dark leather.

The final disconcerting bit is the on-road price in Bangalore for the Elegance trim: 20,75,700 odd including mandatory Skoda shield (2+2 years) and dealer provided insurance. The depreciation-free package is another 14,000 odd. This without the option of an auto box. So, apart from the dirt-magnet interiors, the Auto version of the Laura Elegance looks more attractive from a VFM point of view than having to pay for a Haldex clutch and hill descent control that you might use once in your car's entire lifetime. I was hoping to see value in the Yeti, but will have to think long and hard at this (Bangalore) price!

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

The Fortuner has 221mm ground clearance (vs Yeti's 180mm), and add to that the Fortuner has a separate low ratio gearbox - a key tool!
This in itself differentiates the capabilities of the two greatly.

For example, there's no way a Yeti would be able to keep up in situations like these :
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ex...boot-camp.html

But tell me, will the Yeti's smaller girth, higher power to weight ratio, almost zero overhangs and most of all, a lighter weight make it overcome most situations?

Originally Posted by Rehaan

For a family of four, if you're okay with the looks, I'd pick the Yeti.
Its got more bells and whistles, feels more upmarket on the inside and is more involving to drive.
cya
R

4? So, is it a uncomfortable even with 5 people in it? To put it differently, is the Laura more comfortable than the Yeti in the rear bench with 3 people? If yes, by what count?

[GloryManUnited]

So I finally drove the Yeti today. I had been keenly following this car since an year when I first heard of its India plans. And I had been patiently waiting for its launch and today is the day when I finally got to lay my hands on one.

There has been a lot of discussion about the small size of the car. My impression was that from the exterior, it is a fairly big car. The SUV styling makes it appear bigger than it actually is. It is quite a good looking car in my opinion. Full marks for styling.

On the inside the front seat is the best part of the cabin. It is high on the premium feel. The large touch screen display on the Elegance trim is neat. The parking assistant looks good and useful on this screen. The steering wheel is small and has very good quality leather on it. The cubbyholes are a little too small. The storage is adequate. This trim also has an SD card reader to that is a respite since USB is missing. The wing mirrors are small and lack electric retraction. But they are day-night variety and are heated. Their size is adequate too. Don't stick out too much so less risk of breaking. The front seats are very comfortable. You sit nice and high which is a boon for night driving.

The rear-seat is small in size possibly because of the modular capabilities. The legroom isn't a problem at all. There is sufficient legroom available after I found a comfortable driving position. The problem is in the thigh support. It is perhaps an inch too short. The space under the front seats is tall so the leg sits comfortably. The width is on the lower side. Overall not the best of rear-seats. Laura's is better but then the rear-seat is not as uncomfortable as the Cruze as well. Overall the rear-seat is a weak point for the car.

The boot is not massive either but since it is possible to create more boot space by sliding the rear-seats, the boot size is not an issue at all. Overall the cabin feels big and the headroom is excellent. The all-round visibility is right up there too.

Turn the key. The growl of the engine is audible but I liked the note. I felt the engine noise was fairly quiet. Over NVH levels were low. The engine is quite peppy. There is the tendency to stall but you quickly learn to emerge from speed breakers in the 1st gear. The shifting is excellent. I could shift gears with the slightest touch of my fingers.

The steering was a bit too light for my liking. I am not sure if it weighs in sufficiently at higher speeds. But at low city speed it is very light. Makes maneuvering easy but at higher speeds does rob away the feel. On the sister Laura, the steering was much better weighted. The turning radius was outstanding. I did not need a 3 point turn even on a very narrow road. The ease with which I was able to turn the car around was amazing.

The car pulls away with a nice push in the back when you ask for it. The 3rd gear was especially impressive in this regard. The car is fun to drive and easy to drive. I purposefully drove over all potholes on the road and fast over short speedbreakers. The car maintained the composure throughout. Even when thuds were heard, we did not feel them in the car. The body roll is almost nil for a tall seating car.

My wife liked everything else but the rear-seat in the car. So it looks like a very close race to finish between the Laura DSG and Yeti. I am likely going to drive the Jetta tomorrow and then I will make a final decision shortly after that.

[GloryManUnited]

Originally Posted by n.devdath

4? So, is it a uncomfortable even with 5 people in it? To put it differently, is the Laura more comfortable than the Yeti in the rear bench with 3 people? If yes, by what count?

I drove the Yeti today and I concluded that the rear-seat is the weakest link in the otherwise terrific car. The rear seat has good legroom and headroom but the under-thigh support is an inch or two short. Overall the rear-seat is not very wide. 3 in the rear-seat would fine the Laura more comfortable than the Yeti. But the different is 5-10%; not much.

[ACM]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

They are both fairly loaded - but the Yeti is clearly a step ahead when it comes to interior quality, and the thoughtful little details. The Aria is Tata's first try at this, its a good effort, but it still has to get up to speed.

Not at all. The AC was excellent and there was no windshield misting.
I'm not familiar with this Laura issue you mention, are you sure the AC is not on the de-mister setting or something similar?
R

Rehan Slightly disagree on your take of Aria vs Yeti. I do own a L&K Laura - so have more or less lived the laura quality - and have just booked an Aria. Felt that in terms of features and throughful touches the Aria matches or even betters the Yeti, especially as the L&k version is not lauched and hence there are no Xenons, Sun roof and Powered Chairs, in other aspects the Aria provides Auto Lights, a more practical and larger chiller, practical coin holders, Satnav, Reverse Camera as opposed to sensors. both have leather Seats, and possibly the Yeti may have auto wipers like the Aria (or maybe not), both have ACC, stearing mounted controls, and rear AC vents (more in the Aria) and the Aria of course now has cruise control that the manual Yeti may not. The Yeti interior would I guess be on par with the Laura - which i drive every day in quality - I have not personally seen the interior recently except at auto expo - and that most somehow the Aria inteiors to me match up overall.

The Laura ACC by default has a demisting issue that is solved in the first service by placing a carboard section close to the windscreen under the dash.

The Laura ACC also has poor rear cooling unless one is prepared to freze the front occpants, if the same design is carried over to the Yeti then there is scope for major trouble as it has a larger rear greenhouse. The rear feet ac vents serve no practical purpose and the mats tend to go over them in time.

[calm_cruiser]

Great review Rehaan, the pictures are great as well. Whats is with the boxy design though !. The Aria beats the yeti in the looks department - something that TATA will be very proud of indeed. IMHO the Aria will walk away with more buyers as compared to they Yeti due to more goodies (gadgets) being offered (Read cruise control, SatNav etc). The Skoda badging seems to be the only thing that could help Yeti sales.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

I know a soft-roader is NOT an off-roader, but still the 180 mm GC seems rather low.

Not undermining the importance of ground clearance, yet will add that my Classic with its 175 mm of GC can go places that other UVs with 200+ mm of GC cannot. GC isn't the be all and end all of tackling rough roads.

Tried some soft-roading and the Yeti didn't scrape once (drove with an awful lot of caution though). On the other hand, we left with a smelly clutch.

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Is first gear a crawler? Then a 6speed would make eminent sense.

Nope, but the 6th gear still makes a lot of sense. I love the 6th ratio on my 220; makes for extremely relaxed expressway cruising & extends the tank range too. IIRC, the Yeti was ticking over at a lazy 1,800 rpm at 100 kph in 6th gear.

Link to related thread

Originally Posted by Gerardfdz

Looking at 4x4s or soft roaders, there's a huge gap between the Scorpio/Safari and the Captiva/Fortuner. The Yeti jumps right in there.

I reiterate that the Yeti will not be cross-shopped with traditional SUVs, as it could with sedans like the Laura or Cruze. Segment topper the Fortuner, as an example, has a completely different set of strengths compared to the Yeti.

Fortuner:
- 5 star presence
- Proper body on frame construction. Take a lot more abuse too
- 3 rows of seats
- Can be a handful to drive & park in the city
- Offroad surprisingly well for an SUV
- Utilitarian interiors
- Toyota reliability
- Average ride quality

Yeti:
- Looks small. From some angles, like a Fabia on steroids
- Drives like a car. Built like a car. A monocoque
- Ideal for 4, 5th occupant will be a squeeze
- Suited only to slush & muck. Don't try rock climbing
- Plush interiors
- Compact enough for the city. Really light & easy to drive

The Fortuner is for those who want a full-size SUV. The Yeti is for those who want a compact SUV that drives like a European sedan.

What about ARIA vs Yeti- As these are both "loaded to the gills" would make interesting review!

Quick attempt, even though they don't fall into the same category of vehicle, and will not appeal to the same buyer.

Equipment : Aria
Size & presence : Aria
Quality & refinement : Yeti. By a mile
Interior Space : Aria
Ease of driving : Yeti
Low speed ride : Aria
Highway ride : Yeti
Handling : Yeti

Which would I buy of the two? Neither. If I had to choose, it would be the Aria.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by GTO

Nope, but the 6th gear still makes a lot of sense. I love the 6th ratio on my 220; makes for extremely relaxed expressway cruising & extends the tank range too. IIRC, the Yeti was ticking over at a lazy 1,800 rpm at 100 kph in 6th gear.

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Other Points



• If you try to lug the engine even when decelerating, it’ll stall. Driving in a high a gear at low rpm angers the Yeti.

GTO and Rehaan, something doesn't quite add up here! If driving in a high gear at low RPM angers the Yeti, how does it manage to chug along at 1.8k RPM while doing 100 km/h?

I do agree with GTO here. The 6th gear may not make sense in the city, but it's a great cog for the highway. You can just move along silently, quite briskly if I may, and attain astonishing FE figures!

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

this is a very nice and clear review based on simple consumer perceptions
my needs are quite similar to yours as articulated and for this reason when I was in the market 2.5-3 years ago I rejected the Diesel Fusion PLUS with ABS +EBD in favour of the plain jane Scorpio - largely on account of space.

The YETI is lovely indeed. I would love to have one, but alas,I fear that it will simply not be sufficient in terms of size/ space. I really like the 4x4 it has, the excellent Safety features, the gizmos like Hill Descent and so on along with the other little luxuries in this car. It does make one feel much more pampered that my simple Scorp UTE feels positively poverty stricken and under-privileged in comparison!!

But taking 3 large dogs to the vet will not be possible in a YETI. Nor will those Golfing holidays with friends, where the luggage area has to handle atleast 2 golf bags and assorted luggage and my picnic KOOLBOX and car TOOLBOX and blah blah! Concern will be for someone like my Dad to sit comfortably in the back on account of leg room challenges.

For me, perhaps something like the Toyota Fortuner would be most sensible next upgrade. Yes, the Bangalore ON ROAD Prices certainly dont help. I wish that the Government sees some sense and introduces an Uniform policy of Life time Taxes and Excise on cars across India if not a simple Standard MRP across India. Shall dream on for a bit longer I guess...

I agree with you Shankar. At the end of the day, it's all about priorities. And even though not many customers go by priority, if you buy a vehicle that suits your priority and is priced rightly for you, you'd jump at the prospect! The Fusion is a great car, in its own right. But you needed space! And something around that price-bracket offered you with the space you needed! It finally boils down to that!

Right now, I believe the perfect upgrade for you is the Aria. It's cheaper than the Fortuner, it's better equipped and the quality is pretty good! I don't see why you wouldn't buy it. Unless you have Tataphobia. Many do.

The Yeti wouldn't cut it for you, I suppose. It just isn't spacious enough. The Laura is more spacious than the Yeti. In fact, the Fabia's interior is not too far off from the Yeti's!

[Invinsible]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

GTO and Rehaan, something doesn't quite add up here! If driving in a high gear at low RPM angers the Yeti, how does it manage to chug along at 1.8k RPM while doing 100 km/h?

Well that all comes down to gear ratio. There's quite a possibility that Skoda has altered the gear ratio on this one. Though it may share the same gearbox with other. 6th gear could have longer gear ratio which translates to those figures. I suppose the 5th and 6th would have been designed to keep up with the mileage figures on the highway drive.

[shankar.balan]

My personal TD Impressions - as a regular joe consumer:
I went along to test the Skoda Yeti along with a friend last afternoon/ early evening. It is lovely indeed to goof off from work and go and play with cars. Nothing feels quite as naughty-wicked as playing truant.

We drove the Mato Brown TD Car at TAFE. It was the upper end one and we found it very comfortable indeed. The responsive engine, the overall feel, the gizmos, the precise car-like steering and handling etc were impressive.

Seating etc:
The seats in front and at rear were very comfortable indeed even for someone of my height of 6ft 2 inches. Despite my setting the seats in a position comfortable for myself, there was adequate leg room for the person immediately behind me. (if another person of the same height as me were to sit behind me, he would find it tough though).

Gizmos:
The individual zoned climate control, the other gizmos like Hill descent and all that are excellent and within easy reach. The 8 speaker sound system sounds good and I like the integrated Radio Bolero in the vehicle with its 6 CD changer.The large touch screen, the parktronic sensors set up all these are very nice indeed.

Unfortunately one cannot integrate the GPS but has to have that separately mounted the way Im currently doing it in the Scorpio.

Interiors and other Quality cues:
The vehicle shrieks quality, plush-ness and tactile feel at every level as expected from an European. I love the reassuring solidity with which the doors close cocooning you in tank like security.

One thing lacking was the under thigh support at the rear for a tall person but the position of the head rest/ neck rest made me feel very comfortable indeed! No external noise permeates the cabin at all.

One dissonant note was that the interiors are of beige-ey leather but the leather wrapped steering wheel and gear boot are in black leather. Also with the rear arm rest down, one can actually peer into the boot- feels funny/weird. Prefer the laura with its 60:40 seat folding system.

Drive, Cornering, Braking, Safety features etc:
It is a superbly compact vehicle and one can zip about inside the city in this stylish Urban SUV just like one would in a car. Beautiful compact proportions, no excessive overhangs and a nice purposeful stance.

Nice to drive though we didnt drive too long. Just around the area about 5-6 km twice over, once with my friend driving and once with me driving. And yes, one has to keep the engine at a certain rev band while starting off at first, else it cuts off. Dont know why. But it takes one round of start-stop to get used to. Depressing the clutch to start the car seems a bit odd though. If the engine stalls or cuts off then one has to switch completely off and then start. And in these climate controlled cars one tends to hunt a bit to switch the AC off before starting and one fumbles.

It is a Good torquey engine, nice feel when the turbo kicks in - hardly any lag at all.the gears are nice because of their short throws. I like the decisive click when it falls into second gear. Also i like the gear assistance flashing on the screen depending on your RPM. Cornering is easy and extremely stable - no nonsense at all either while driving, sitting in front or sitting in the back. The wide squat stance of the vehicle obviates any discomfort while taking turns at speeds.

Nice tyres and alloy wheels (215/60/R16) on the vehicle, look and feel very nice though the spare tyre comes with only a steel wheel.

We briefly tried "off road" mode because there were some lousy ruts at the entrance to cubbon park area. But quickly switched that off.
One needs a long drive to really be able to tell how the 4x4 works but psychologically it helps a lot I can tell you.

ABS kicks in nicely though we didnt really brake hard except once and that was only for testing purposes. But the reassurance is immense.
As is the presence of 6 all round airbags etc!

Space:
Space is perfect for 4 adults going on a drive with limited luggage. Or ideal for 2 people for a driving holiday along with two kids, youngsters.
Excellent for a young couple who like a bit of a drive and an active lifestyle. No one can sit in the middle rear seat unless he/she is a pygmy or a child and even then it would be uncomfy. So in essence it is a 4 seater.

But this car, like the Ford Fusion TDCi PLUS, fails my Golf Bag lateral placement test when the rear seats are configured for 2 people to sit in.

If I want to transport my golf bag and trolley AND other luggage, then clearly at least one rear seat has to be folded down. For two of us friends going on a golfing trip then the rear seats may need to be pulled out completely. No other way at all.

If one of the dogs need to go to the vet its ok with the seats folded but if all three need to go, then there is no hope at all unless the rear seats are completely removed and even then it will be a squeeze, not to mention chaos in the ranks.

Right now I leave a lot of stuff in my existing vehicle more or less permanently- the car tool bag, some other kit bags and stuff and umbrella and this and that. I dont think I would be able to do that with a Yeti on account of space availability being at a Premium.

The versatility of the stylishly named Vario-flex space management system is very clever indeed and must be appreciated. But on a day to day basis it can become a pain to remove and re-fix the seats etc.

In effect the YETI is a larger sized, slightly taller, slightly sexed up sort of Cross-over between a hatch and an SUV. I love its overall proportions - very nice indeed and instantly brings to mind the Toyota Rav4 (smaller one) and the Suzuki Vitara - even the Chevrolet Forester/ Subaru Forester (though that was a Petrol vehicle). I guess the MINI Cooper Countryman would play along the same lines as these.

Range:
The 60 litre Diesel tank and a Fuel efficiency of 14-15 on highway will ensure that the range of this vehicle is huge.

Cost vs Benefit:
Being a CKD, the YETI comes with practically everything including the floor mats and so on as OEM, so unlike most other vehicles, one is not forced to buy outrageously expensive accessories from the dealer before one drives the vehicle out!

If one is buying now, then there is NO use buying the Ambiente because the differential of Rs 1.6 odd lacs gets you the Elegance and the trim and equipment levels the Elegance comes with, puts everything else comparable to shame.

The Ambiente is a useless variant - given that it has none of the serious equipment that the Elegance has, it does not have enough price gap between it and the Elegance to justify the purchase.

However, Rs 20.75 lacs on road for the Elegance is expensive and so it shall remain till a higher level of indigenization comes in, whenever.
Raw Cost of Elegance Trim version: 1673216/-
Skoda Shield - Insurance + Extended Warranty: 57315/- + 19027/-
Road Tax 18.7% + Handling charges: 326292/-
On Road: 20,75850/-

One can transfer one's existing no claim bonus onto the new car's insurance but one has to insure with Bajaj Allianz or ICICI for the Extended Warranty to kick in. Because these two companies have tied up with Skoda to underwrite the risk of such warranty. There is in principle nothing wrong with this as a business deal, but I urged them to consider it more from a consumer point of view and allow consumers to make their own choice.

Alternatives in front of me:
Anyway, if I am being asked to plonk that kind of money down to buy a brand new vehicle, then quite clearly my personal first choice from the point of view of space would be to plonk for a Roomy beast with a pucca off road heritage like the Fortuner or a Pajero or an Endy.

I would not consider the Tata Aria because it is inherently van-like in nature. That sort of vehicle, at best, is an alternative for an Innova -Family, People Mover-Man, not me. And anyway I personally would not be comfortable paying 19 odd lacs for a Tata vehicle however refined it might be.

If Im buying a pre-owned, then the Hyundai Tucson is roomier than the Yeti as is the Nissan X Trail and both these are available at good-ish rates in the pre-owned marketplace. Those vehicles would suit my needs far better in terms of pure-play diesel power, refinement, 4x4, space + safety features.

I think I shall also need to await M&M's new W201 to see how that fares in terms of drive-ability, safety features, space and so on.

For me the YETI signifies the Siren call of the "other woman" factor:
While I am certainly attracted like the blazes to the Yeti, it will remain like "the other woman" to me.(No offence meant to anyone here) - "the other woman" being the quintessentially "desirable", "tempting" and "alluring" siren, but deep down in my heart I know that the Skoda Yeti, though it could be a passing fancy, is not really meant for me as a long term prospect, because I am conscious of and love the comfort, security and cocoon of peace provided by my own dear spouse!

In Short:
The Yeti is a lovely lovely car in many ways - just right for a style-conscious, well off, young urban yuppie / dink couple who have an active lifestyle and like a smart, sassy daily drive, which is capable all the same, of some adventures as well.

[quote=suhaas307;2146652]

I agree with you Shankar. At the end of the day, it's all about priorities. And even though not many customers go by priority, if you buy a vehicle that suits your priority and is priced rightly for you, you'd jump at the prospect!

[Sawyer]

I was interested in the Yeti till I saw the silly price. It pushes all the right buttons for me, my problem with the Fortuner is that the thing is so big that it is almost obscenely anti social to take it out on Indian city roads. As was the Pajero I sold a year ago for some of that as reason. The Yeti seemed perfect as a SUV that met all my needs till I saw the pricing. And to read about the stalling problem is also a downer. Why do company's get these basic things so wrong with all the huge testing that is supposedly done before finalizing these things??
Anyway, I cannot bring myself to pay, on road, anything more than Rs 12-13 lakhs for what is at the end of the day a pocket SUV. If Maruti would bring out a better appointed, rattle free SX4 in hatch form, throw in genuine 4x4 running gear ( not the all time 4wd nonsense ), give it a little more ground clearance than what the ZXI version has today, that would be the ideal car for me! Or something on those lines by someone else.....one day perhaps

[shankar.balan]

Agreed the Fortuner is big as is the Pajero. Yes taking it out on our roads can be a pain.

But these vehicles do have the space that some of us like and need.

The Yeti in comparison is an excellent compact SUV but the current price has gone to stratospherically high levels - yes it would have been tremendous value at 12-13 lacs despite there being bigger options at that price like the Scorpio and Safari - the quality and trim/equipment levels of the Skoda alone would have been the clincher apart from the Euro tag.

And lastly I agree that YES, if Fiat Sedici Hatch or Dacia Duster or Toyota Rush or the Toyota RAV4 or the Maruti SX4 in hatch form and 4WD would come here at a fair price, there would be a sweeping movement towards these largely on account of our preference for Diesel power, small SUV type things and the debris laden, potholed, broken roads and the need for a relatively higher ground clearance.

The Santa Fe also is priced idiotically - when will the koreans ever learn that their vehicles cannot stand for "luxury" - at best they are world class in terms of VFM when it comes to tech loaded at a budget price. Like the Tucson and Terracan before it, that Santa Fe will also find it hard going in this market at that pricing.

it is only in this country where a regular utitilty vehicle/ SUV ends up becoming a Luxury purchase - most places else in the world a utility vehicle signifies just that - utility and is bought and owned by the common man.

Originally Posted by Sawyer

I was interested in the Yeti till I saw the silly price. I cannot bring myself to pay, on road, anything more than Rs 12-13 lakhs for what is at the end of the day a pocket SUV. If Maruti would bring out a better appointed, rattle free SX4 in hatch form, throw in genuine 4x4 running gear ( not the all time 4wd nonsense ), give it a little more ground clearance than what the ZXI version has today, that would be the ideal car for me! Or something on those lines by someone else.....one day perhaps