[Behemoth]

Hi Everyone,
I begin this story to those times of yore (mid 2009!) when the future was gloomy and the dark of the recession loomed over the futures of all rich and mighty.
In those dark ages, we decided to acquire a steed to help us run wild and fast among the wild yonder. This steed was to be our Carbon bronze Honda Civic 1.8 V AT.

The story of our acquisition of this horse is quite an old one, so let me not get deep into the past and take you more into the present!
Fast forward to the future... Dec 2010. The need arises for us to replace our tried and tested workhorse - the Ford Fiesta 1.4 ZXI (our daily ride for 5 years) with a new and mighty beast (or maybe not so mighty!).
The contenders for the spot were, in this sequence:
1) Ford Endeavour 3.0 4x4 AT - we drove this monster around for quite some time and eventually found the size overbearing and monstrous for the minions of Gurgaon. The size and presence were commanding, but carrying around so much air for only 2 people + 1 kid, was just asking for too much. Coupled with the table tennis table sized bonnet and the hard ride quality, we felt that this was just not up our alley!
2) Skoda Yeti : The newest entrant on the block, and a very diminutive size, and very quirky styling. Somehow when we drove this beast, we felt that the size is very small and may not fit our needs. However, after due deliberations and considerations, we were ready to consider it openly. The engine is a marvel and the combination of power and frugality which it offers is unmatched. The ride though was a bit on the hard side, but it offers better handling abilities at high speed.
3) Toyota Fortuner: We were always at awe whenever we saw this beast in front of our eyes, especially in the silver colour. The sheer size, power and might of the beast are enough to scare away all the gnomes and gnats of the hitherworld. We went to the dealership with very high hopes and even chequebook in hand to book the mighty vehicle, but asked the dealership for a test-drive (which we had not done till then!). On taking the beast for a test drive, realization dawned upon us : This was a vehicle designed for much more offroad use than onroad use! The vibrations in the gearshift and the steering were a little too much for us and the beast was also much slower than what we had imagined in our dreams (we like fast cars!) The mighty beast is so large that to even think about having to turn it in the toy parkings in the Gurgaon Malls appeared to be an unthinkable challenge.

So, after a lot of deliberations (and the thought of saving 5 Lacs!) we chose our trusted monster, the Skoda Yeti. It is neither a huge SUV, nor a very fast car, but it managed very well at both, and enough for us!
The snow monster (hence my name Behemoth!) is a sign of huge power tamed by us humans in the modern era.
I will not delve too deep into the details of the monster, as it has been done very well in the past by previous Knights - GTO, Sushil, Pramods and many others.

The Duel that I wish to present to you is that between our Grey Steed (Honda Civic 1.8 V AT)

and the Behemoth (Skoda Yeti 4x4 Ambiente).


The Honda Civic which we own was bought in May 2009, and has so far done around 16,000 kms, out of which I would have driven around 10,000, and balance by my wife (this is her main ride these days).
The Skoda Yeti that we acquired in Dec 2010, is my main ride and I have driven it around 10,000 kms so far (9899 to be exact!)
Based on the ownership and driving experiences I am sharing my thoughts and feelings over these times.
Even though these two cars have completely different character and usage, I feel that this comparison is one which many of us would have done, due to almost similar price levels between the two.

1) Interior space and Interior finish: Both these cars are extremely well engineered cars and the fit and finish is top notch. They both have leather seats and good amount of space inside. The colour schemes are also identical (Black, beige and silver) and interior trim and fit levels are good. The seats of the Yeti are places high and the sitting position is high up , with clear visibility of the bonnet. In the Civic, the sitting position is very low and comfortable, but the bonnet is completely invisible and one has to use a lot of guesswork in traffic. The headroom in the Civic is quite less (being a low slung sedan, with a sporty profile) with around 4 Inches of space above my head (I am only 5'8"). Comparatively, in the Yeti, even after putting the seat in the highest position (driver and front passenger seats have manual height adjustment) I have around 10 inches of space over my head and this gives a nice airy feel. Legroom is good in both the cars and seating positions are equally comfortable. However personally I prefer the Hard leather seats of the Civic more, as the back support is good. In the Yeti, inspite of adjustable lumbar support, I am unable to find a comfortable seating position due to the multitude of seat adjustments possible. (further exacerbated by the fact that my wife spoils my settings whenever she drives the Yeti... I wish that the Yeti also had the memory seats (linked to keys) that the L&K Laura has.
Coming to the rear seats, at first glance when you see the Yeti, it feels as if it is designed only for two passengers in the rear! There is a huge hump for the transmission tunnel (this is a 4x4) and this, along with the rear AC vents protrudes heavily into the legroom for the middle passenger! The seats are also contoured for 2 passengers in the back with good side support. Incidentally,it is also possible to altogether remove the middle seat and convert the Yeti rear seats into captain seats.
Coming to the Civic, it has an amazing rear bench, both in terms of comfort, leg room and backrest angle. And amazingly, there is NO hump in the middle, so it is excellent as a 5 seater (other practical issue of Ground clearance yet to be addressed!)
In the Yeti, I had initially faced some creaking sounds from the doors rubber seals - this was cured with the application of 3M window channel treatment spray and it has resolved the problem completely. In the Civic, only a few squeaks and rattles are heard, which are from stuff kept in the cabin. The Civic is a much quieter car overall due to its lower aerodynamic profile and make less noise at high speeds.





2) Engine, power and driving thrill: The Civic comes with a 1.8 L mated to an automatic transmission, and is supposed to have a nice powerful engine, with seamless power delivery through the auto box. But that is where the dream ends and the reality begins! The Civic engine is no doubt very smooth and powerful, but the antique auto box used in the Civic (torque converter type) makes a sheer mockery of the engine's power and just is not capable of delivering an exciting performance. The only relief is that in city traffic you don't need to use a clutch and the left leg gets a lot of rest.
Comparatively, in the Yeti, the engine is very powerful (140 bhp) and the rush of torque (320Nm at 1750-2750) is amazing. The torque comes in with minimal turbo lag and the engine and drivetrain responds with urgency to even the slightest input to the accelerator. The company claims a 0-100 time of 9.9 secs, but in Indian real conditions, it comes in the range of 10.4 secs, which is also quite good for a huge anti-aerodynamic profile.
In real world drag racing between me (Yeti) and my wife (Civic), the Yeti is the clear leader at least till 140, after which the Civic starts to catch up as it has a higher power in the higher revs (5000 +).

3) Ride quality and suspension: The suspension of the Yeti is on the harder side, but gives very good high speed handling and very little body roll, inspite of a higher Centre of Gravity. Even on broken roads, one is able to maintain a good momentum. The limiting factor however of the Yeti's ride seem to be the tyres. Inspite of the Yeti being a soft-roader (with some off-road capability) the Yeti has been endowed with road biased tyres, which unfortunately even in typical Gurgaon road conditions, tend to easily get damaged in the potholes. I would have desired for much more rugged tyres for the Yeti and on the top of my wishlist to to get proper boots for my monster to take it to the highlands of Leh.. that is another story altogether !
Coming to the Civic, the suspension is designed in typical race car style and has very low travel. It is extremely stable on good roads and at high speed. BUT the moment you come to bad roads, it is in trouble. The limited travel of the suspension means that the smallest potholes cause the suspension arms / shockers to hit the rubber stoppers and you know that the car is being subjected to extreme torture.
The ground clearance on the Yeti is 180 mm and the Ground clearance on the Civic is 160mm. So there does not seem to much difference..? The reality is that the Civic wheelbase is much longer and the shockers are soft. As a result, in real conditions, if you have 4-5 people in the car, it will scrape every single speedbreaker in Gurgaon..(at least the ones near our house). Comparatively in the Yeti, the shockers are quite hard and do not get depressed too much inspite of a full load (5 people + 100 Kg stuff in boot) and one can jump merrily over the bumps (if the occupants don't object!). We are also planning on taking the Yeti to Leh and taking it for some offroading. I have taken it on long drives and over bad terrain and the 4x4 system has managed well in mud and sand. Have not yet tried it in snow - probably will need the AT tyres before I try it on snow.
Steering and Handling: The Civic steering is well weighted and feels good at even high speeds. At low speeds, it feels a little tight due to the steering wheel being small and sporty. Maneuvering in tight spaces / making small U-turns is a problem area as the turning radius is not too small and as the front is not visible, it is very difficult to judge exactly.
In the Yeti, the steering feels light at slow speeds and the turning radius is small. As the visibility of the bonnet is good, it is extremely easy to maneuver in traffic and take tight U-turns.

3) Boot space and versatility: The Civic is a typical sedan and has average boot space (420 L if I remember correctly). The boot hinges also intrude into the space and limit the usable space. The rear seats also do not recline forward, so you have no way of increasing the boot space at all! So if you go to the airport to pick up some relatives and realize that the luggage will not fit, better hire a tax instead.
The Yeti is what wins it clearly here. Inspite of the boot actually looking very small it is versatile and can take up quite of stuff. One of the key requirements for me was that it should be able to accommodate my large Labrador for trips to the vet and nearby. The Yeti is able to manage this well and my pooch enjoys riding in the Yeti, but he desperately wants to put his face out the window and wants to come on the rear seats! For the luggage space, I did some quick measurements on the space availability and below are my results:
a) rear seats fully reclined and pushed backwards, and parcel shelf in place: 320 L
b) Rear seats partially reclined and pushed forward, with parcel shelf: 410 L
c) Rear seats partially reclined and pushed forward, without parcel shelf: 690 L (rear view is blocked, but rear parking sensors will serve their purpose).
d) Rear seats folded down (all) : 1200 L +
e) Rear seats removed:1600 L+
As long as you are family of four, you will find the space sufficient.
Over an above this, as the Yeti comes with Roof rails, I have purchased a Roof rack (fortuner style) and keep all my luggage on the rack when going for outstation trips - It serves its purpose well. I secure the bags tightly with a few bungee cords and also a waterproof tarpaulin to protect it from dust and rain.



4) Airconditioning and heating: The Civic beats the Yeti in this area hands down. The Civic AC is an absolute chiller and can chill the cabin in no time. The Yeti on the other hand, inspite of rear air conditioning vents, takes much longer to cool the cabin (also partially maybe due to the larger glass area). I have also noticed that the AC compressor also has a funny habit of tripping in 2nd gear at slow speed, so I can't take the speed breakers at a speed of 10kmph as the engine rpm goes below 800 rpm and the AC compressor will trip to reduce engine load and will restart only after 30 sec. As a result, I have tried to change my driving style a bit and now change to first gear on every speedbreaker. I have suggested a solution to Skoda India to increase the Idle RPM of the engine to resolve this issue, but it has not yet been implemented.
Heating is quick in the Civic (as a petrol engine heats faster) , whereas in the Yeti it takes 7-8 mins for the engine to heat up (in winter) and hence the cabin also takes time to heat up.


5) Lighting (exterior and interior): The headlights for neither of these cars is exciting and leaves a lot to be desired! The low beam on the Civic is very bad, but high beam is decent (as both lamps are lit). Range is limited and has a reflection of the filament of the lamps. Fog lamps are ok, but mounted very low and have limited reach. In the Yeti, low beam is good , but high beam is bad (only high beam lamp is lit - H4 bulbs); Fog lamps are powerful and useful. It would have been better if the Yeti also had twin optic reflectors for the headlamps so both low and high beams could be on simultaneously.
The interior light on the Civic is standard and quite a few lamps are available to light up the space. The dashboard illumination in Blue colour also stands out and is futuristic.
The Yeti interior lighting is also useful and as many lamps are available to light up every space. Dash illumination is in white colour and looks neat and clean.


6) ICE: Here the Yeti is the clear winner. In terms of sound clarity and punch, the basic Swing Audio system in my Yeti Ambiente beats the Civic stock system anytime. The stock ICE of the Yeti also doubles up as a rear parking sensor display and Multi-information display and is integrated with the CAN-bus (communication system of the car) , making it impossible to change. The speakers in the Yeti (8#) are also well integrated in the doors and generate clean tight bass and treble and the door are damped adequately to minimize vibrations. The surround effect is also good and sound appears to come from all sides.
In the Civic, the HU is cheap and the speakers are also of a similar quality. The sound is extremely tinny and bass is cut off at 50Hz and generates a boomy bass without any punch. It is good only for listening to Jazz/ soul.
The Yeti's music system is leagues ahead of the Civic's. This is in the Swing system in my Ambiente (lower version). The Elegance trim of the Yeti has an even better Columbus system.

7) Cost of maintenance and service: The Civic has a maintenance schedule of 10,000 kms or 6 months whichever is earlier and the average cost of service that we incur is in the range of 4000-4500 per service. The only problems that we have faced with the Civic so far have been a) failure of central locking system - car would not lock at all even with the key / remote - this was resolved in 4 days by Honda service here and cost around Rs 800 b) damaged ORVM - this was damaged by a bus when my wife was driving, and cost us 8500 to replace. Honda service took 2 days to make this replacement, duly painted in body colour.
In the Yeti, the service interval is 15,000 km / 1 year, whichever is earlier and as we haven't crossed these hurdles yet, we haven't gotten the service done. I have also taken the Skoda shield warranty which gives me 2+2 years of warranty. I hope that this will protect me partially from the Skoda woes that many other users have faced. I also drive my cars carefully and being a mechanical engineer by education, take good care of them and at the slightest hint of trouble, take them for due examination.

8) Cost of running!! : This is the ultimate showdown between the steed and the monster. The grey steed is able to return only 8.5 Kmpl on Petrol (costing Rs 64/ Litre) while the monster returns an average of 14.5-15 Kmpl on Diesel (costing RS 37 per Litre).. I know that there has been a perpetual debate between Petrol patronizers and Diesel patronizers, even on this forum, but the reality for us is that for the same driving distance (1200 km per month), the Yeti costs us only Rs 3000 per month to fuel, while the Civic costs us Rs 9600 per month to fuel.
The diesel engine of the Yeti is also very responsive and more fun to drive than the Civic , which is badly let down by the Auto transmission.

9) Others: The ORVMs of the Yeti are BAD. It is very difficult to see the traffic in adjacent lanes on the highways. I have partially circumvented this problem by getting a larger clip on rear view mirror to help me see out the rear window glass. These mirrors also do not fold electrically. In the Civic, the ORVMs are very good and also fold electrically.
Rear view while reversing: The Yeti offers a decent view out the rear windshield and the sensors do a good job and parking is easy.
In Civic, reversing is very difficult as the view is very small (and our car also does not have parking sensors..)

Overall: I would rate the Yeti an 8/10 and the Civic a 6/10. In the imaginary world, I wish that I had a car with the suspension and engine, ICE and space of the Yeti, and the AC, handling of the Civic in a 4x4 form so that I could take it anywhere - that would be my perfect 10/10!

"If dreams were horses, then horses could fly!"
Hope you enjoyed my story!

[.anshuman]

Note from Support: Thread moved here from Assembly line. Thanks for sharing the review

[anup7649]

Wonderful story of the battle between the 2 rides. Happy motoring.

Cheers,
Anup

[Guderian]

Hi Behemoth,
A nice shootout...sorry...joust between the Civic and Yeti. Well done.

So I guess you would be pretty occupied with the Yeti for the next few months 'coz I've been told that it takes you quite a while to get a hang of all the bells and whistles of the Yeti and a lots of little delightful discoveries every day for quite some time.
Have fun.
In one of the snaps (I think of the Yeti) noticed the gonads freezer ! The 2nd row AC vent placed between the feet. Have I correctly spotted it ?
That so reminds of the Scorpio - and it was a major grouse with me...no...not me but with the 2nd row passengers especially my son and nieces who perpetually complained about it. Either frozen unspeakables - complain - shut rear AC vent/AC off and then roasted body. Alternating on and off. During summers.
Is it the same in the Yeti ?

[Swanand Inamdar]

Wow, what a lovely story. Completely heart felt and not biased at all. The camparo was done in a lovely manner, specially with things that matter the most.
Rs 3000/month for diesel and Rs 9600/month for petrol ? Wow, thats one major aspect most of us fail to understand, i suppose.

Well, what to say? Enjoy the beasts! Good luck, and congratulations on the purchases.
How about a pic with both the rides next to each other?

EDIT: @Guderian: Gonads freezer. Very nicely put. The rear vents actually affect you in the exact areas where you wouldnt want them to affect!

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by Guderian

Hi Behemoth,
A nice shootout...sorry...joust between the Civic and Yeti. Well done.

So I guess you would be pretty occupied with the Yeti for the next few months 'coz I've been told that it takes you quite a while to get a hang of all the bells and whistles of the Yeti and a lots of little delightful discoveries every day for quite some time.
Have fun.
In one of the snaps (I think of the Yeti) noticed the gonads freezer ! The 2nd row AC vent placed between the feet. Have I correctly spotted it ?
That so reminds of the Scorpio - and it was a major grouse with me...no...not me but with the 2nd row passengers especially my son and nieces who perpetually complained about it. Either frozen unspeakables - complain - shut rear AC vent/AC off and then roasted body. Alternating on and off. During summers.
Is it the same in the Yeti ?

Thanks Guderian!
Your words mean a lot to me, as I consider you my literary inspiration!
I have gotten quite used to the Yeti (7 months now!) and don't pay too much attention to the bells and whistles ( I enjoy the driving experience more and some nice music playing (pref. Soft rock!))

Yes, you have identified the freezer correctly.. lucky for us that the rear middle seat is never occupied! It has the same effect that you have described and can become quite uncomfortable. There is a flow regulator in the vent, so most of the time it is kept to low flow. Anyway, I don't find it too effective (as it is just an air vent, not a separate blower+evaporator - like the Innova , Fortuner have), which is much more effective.

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

Wow, what a lovely story. Completely heart felt and not biased at all. The camparo was done in a lovely manner, specially with things that matter the most.
Rs 3000/month for diesel and Rs 9600/month for petrol ? Wow, thats one major aspect most of us fail to understand, i suppose.

Well, what to say? Enjoy the beasts! Good luck, and congratulations on the purchases.
How about a pic with both the rides next to each other?

Thanks Swanand!
I tried my best to share my heartfelt experiences (driving both these cars parallelly over a period of time). Normally when one buys a new car, one gets infatuated by the new one, but in my case there was already a high benchmark (Civic) against which the new one was pitted!

Drive safe and Cheers!
Behemoth

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Please use the "edit" button if posting within 30 minutes of the first post, instead of creating another back-to-back post.

Also use "Multi Quote" option for quoting Multiple posts.

[vb-saan]

Thanks Behemoth for the lovely review!

The black Yeti looks awesome. So is the grey Civic. But as far as pictures are concerned, the Civic had to play the 2nd lead – not fair

The Yeti has a 3-point seatbelt for the rear-middle passenger as well?

[.anshuman]

Looks like the middle seat can be folded and used as armrest, considering the cupholders and the leather cover.

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

EDIT: @Guderian: Gonads freezer. Very nicely put. The rear vents actually affect you in the exact areas where you wouldnt want them to affect!

Hi Swanand,
Thanks.
You bet. Coming to think of it I had never noticed the same during my demo drives on the Yeti at all, coz the LoH sat at the rear with the test vehicle driver in the front passenger seat.
And thanks to Behemoth comes a realisation, though late, that this could have been another reason to have rejected the Yeti from my perspective after having suffered indirectly the joys and sorrows of the floor AC vents for 5 years on the Scorp.

Originally Posted by Behemoth

1. Your words mean a lot to me, as I consider you my literary inspiration!

2. I have gotten quite used to the Yeti (7 months now!) and don't pay too much attention to the bells and whistles ( I enjoy the driving experience more and some nice music playing (pref. Soft rock!))

Yes, you have identified the freezer correctly.. lucky for us that the rear middle seat is never occupied! It has the same effect that you have described and can become quite uncomfortable. There is a flow regulator in the vent, so most of the time it is kept to low flow. Anyway, I don't find it too effective (as it is just an air vent, not a separate blower+evaporator - like the Innova , Fortuner have), which is much more effective.

Hi Behemoth,

1. Well, well...you truly make me blush. And yes - the old legs can't stand any more pullin' !

2. Does the Ambient have the ESP/Hill descent/Off road help/park assist etc features ? I am not sure - the Skoda chaps mentioned some stuff which wasn't there compared to the Elegance - when I was trying to make up my mind between Amb and Ele.

You have a great compact SUV...have fun !
Will be keenly reading your thread for regular updates.

[noopster]

Wonderful, wonderful thread! I have a Vento AT and often fantasize of rouding up the garage with a nice urban softroader like the Yeti. I love the interiors and the engine (140 BHP/320 Nm torque is mouth watering!). Apparently there's going to be a 4X2 version launched soon and am keeping an eye out for that.

Civic is a great car and you've pointed out all the rights grousepoints. Probably you're influenced a little by the fact that you have the Yeti as well in your garage! But nevertheless it's an honest review- much appreciated!

Edit: Reg the ummm...freezer, doesn't the vent move up and down like it does in other cars? So that you can aim it at the face rather than more sensistive areas?

[Swanand Inamdar]

@Anshuman: Yes, the middle seat can be folded to use as an armrest. It can be removed completely as well. I may be wrong in that assumption though.

@Guderian: Touche! The placement of those vents are abnoxious to say the least. Especially for the 5th passenger.
And yes, IIRC the Ambiente does not have Hill assist. Not too sure about the other features.

@Behemoth: I always thought that the Ambiente had fabric upholstery as copmpared to leather in the Elegence, a la Laura.

[creative420]

Oh I'm turning all green Behemoth. You have 2 of my most favourtie cars in your stable (Yeti gets half a heart more from my side too). I don't own either of these (Will have to wait for year 2015 for that), but have travelled a lot in both of these, mostly in rear seats during our office meetings. I'm give this a 5 star just because you've mentioned both monsters in same thread. Please keep updating the thread and I guess you'll delight us all, hopefully sometime soon, with a Yeti's Expedition to Ladhak!

[Behemoth]

Thanks VB-San, Noopster, Anshuman, Guderian , Swanand, Creative420 and others for your appreciation..!
(I am yet to figure out the multi quote functionality, so will try to answer your queries one by one!).

@VB-San: Yes, I agree that the pics of the Civic don't do justice..! I had taken them quite late in the evening (my wife comes back late..!)) Will try to take some nice pics over the weekend, and also with both rides together!
Yes, the Yeti has a three point seat belt also for the rear middle passenger, which drops down from the roof.

@Anshuman : Yes, the middle rear seat can be dropped down and used as an armrest. It is also removable and can be taken out. In fact any of the three seats can be folded, removed and taken out independently of the others, which gives good flexibility in space management. The boot, which actually is much smaller than the Laura is manageable as it has more height - which is good as I have a dog. We were considering the Laura also when we bought the Yeti, but the fact that our pooch may not like the Laura's boot and the fact that the Yeti offered a little offroad capability, swung it in favour of the Yeti, otherwise we were almost on the verge of getting exactly the same Laura as you, and in white but ultimately ended up buying a Yeti in Black!

@Guderian, @Swanand: In the Ambiente and elegance, the difference in offroad capability is manifested only in the form of an "off Road" button, which tweaks - through the software, the response of the ABS, ESP, ASR, TCS and what not systems..! Essentially all the same systems are also present on the Ambiente version. Only the Hill Descent control is absent. The Ambiente does have the HHC (Uphill Hill Hold control) which is very useful in that it prevents the car from rolling back when you are on a uphill and then have to a stop. How it acts is that it automatically holds the brakes for 3 secs after you release them, when the car is on a gradient of more than 10 Degrees. In these three seconds, you have plenty of time to engage the clutch and press the accelerator and the car does not roll back. Some key differences between the Elegance and Ambiente are: 6 airbags vs 2 airbags and the touchscreen Coloured 6 CD changer vs the Monochrome single CD player. Both variants have leather seats.
It is expected that 2 (maybe 3) more variants will be added in future to the Yeti range : 1.8 TSI Petrol 4x2 , 1.6 L Diesel 4x2 and also an L&K 170 PS , maybe with DSG.

@Creative420 : You wish is my command and I will take some good pics of the two beasts together over the weekend!

I am eager to take my Yeti to Leh (was planning this year), but proper AT tyres are a necessity and I still haven't found a solution. Ultimately we may fly down to Leh or other option is to go Leh next year, with proper boots on my Yeti!

Cheers!

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

@Guderian, @Swanand:

Hi Behemoth,
Very well explained !
Was always curious about that and also the Q as to why such an important function like hill descent control or the lack of it should be the differing feature between variants of an SUV/soft roader is concerned. Whereas, as per me, this critical function should have been common and the difference could have been in terms of leather/plastic and other cosmetic stuff...

Comments ?

Does the Amb also have the front sensors and adaptive headlamps etc found on Ele ?

[Swanand Inamdar]

Very well said HG.
What a valid point! Difference in variants could have been made by factors not really affecting the performance of the car. Eg: Fabric upholstery as compared to leather, ICE etc.
For an SUV/softroader, features like the hill descent control should have been a necessity. The gurus of offroading could probably be in a better position to throw some light on this.

@Behemoth: Thanks for the lovely explantion.