Recently, in the entirely different mild conditions we've had as this year's late winter, I had the opportunity to revisit the Yeti AWD. And found it engagingly practical in the normal bustle of family motoring.
In essential shape it's a box. But the detail design tweaks such as the strong front end, rear pillars treatment, smart roof rails, and the neat wraparound rear lights clusters all mesh well to provide an attractive overall style. It actually looks sharp whether you have it parked at the edge of your local woods or in a suburban driveway.
Getting in is a joy for somebody tall like me, who more often than not has to duck or even squash to get into too many cars that are designed for family use. Sometimes it seems we have sacrificed access comfort for svelte styling. If I was a conspiracy theorist I might suspect a chiropractors' lobby is sometimes involved in car design?
The interior itself is of the very high quality and style we have come to expect from this Czech unit of the Volkswagen Group. Clean design, practical positioning of almost everything (I'd like to see the instrument dials angled slightly to the centre, but that's as much as I can complain about), and a level of fit and finish which once was the preserve of prestige cars alone.
It's a roomy car despite a relatively compact footprint, largely because it's a sit up high and straight accommodation. There's absolutely no claustrophobia element in being in the back seat, either, with wide glassy views all around.
There's a good boot area and volume, with no cill to overcome when loading in heavy stuff. Flipping the seats gives a small warehouse of space potential for those occasions that a new fridge or large TV needs transporting. Under the boot is a full spare, as there should be for a vehicle that you might be inclined to take to rougher terrain than your standard saloon.
Let me deal with the technical side of the review car. It was powered by the 170hp version of the 2.0 diesel that underpins all 4x4 Yetis. The AWD part of the powertrain is provided by the highly respected Haldex company and in normal motoring most of the drive is through the front wheels. The rear axle is brought into play to varying degrees depending on the level of traction or drift difficulties. It's all quite seamless, and doesn't require any special input from the operator.
My driving experience with the car varied from solo use to transporting friends to the airport with the luggage needed for a long-term long haul holiday. With that 170hp on tap, it made absolutely no difference to the performance of the car when fully loaded.
As for handling, the square build and wheels-at-corners design of the Yeti keep it planted solidly on the road in any situation I pushed it to. The engine itself is a very refined unit, lacking any element of gruffness that might sometimes be found in the more powerful diesels.
There are some prices to pay for the extra power. The Yeti 4x4 with manual 6-speed is a C Band car for road tax purposes, but I wouldn't consider that problematical for the level of comfort and ability of what would be a very useful family car.
Also, while you can get into a Yeti for as little as €22,705, the review car at Ambition grade rolls from the showroom at €30,045 plus dealer charges. Again, you're getting a car that will hold its value well, and certainly will be a a safe, reliable and very comfortable place to keep a family on the move over three to five years.
My bottom line, you don't need snow for a Yeti to be appropriate.
