Czech car-maker Skoda has made itself prominent in the Indian automotive circuit by catering to the masses with cars across hatchback, sedan and SUV segments. Skoda Yeti has been present in the Indian market for quite sometime. The compact SUV has been present in India with an option of front wheel drive and an all wheel drive. Launched sometime in the end of 2011, the car took a good initial start, but coming early in 2013, the car-maker had to take a backseat due to other international brands like Renault and Ford entering the market with Duster and Ecosport models.
Primarily the reason for loss in sales for Yeti was noted to be the price factor. The car is sold in India through the CBU route, which in layman terms state that, most of car's value is paid for levied taxes. In order to revive the car, Skoda has planned to launch a face-lifted version of Yeti. As per sources, the face-lift SUV shall remain more or less similar to the one that was showcased at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor show. Speculations are being made stating that the company might launch new Yeti SUV in domestic market by July this year.
Yeti, the compact SUV from Skoda is expected to be powered by 1.6 litre, 4-cylinder TDI engine, whereas the top line variant maybe powered by 2.0 litre TDI engine. Both the engines have been refined to deliver an impressive performance. The 1.6 litre has been tuned to churn out power output at 103 bhp, whereas the 2.0 generates about 168 bhp. The car maybe available in 4x2 version maybe mated with five speed gearbox, whereas the 4x4 version maybe mated to a six speed gearbox.
The new avatar of Yeti is likely to flaunt a comprehensive cosmetic make over, rendering it a completely different look as compared to the outgoing version. Changes have been made to the vehicle in tandem with Skoda’s new line-up. On the exterior front, additions have been made to the front and rear. The front fascia gets a new grille; rectangular shaped head lamps with optional bi-xenons and LED daytime running lights. Rear side of the vehicle sports a new C-shaped tail lights with optional LEDs and a reworked tailgate. To further enhance the overall appearance of the vehicle, Skoda has also affixed a set of new alloy wheels. The company may probably offer the tweaked Yeti in new colour options.
