Watch out, Yeti about!

THERE was much talk of sightings of the Abominable Snowman when Skoda launched their Yeti in 2010. This unusual looking crossover, the first from Skoda, has done well for the Czech manufacturer. Two years ago Skoda staff said they were hoping that the car would also help them attract more female owners.

Back then ownership of Skodas broke down as 70 per cent male and 30 per cent female. I’m not sure what the gender breakdown is now, but the Yeti has been a steady seller with around 500 units sold each year, which is not bad considering the state of the Irish new car market right now.

The Yeti is well able to tackle rugged terrain. I remember watching BBC’s Top Gear programme last year where Jeremy Clarkson drove the Yeti across an undulating field with a tattoo artist working on the arm of a client in the back seat and not a drop of blood in sight. I wouldn’t recommend tattoos to anybody unless they are very discreet, but if you really want a tattoo, you can get it done safely in the back seat of a Yeti.

Skoda has made a few discreet changes to the Urban version of the Yeti, which I drove last week. This car is not a whole lot different than the original version, but it now has a few extras like 17-inch alloys, tinted glass, panoramic sunroof and a touch screen sound system. Every new car I test lately seems to have distinctive alloys. Alloys do add a touch of class to the external look of a car and in this case they are called Annapurna, which is very appropriate for the Yeti as Annapurna is a section of the Himalayas in north-central Nepal.

Externally the car has a boxy look, but you get plenty of ground clearance and two silver roof rails gives the car that rugged, go-anywhere look. Inside it’s predominantly black but the full length sun roof really brightens up the interior. Skoda is now owned by VW and the controls on the dash are typical VW, well laid out and easy to use.

There is plenty of room for five adults and all passengers get a good view of the scenery thanks to the high driving position. And if you don’t have back seat passengers and need to transport a bulky item, the back row can be folded down or configured to carry almost anything you need, except maybe for a pole vault.

Only available in 2.0 litre diesel which gives you 110 brake horse power, prices start at

?¬25,495. C02 emissions are 140, which equates to road tax of only

?¬225 and the maximum speed is 177 kmh. I was very happy with the frugal VW Tiguan last week and the Yeti is definitely in the same category fuel wise. It’s a really lively motor and looks well in a rural or urban setting.

Skoda has just launched its

‘My Skoda Loyalty Programme’ which is available to new and existing Skoda owners. You can get details by logging on to www.skoda.ie or visit any Skoda dealer.