WITH worldwide sales up 12.8 per cent at 568,990 units for the year to date Skoda continues to go from strength.
Currently basking in the glory of an all time global record September sales figure of 75,790 vehicles the Czech car maker looks well set to sell significantly more vehicles this year than in 2009.
UK registrations are up by some 28 per cent at more than 32,500 for 2010 so far resulting in a market share of two per cent.
And while the Octavia and Fabia led the way with 31,546 and 23,434 registrations respectively, the Skoda Yeti proved a surprise performer with 5,389 new models selling in the UK so far this year.
A compact crossover vehicle, the Yeti lifted the Top Gear Best Family Car award in 2009 and is now Auto Express magazine’s Car of the Year 2010.
Designed very much to operate in the family style, the Yeti offers petrol or diesel power with five engines from which to choose and two or four-wheel-drive models.
In the frame here is the Skoda Yeti 2.0-litre TDI Elegance model which sidesteps the Haldex four wheel drive system for standard front wheel drive and, as a consequence, the car came with a five-speed manual gear change.
Generously proportioned inside, the Yeti adopts a high stance and, from a decidedly upright seating position all round vision is very good.
Standard kit on the Elegance model includes air con, sound system, full leather upholstery, heated front seats, bi-xenon headlights with cornering function, integrated headlamp washers and electronic stability controls.
Options included a sliding panoramic sunroof at £870 which not only introduced open air motoring to the cabin but also added a little brightness to the inside story.
While there is much plastic moulding on board it's designed to be durable and practicality has not been ignored, particularly in the rear with seats which move fore and aft and backs which fold flat.
The bootr is pretty accommodating providing 416 litres for your luggage and with rear seats folded this extends to a quite huge 1,760 litres.
Although the 2.0-litre diesel was quite boomy inside, this 109bhp engine certainly did its pulling job well, with 0-62mph coming in a pretty acceptable 11.6 seconds.
The Yeti can also average around 50 to the gallon without much difficulty
With its high rise appearance and squared off overall look theYeti holds the line neatly with very little body roll in evidence.
Responding well to the nicely weighted power steering it provides a stable performance overall and while the Yeti attracted some admiring looks from bystanders it also proved an extremely practical piece of kit..
FAST FACTS
Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI 110bhp Elegance 2WD
Price: £19,305
Mechanical: 109bhp, 1,998cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 5-speed manual gearbox
Max speed: 110mph
0-62mph: 11.6 seconds
Combined mpg: 52.3
Insurance group: 13
CO2 emissions: 140g/km
BiK rating: 20%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles
Words: Malcolm Robertshaw