Snow bother

Richard M. Hammond tests the Skoda Yeti and makes light work of wintry Alpine conditions

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WITH hindsight, a trip to the Alps as a test for the Skoda Yeti wasn’t strictly necessary. But then hindsight is a wonderful thing, and who could have predicted that the UK would bring in 2010 with some of the coldest temperatures on record – apart from the Met Office, of course.

The conditions faced by thousands of drivers in Britain as the record-breaking cold spell hit home were not dissimilar to the conditions faced by many European drivers on a regular basis. The only difference, as we’re sick of being told, is that many of our European counterparts are better prepared.

Naturally, if you live at altitude in the Alps, a little snow is predictable. The snow ploughs do not come out once a year amid calls for the heads of local council chiefs; they are required on a weekly, even daily, basis. It helps drivers that the roads are largely kept clear – but, even then, the locals like to be prepared.

Proper winter tyres make two-wheel-drive motoring possible in slippery conditions, but there’s a good reason why our Euro-cousins can be seen zipping around mountainous hairpins in four-wheel-drive variants of common models we never see in the UK.

It’s not until the going gets really tough that the advantage of a four-wheel-drive system like the one available on the Skoda Yeti range becomes apparent. Where there’s no grip, there’s no grip, but with four wheels aiding propulsion, where there is grip, you are twice as likely to find it.

The Yeti uses the latest fourth-generation Haldex clutch to divert torque to the rear wheels should the front wheels start to slip. Once the front wheels retain their grasp on the surface, the system disengages, diverting power back to the front wheels to maximise fuel economy.

As evident in the UK during the exceptional Arctic blast, consistent sub-zero temperatures mean snow and black ice become ever-present threats on the roads, sometimes remaining hard to spot until on top of them.

Even at 1,800m (5,900ft) above sea level, the Alpine temperatures were balmy compared with the recent UK lows, but well established snow and ice layered the roadside, car parks and smaller routes.

With its four-wheel-drive system working silently beneath the floor, the Yeti makes light work of treacherous conditions. Smaller patches of low grip are simply passed over largely unnoticed. Where thick snow lines the smaller routes or off-road areas, the chassis enables the five-seat family car to stride confidently through where a two-wheel-drive model would falter.

Four-by-fours come in for a bad press much of the time, but they prove their worth when the nation feels the strain of adverse conditions. With the right stuff when it counts and the technology to keep fuel consumption and emissions low, it’s not hard to see the appeal of versatile vehicles such as the Yeti.

This Skoda is a vehicle that will see owners through the rough winter. With a name like Yeti, you wouldn’t expect anything less.