Fiat Panda versus Skoda Yeti: on- and off-road tests

ONCE the butt of all jokes, it seems Skoda is now having the last laugh with its Yeti. Despite the silly name, it is not such a silly 4x4.

Beneath the white fur and sharp teeth, this is unmistakably part of the VAG empire, where shared technology and build quality among VW, Audi and Seat siblings filters right through the Yeti’s veins.

There is a choice of petrol and diesel engines, with oil burners extending through 110hp, 140hp and 170hp Tdi engines and a range of specifications including E, S, SE and Elegance. Not all are four-wheel drive though – most Yetis are front-wheel drive, with the 4x4 versions getting a fourth-generation Haldex clutch to push power to all four corners.

And it is only the Elegance model which gets the added functionality of Skoda’s 4x4 button as standard.

Forget low range – the 4x4 button packs intelligent off-road features including hill descent, hill start, electronic differential lock plus revised traction and ABS control which could flatter your granny into becoming an off-road driving legend.

And a push of this button makes sure the Yeti gets its claws into any surface. It is optional on S and SE 4x4 versions at a cost of just £85, but well worth the money.

Ground clearance is 180mm, while a 19-degree approach angle and a 26-degree departure angle give it a head start when you reach anything which resembles the Himalayas.

With 16 models in the line up, the Yeti is not going to be quite the rare beast it once was, but getting into the 2-litre, 140Tdi 4x4 which Farmers Guardian tested will set you back £19,825 before you tick a few key options – and the 4x4 button is a must-have if you plan to take the Yeti away from the UK’s pot-hole infested road network.

A six-speed manual box, dual-zone air-con, cruise control, privacy glass and clever Vario-Flex seating are included as part of the standard specification. Sat-nav (£1,435), floor mats (£45) and a panoramic glass sunroof (£870) were the only options fitted to our test version.

In contrast, the plucky little Panda Cross comes with a permanent four-wheel drive system which includes a viscous coupling and an electronic differential lock, activated by button on the dash.

There is only one model, only one engine and one transmission. A 70hp 1.3-litre Multijet turbo diesel does its best to haul to beast to 62mph in 18 seconds as long as you stir the cable-change gear lever through all five speeds with a degree of enthusiasm. With twice as much power, the Yeti can just about halve that, but it is also the thirstiest of the two – 46.3mpg plays the Panda’s 54.3mpg on the combined cycle.

Shod on 15in mud and snow tyres, there is plenty of chunky tread to help the Panda claw its way through the soft stuff. It has good ground clearance too. It exudes simplicity, and appears a straightforward and surefooted little beast, and at £13,200, it will not break the bank.

However, we cannot quite understand the rather steep £715 charge for the Cumbia Beige pearlescent paint – with so many chunky moulded body panels to give the Panda Cross a more muscular presence, surely a couple of spray cans from Halfords would be enough to cover the 4x4 Panda in a colour of your choice?

The fancy paint, electric sunroof (£510), Bluetooth phone kit (£260), side airbags (£210), window airbags (£260), climate control upgrade over the standard air-con (£260) and split folding and sliding rear seats (£210) were all extras on our test Panda Cross.

Power

Both are pleasant enough to drive on the roads, but where the Panda needs poking with a stick, the Yeti has enough muscle to forge comfortably ahead. For comfort, the Yeti takes first blood, as the Panda’s seats lack padding for longer stints behind the wheel.

It is a rough ride in the Panda too, with plenty of cabin noise coming from those chunky mud and snow boots.

But the Italian maker’s now infamous ‘girlie button’, which transforms the steering weight, makes ultra-lightwork of manoeuvring the Panda in any situation.

Hard plastics dominate the Panda’s interior against the Yeti’s almost fur-lined, soft-touch dashboard. Panda will be easier to clean though, and you will be less fussy about how the interior is treated – except for those brightly coloured inlays through the centre of each seat.

Panda accommodates four, while the Yeti can scoop up five adults. And the van-like rear end of the Yeti combined with its clever Vario-Flex seating gives endless possibilities between lugging people or forage.

Vario-Flex allows any of the three rear seats to be folded, tipped up or removed completely. There are independently adjustable backrest positions too and bungee cords built into the seat backs for load restraint purposes. And there is a 2,000kg towing capacity for the hairy beast too.

Panda, meanwhile, has lost its way when it comes to load versatility. Despite split folding rear seats, only the backrests go down flat onto the bench-type rear seat base. The seat base can be slid fore/aft by about 150mm, but its bolt-in design means it cannot easily be removed.

You either choose load space, or passengers – you really cannot have both – though the sheep dog could travel in luxury once you have loaded in the bags of feed.

But the Panda’s compact dimensions also mean parking and manoeuvring is easy. This one will turn on a sixpence, while the Yeti needs significantly more space.

However, off-road, the Panda makes a mockery of the Yeti, helped partly by its tyres, but mostly by its electronic-locking differential, which is fitted as standard. The 1,090kg, narrow track Panda Cross elegantly and effortlessly straddles ruts, climbs banks and negotiates the rough stuff much better than expected.

In a look-at-me clever kind of way, it delivers extraordinary levels of off-road performance in low-grip situations and almost puts two fingers up to this version of the Yeti.

Without the much-needed 4x4 button, the Yeti is left to watch the Panda’s mud-plugging performance. Those road-biased 17in tyres quickly filling with mud and filth, rendering grip almost impossible to achieve with the Yeti, despite 180mm ground clearance and 1,530kg unladen weight.

Choosing either of these quirkily-styled 4x4s depends entirely on your needs. But if you are on a limited budget and you can live with the limitations, the Panda represents a relatively luxurious and practical way in which to get sheep feed to those outlying fields.

The Yeti, on the other hand, costs considerably more but has far greater capability in its repertoire, though only if you choose the right spec for the task.

But whichever choose, you will still face the dilemma of explaining to your friends what you drive.

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