I was thinking over the weekend what a mess LED DRLs have become and how designers just randomly shape them on their cars. They have a different shape on every model. It is like putting a Ford grille on a BMW in my book. BMW is the only company that knows the value of having the same signature on their DRLs. So when you see those four angel eyes coming up you KNOW it is a BMW.

Now I'm not quite propagating Škoda put the same ones on all of their range (yet) but I do think they've missed a trick on the Yeti. The Yeti's most distinguishable feature is its round foglamps at the front. Peculiarly they opted to fill the top third with a DRL and the bottom two thirds with the fog lights. A FAR better option would have been (or could be for the next facelift) to accentuate these round lights by having the DRL as an LED ring around the edge and the fogs plain and simply as a round light in the middle. Job done. When you see that pair of rings in the daytime coming from up ahead you will know from some distance it can ONLY be a Yeti approaching you.

The image below shows my idea with the round DRLs in red.



It would alas be a VERY expensive aftermarket option for the likes of Superskoda as you have to replace the whole front light (after removing the bumper) to create this. Sigh.

I agree johann, there seems to be a competition as to who can make the front and rear lights look the most like a Christmas tree. Many of them are simply garish, horrible and unnecessary....

Edited 30 January, 201214 yr by looby

Simple and practical.....................trust an architect

oh, I forgot the expensive bit :giggle:

Yeti MY2013 will be the facelifted model？

Good idea J.

I think DRLs like that woukld really suit the Yeti, more so than the existing ones.

Brilliant idea, well thought out.

Aye - they would be just like the new Disco / Range Rover as well

Fantastic idea Johann! I too am dazzled by some LED's, the new C class being a prime example. Sometimes watching my wife driving back up the street in the Yeti, the DRL's are noticeable but not overly bright.

LED ring lights........ not too sure as BMW already do this as do Range Rover/Land Rover.

I also have a Fabia this has very bright LED DRL's in a circular lamp and these look quite good.

Lets just wait and see what if any facelift might be, I have the Yeti until August 2014 so it won't bother me too much until then.

There is no patent on round ring DRLs! LOL I'm not saying this will be unique to the Yeti. Just that it is a good idea to accentuate something so distinctive ON the Yeti...

As to the Land Rover DRLs: Do they look like circles to anyone?!?!!? Ever see anyone drive with them ON? Nope and nope. They are the most awful excuse for DRLs ever with so few low powered LED lights scattered seemingly at random to make the "circles" (note plural) that they look more like a star constellation than two grouped circles of lights. Awful.

What I have in mind is a round light akin to the just recently facelifted Audi A4's. So LED lights BEHIND a difuser that spreads the light so the shape is uniform. See the first generation ones were just a row of LEDs like this:

But even that was a better effort than Land Rover's sad sprinking of lights.

The new ones look like this. Much better.

I've been looking for clues on what will really happen on 2012 facelift (as opposed to what we would like to see) - because I'm juggling estimated deliveries and waiting to place an order for a 1.2 TSi Elegance and would hate to miss getting the facelift - but only if its an improvement and not cost cutting.

Any one able to say if model year 2013 is likely to build from end May with the facelift?

So far my best hope is there will be a press release in the next couple of weeks - before the March Geneva Motor Show. So I'm watching the Palexpo site.

BTW Quite fancy white with black roof or red with white roof if they appear in UK. And then there's the question of Gobi leather or not ........... I've spent weeks reading the forum (thanks everyone for so many useful and amusingly conflicting views ) Its fun to be buying my own car after so many company cars, but more worrying financially.

regards

Forgot to add comment re DRLs! I agree how randomly styled so many appear. Followed a Volvo estate at dusk and it showed a wobbly thin S shape that just confused what I thought used to be a strong block shape.

Edited 30 January, 201214 yr by mike57

You can get Angel light kits for various cars inc 3 series. maybe you could make one work with the Yeti somehow. Nice bit of butchery....

My link

You can get Angel light kits for various cars inc 3 series. maybe you could make one work with the Yeti somehow. Nice bit of butchery....

My link

I know but these things normally involve replacing the whole light unit and on the Yeti that is a bumper off job........ and if you are also replacing Xenons...... the cost will be something stupid.

The ones you show will also need to go through the DRL/fog divide. Not impossible I know but also not something I'd want to do! I leave it (hopefully) to the designers of the facelift Yeti!

And here is how to do it yourself: My link

I have seen the new range rover drls, and I totally disagree. They look good under normal light and circumstances IMHO

And here is how to do it yourself: My link

Fair enough. But both this and the ready made ones have a hole in the circle - where a BMW's bonnet (or eye lids!) go over them. So you won't get perfectly round ones like I'd want.

Simple and practical.....................trust an architect

Architects strong !!111!1!!

I've been looking for clues on what will really happen on 2012 facelift (as opposed to what we would like to see) - because I'm juggling estimated deliveries and waiting to place an order for a 1.2 TSi Elegance and would hate to miss getting the facelift - but only if its an improvement and not cost cutting.

Any one able to say if model year 2013 is likely to build from end May with the facelift?

So far my best hope is there will be a press release in the next couple of weeks - before the March Geneva Motor Show. So I'm watching the Palexpo site.

BTW Quite fancy white with black roof or red with white roof if they appear in UK. And then there's the question of Gobi leather or not ........... I've spent weeks reading the forum (thanks everyone for so many useful and amusingly conflicting views ) Its fun to be buying my own car after so many company cars, but more worrying financially.

regards

Forgot to add comment re DRLs! I agree how randomly styled so many appear. Followed a Volvo estate at dusk and it showed a wobbly thin S shape that just confused what I thought used to be a strong block shape.

Best info available is that facelift will be in 2013 for 2014 models, model year starts late June manufacture. You never know though just could be this year!

There is no patent on round ring DRLs! LOL I'm not saying this will be unique to the Yeti. Just that it is a good idea to accentuate something so distinctive ON the Yeti...

As to the Land Rover DRLs: Do they look like circles to anyone?!?!!? Ever see anyone drive with them ON? Nope and nope. They are the most awful excuse for DRLs ever with so few low powered LED lights scattered seemingly at random to make the "circles" (note plural) that they look more like a star constellation than two grouped circles of lights. Awful.

What I have in mind is a round light akin to the just recently facelifted Audi A4's. So LED lights BEHIND a difuser that spreads the light so the shape is uniform. See the first generation ones were just a row of LEDs like this:

But even that was a better effort than Land Rover's sad sprinking of lights.

The new ones look like this. Much better.

I like those as they look less like fairy lights and add that extra something to the car.

As to the Land Rover DRLs: Do they look like circles to anyone?!?!!? Ever see anyone drive with them ON? Nope and nope. They are the most awful excuse for DRLs ever with so few low powered LED lights scattered seemingly at random to make the "circles" (note plural) that they look more like a star constellation than two grouped circles of lights. Awful.

But even that was a better effort than Land Rover's sad sprinking of lights.

Unfortunately there are plenty of Land Rover/Range Rover's with their DRL's turned on in my part of the Cotswolds and they look flippin awful!

It must be a JLR thing, because the DRL's on the face lift Jaguar XF are rather OTT and detracted from a good looking car. :S

Seem many around London. Look awful to me.

I guess the latest Audi stops look better. The individual ones on ANY car look tacky.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Personally, I kinda like the idea although I'll admit the whole LED everything-everywhere is growing a bit long in the tooth. Still, its fun to bling-o'ring for us Yeti hobbyist, so what the heck.

Edited 8 February, 201214 yr by Saber

Well as we now know, Škoda took away the fogs completely so my suggested alternative above could never be implemented.  But Land Rover did it on the just facelifted Discovery!  Pictures out today:

 

 

Finally decent DRLs for this car.  But also gives you an idea of what a Yeti with round DRLs would have looked like.  Sigh.

 

From:  http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/frankfurt-motor-show/land-rover-discovery-facelift-revealed

I've always like the Disco. That looks very nice. Now if only it didn't weigh 2.5 tonnes and would fit in my parking space :-)

I saw the new RR Sport at the weekend and that seems to take the best of the RR and Evoque and merge them. Where's my piggybank?

I love the Disco too... it is also one of the very, very few seven seater cars I'd happily spend a whole journey in the seventh row because it has a raised middle row allowing your feet to get under this bench and thus to not have your knees around your face like in most third row seats.  Also plenty of headroom back there. But they are HUGE and heavy due to the ancient ladder frame chassis under the bodywork.  That is why the RRS is now nearly 400kg lighter than the old RRS: a proper monocoque chassis sans ladder frame backbone.