The name of this car is quite a mouthful and it’s a good job it has a large rear door to fit on all the badges.

Skoda now has two models in the Yeti range, the Yeti and the Yeti Outdoor and there are no plans to introduce a Yeti Indoor. These new models come at the same time as a facelift to the range. The two versions feature different design features that allow the buyer a slightly different look. 

The standard Yeti, according to Skoda, is designed to appeal to buyers who demand the high driving position and visibility of an SUV, but don’t require off-road capability and as such are only offered with front-wheel drive. 

Skoda says: “The Yeti Outdoor delivers a more noticeably rugged look than the standard Yeti, with styling features designed to allow owners to get the most from their car. The bumpers incorporate steeper approach and departure angles to facilitate off-road use, while the use of black trim along the sides and lower elements of the bumper mean the Outdoor can take rough surfaces in its stride.”

They do have a point and it makes sense to me. The Outdoor, like the standard Yeti, is available with front-wheel drive as well as all-wheel drive. The all-wheel drive versions use the tried and tested Haldex clutch four-wheel drive system.

The car we tested was fitted with a 1.6 litre TDi engine, which produces 105ps. It accelerates from 0-62mph in 12.1 seconds and has a top speed of 109mph. The all-important CO2 emission figure is 119g/km, which is really good for this type and size of vehicle. The official combined fuel consumption figure is 61.4 mpg, but during the time we had the car it achieved 51.4mpg, with a lot of the mileage being covered around town and on short journeys. 

The Yeti Outdoor is available in five model trims: S, SE, SE Business, Elegance and Laurin & Klement. Whereas the standard Yeti only has three trims: S, SE and Elegance. Prices start from £16,600 and going up to £27,725 OTR. There are three engine capacities available: a 1.2 TSI, the 1.6TDi which we drove and a 2.0TDi. The 1.2 has 105ps, the same as the 1.6 TDi whereas the 2.0TDi is available with 110ps, 140ps or 170ps.

The Yeti Outdoor we tested looked good, with some really nice touches. The quality is up to a very high standard and it drives as well as it looks. But despite its rugged, outdoor looks, it did have beige leather upholstery which somehow detracts from its purpose in life. From the outside it is a go-anywhere vehicle with no boundaries. But from the inside it has the look and feel of a more expensive, luxury executive car. If it was my choice, then a darker interior would be more appealing and more useable, with less chance of it looking dirty and tired ahead of its time.

The Yeti is very pleasing to drive; it does absolutely everything right and the 1.6 diesel engine suits it perfectly. It leaves you wondering if you need the larger capacity engine. 

The interior is spacious with loads of room for five adults, and all could wear a top-hat, as head room is massive. The boot is large and square with hardly anything intruding into the load area. There is plenty of space for five people’s luggage or a huge supermarket shop, including possibly buying a washing machine!

The cost of the not so snappily named version we drove, the Skoda Yeti Outdoor 1.6TDi 105ps Elegance Greenline, is £21,365. When you start adding on a few options such as satellite navigation and metallic paint the price quickly rises. But taking all the features it offers, and the full list of standard specification, its low CO2 and very reasonable fuel consumption figures, it all starts to look good value.

Martin Ward, Manufacturer Relationship Manager