Skoda Yeti Outdoor: Test Drive Review

Skoda’s popular Yeti crossover has not only been facelifted, it’s also now being offered in two distinct forms: the regular Yeti, for those that stay on-road, and the Yeti Outdoor, driven here, for the more adventurous.

Picking the Outdoor means several things. Firstly, it has more rugged front and rear bumpers plus silver-coloured door mirrors. Secondly, it can be specified with four-wheel drive (assuming you pick the right engine) for £1590 or comes as standard (on the top engines).

If you really want to go off-road you’ll need to option the ‘rough road’ under-body protection (£200) as well as mud and snow tyres (£840), and if you do, the Outdoor is remarkably capable in very slippery conditions and will go a great deal further off-road than many of its rivals.

This is down to the 4×4 system that will allow up to 85% of the drive to just a single wheel, which means only one wheel needs grip for the car to keep going.

Of those crossovers that also offer all-wheel drive, the Outdoor is also competitively efficient, although these days its 152g/km of CO2 does have severe taxation implications compared with more efficient front-wheel drive derivatives.

Powered by the 140hp TDI engine, the Outdoor makes it to the 25% BIK tax bracket and returns a reasonable 48.7mpg. If you don’t need off-road capability but want the tough look, then the 105hp 1.6 TDI Greenline model comes in at a healthy 119g/km of CO2, or 18% BIK band, and returns 61.4mpg.

The Yeti revisions have also seen an upgrade in the interior materials while keeping the excellent build quality and the roomy interior. The car continues to be refined and comfortable on road too.

Fleets are expected to account for half of all Yeti Outdoor sales, with 70% of those picking the four-wheel drive version. And those that do, will be getting an excellent package for both on and off-road use.