Published:
10 July 2013The Yeti's compact size, pleasing mix of cheeky and chunky styling and outright longevity have made it an instantly recognisable model on UK roads. Its 2014 updates do nothing to dilute the effect; although the large driving lights which were previously seperate of the main cluster, similar to the Nissan Juke, have been absorbed into a new headlight.
These inevitably also include a new LED strip of daytime illumination and the fog lights below have been shuffled around, but the real differences (such as they are) are the distinguishing characteristics of the Outdoor version, which gets a slightly more rugged look courtesy of beefy black bumpers and side skirts.
Otherwise, the Yeti ploughs down much the same road as before; the boxy, van-like rear end, for example, remains - not as easy on the eye as the sloping rear rooflines which adorn many more of its more recent rivals, but a tribute to a more traditional SUV aesthetic and great for judging parking distances.
Little has changed mechanically, either. The Yeti's 2014 update saw Skoda trim its engine lineup, with an 108bhp 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine and a 2.0-litre TDI diesel in two guises producing 108bhp and 148bhp respectively, the only options available. No three-cylinder, turbocharged, 1.0-litre unit is offered, despite the engine finding a home in quite a lot of the Skoda range.
Despite the drag on efficiency, the all-wheel-drive Yetis remain highly popular, and, from 2014, get Haldex's fifth-generation clutch system. This replaces its predecessors hydraulic resevoir with an electric pump - speeding up response times and lowering component weight slightly.
