Skoda Yeti review - more fun than you might expect - Skoda Yeti engine and gearbox
An unlikely evo car, this Skoda crossover is both capable and surprisingly fun
Skoda slimmed down the Yeti's engine range a while back, removing the hottest petrol model (a 1.8-litre TSI) and switching the old 1.6-litre TDI for a lower-output version of the 2.0 TDI.
As such there's a little less variety than before, but there should be an engine to serve most families' needs. The one we'd opt for is the range-topping 2.0 TDI with 148bhp, available in both Yeti and Yeti Outdoor configurations, because its 251lb ft torque output from 1750rpm gives it the most relaxed demeanour of any of the options. While it's not the quickest in the Yeti range, it's the best equipped to deal with whatever you might throw at it - and that includes light off-roading, as four-wheel drive is standard.
Four-wheel drive is also available (and standard) with the 1.4 TSI, though this engine only sees service in the Yeti Outdoor. It's only available with a six-speed manual transmission (the 2.0 TDI 150 gets manual and DSG options) but the Yeti's manual 'box isn't a hardship, with a smooth shift and a light clutch.
The 2.0 TDI is also available in 108bhp form, which replaces the old and rather agricultural 1.6 TDI. It's not quite the torque monster the 148bhp version is, but develops its 184lb ft from the same 1750rpm. In the Yeti it's front-wheel drive only, but as a Yeti Outdoor you can get it with either front-wheel drive or the 4x4 setup, but both are manual-only.
The final option is a 108bhp 1.2-litre TSI petrol. This is available in just about every configuration short of 4x4, with manual and automatic front-wheel drive options in the Yeti, and manual and automatic versions of the Yeti Outdoor. Torque of 129lb ft is developed at a useful 1400rpm.
