Just over 1000 miles in our custody and the front-wheel drive Yeti’s looks continue to divide opinion.

While I approve of its in-your-face chunky, funky appearance, it has been likened, cruelly, to a mobile postbox and worse.

On the road the suspension feels set up in 4×4 rather than 2×4 mode with a fidgety ride over uneven surfaces. This is compensated for by a sweet and smooth, turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol engine that belies its lack of cubic centimetres. At standstill only the rev counter confirms the engine is on tick-over and that start-stop is not fitted.

The six-speed gearchange is slick enough but initially a narrow selector gate made it too easy to change from third to second instead of fourth.

Before the most recent fill up of the Yeti’s ample 60-litre tank, the low-fuel warning light lit up with the computer registering 75 miles still to go before running dry, which is in our opinion overly cautious. On the subject of fuel, the car is on track to edge over the 40mpg average.

Skoda Yeti 1.2 FSI petrol SE five-door, 6-speed manual
Mileage 1207 miles
Claimed combined
consumption
44.1mpg
Our average
consumption
39.5mpg
P11D price £15,820
Model price range £13,990-£22,640
CO2 (tax) 149g/km/18%
BIK 20/40% per month £47/£95
Service interval variable 10,000-20,000mls
or 1-2 years
Insurance group 10E
Warranty 3yrs/60,000mls
Boot space (min/max) 416/1580 litres
(1760 litres rear seats removed)
Engine size/power 1197cc/106PS (105hp)
Top speed/0-62mph 109mph/11.8secs
Why we’re running it Can Yeti extend Skoda’s footprint
and challenge Nissan’s Qashqai?
Positive: Smooth and refined
1.2 FSI petrol engine
Negative: Unsettled ride quality