Among other changes it made to the Yeti in 2013, Skoda divided the range into regular models and those with the word 'Outdoor' in their title. This wasn't intended to imply, even if some bright sparks might have thought it was, that the former were suitable for being driven between the living room and the kitchen.
In fact, Outdoors were, and still are, aimed at "lifestyle" customers, the ones more likely to consider venturing off solid ground and into more challenging terrain. They have their own distinct styling features, including a purposeful-looking front end and solid black rather than body-coloured bumpers, side mouldings and so on.
More practically, Outdoors are generally four-wheel drive. Regular Yetis were intended to be front-wheel drive only, though Skoda has relaxed that policy by sending power to all corners on the non-Outdoor Monte Carlo and the Black Edition.
With 4x4, the Outdoor can go where other Yetis can't. If you want to take this to extremes it would be a sound plan to spend £200 on the optional Rough Road Package (thermoplastic cover under the engine and gearbox, extra protection for the fuel and brake lines and reinforcement for the brake fluid distribution system and handbrake cable) and £150 more for a space saver spare wheel, since you really wouldn't want to risk being stranded off-road with a ruined tyre and only the standard repair kit to help you.
The 138bhp 2.0-litre diesel of the test car should be adequate for more adventurous driving, and it works well, if a bit noisily, on the public road too. The high centre of gravity becomes apparent when you start trying to tackle corners quickly, but in more restrained motoring the ride and handling are quite acceptable.
The advantage of the Yeti's unusual height is that there's a lot of headroom, especially in the back (legroom isn't as impressive), and plenty of load space. There's also considerable load length thanks to the fact that you can fold down the front passenger seat in the standard SE. If you've specified sports seats or leather upholstery, this is not possible.
One of the neater touches on the SE, the second lowest trim level in the range, is a detachable LED torch in the boot - just the thing for one of those lifestyle customers we mentioned a few paragraphs ago. The SE also has dual-zone air-conditioning with a humidity sensor, height-adjustable rear headrests, an aux-in socket for MP3 players, extra storage and an additional four audio speakers compared with the cheaper S.
But you don't get satellite navigation because that's an optional extra, priced at a high £1,630. And if you have the well-being of rear passengers at heart you'll probably want to cough up a further £295 for side airbags back there.
