GIVING a Yeti a facelift is something you would expect to be approached with a degree of caution.

So Skoda have done just that with their successful family crossover vehicle, as a recent revamp has tweaked here and there but otherwise not mended what wasn't broken.

There is a nose job featuring a new grille and lights plus some subtle restyling but the spacious interior, good handling characteristics and keen pricing remain its strengths.

The standard two-wheel drive Yeti I tested sports clean lines, body-coloured bumpers and natty alloy wheels. You can also get an Outdoor version which offers plastic wheelarches and sturdy protection for the underbody giving it more of an off-road feel.

The upright stance and vertical tailgate make the Yeti hard to miss in a crowd while the interior is modern, nicely finished and well set out. All the controls are easy to see and use with a touchscreen for the audio system.

There's a 416-litre boot with all the seats in place - but the tall roofline allows this to be extended to 1,580 litres of space when the back seats are folded. Take them out completely - admittedly not the easiest process - and 1,760 litres of capacity is freed up.

It is simple to load thanks to a low lip and square shape with the neat addition of bag hooks on boot rails allowing shopping to be hung up off the floor.

All occupants have plenty of leg, head and shoulder room while the big windows let in plenty of light making the cabin feel airy.

There's a covered cubby hole between the front seats for mobile phones and glasses while cup holders, a big glovebox and a handy lidded dashboard storage space mean the various bits and bobs accumulated during family motoring can be easily squirrelled away. 

The driving position is high giving a good view of what's happening in the motoring world around you but the height doesn't affect the handling as the Yeti maintains a vice-like grip both on the road and on any body roll through corners. The ride is firm but comfortable with no danger posed to your fillings and the Yeti is equally at home on motorways or country lanes.

The GreenLine II version sports an efficient 1.6-litre diesel engine featuring stop/start technology which helps this Yeti achieve an average fuel economy figure in excess of 60mpg while keeping carbon dioxide emissions to 119g/km. There's plenty of pulling power and the car feels quicker off the start line than a 0-62mph time of 12.1 seconds would suggest.

The oil burner is linked to a five-speed transmission which does leave you looking for a sixth gear on occasions although there is a helpful dashboard gear change guide to help you drive as efficiently as possible.

The two-wheel drive version of the Yeti I tested is more efficient than the four-wheel drive model and will suit the vast majority of those owners not requiring its excellent off-road capabilities.

Safety is a serious matter when dealing with a Yeti and there's a host of aids included on all models including front, side and curtain airbags, plus one to protect the driver's knees. There is also stability control, Isofix child-seat mounting points and active anti-whiplash head restraints.

Plenty of goodies are thrown into the mix including air conditioning, four electric windows and a multifunction steering wheel in the entry-level S model while the SE trim adds dual-zone climate control, a six-disc CD changer and rear parking sensors. Step up to Elegance and leather upholstery as well as heated front seats are yours with the top-of-the-range Laurin and Klement model getting satellite navigation and a panoramic glass roof.