Going by the amount of room under the bonnet, Skoda could have mounted the engine and box conventually, just like in the superb instead of transverse.

The other thing that puzzles me is why they only put the 1.9 105 bhp in.

They could of used the 130 bhp as well, unless they did and I have missed seeing it in print

Over the years the 1.9TDi has been available with various bhp in the VW group. Broadly the 130 variant was replaced with the new (at the time) 2.0TDI 140, and the 1.9 100 with the 1.9 105. I guess they needed to preserve a clear bhp gap between the two engines. Mindyou I think until recently the Audi A4 offered the 1.9 with 115bhp alongside the 2.0TDI.