SEAT ALHAMBRA
The Seat Alhambra is a comfortable 7-seat Multi-Purpose Vehicle with families in mind.
While it cannot be argued that SUVs have, for the most part, displaced vehicles like the Seat Alhambra as the vehicle of choice for families, there still remains a place for these cars.
Originally, the Alhambra was launched in 1996 as part of a partnership between Ford and Volkswagen. The 3 cars produced under that partnership – the Ford Galaxy, Volkswagen Sharan and Seat Alhambra – were all made in the same factory. When the partnership ended, the Alhambra went back to being based solely on the Volkswagen Sharan.
2010 saw the launch of the current generation of Seat Alhambra, though it has been updated in that time to keep it up to date. Power comes one of two sources – a 1.4-litre ‘TSI’ 4-cylinder turbo petrol, or a 2.0-litre ‘TDI’ 4-cylinder turbo diesel. These engines are both very commonly used throughout many of the VW Group cars – especially Skoda, Audi, Volkswagen and Seat -and are powerful, efficient units. Both units produce around 148bhp and come with either a 6-speed manual or 7-speed ‘DSG’ automatic double-clutch transmission.
There are currently 5 different trim levels available for the Alhambra – S, SE, SE L and Xcellence. At the S entry point, you get 16-inch 'Design' alloy wheels, Seat’s ‘Media System Plus’ infotainment system, metallic paint and front and rear parking sensors. SE adds cornering fog lights, tri-zone climate control and larger alloys wheels. SE L is where the luxuries start to arrive, leather upholstery, satellite navigation and cruise control being the headline additions, and at top-spec Xcellence, an electrically operated tailgate aids with family life, and a panoramic sunroof adds light to the interior space.
With all 7-seats in place, the Alhambra has limited cargo space at 267-litres. However, with rear seating not in play this allows for expanding space up to a whopping 2,297-litres – meaning truly large loads can be transported when the occasion arises.
While not as fashionable as SUV, the Seat Alhambra survives to this day purely because family buyers still require spacious and comfortable transport for their families, and that’s something that is unlikely ever to change.