SEAT ATECA
Seat’s Ateca is the Spanish automaker’s first SUV has the sharp lines and sporty image that the company is known for.
What you’re looking at here is the Ateca, Seat’s first ever SUV, but Seat is owned by the Volkswagen Group and that company has produced quite a few SUVs over the last few years. One of those cars is the Volkswagen Tiguan, one of a number of compact SUVs that surged in popularity during this decade.
Seat had been without one of the most popular types of car on the market, so it launched the new Ateca to allow it to compete in this hugely successful area of the market. Like many Volkswagen Group cars, it is based on the ‘MQB’ platform, along with others like the Volkswagen Arteon and Skoda Karoq. It extensively uses Volkswagen-developed parts and engines but puts a distinct Spanish seasoning on the finished article.
Speaking of engines, there’s petrol and diesel options for Synergy customers to choose from. The petrol line-up consists of a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbo, a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbo and a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo. Power for these petrol units ranges from 114 to 187bhp, with the most powerful available only as a all-wheel drive equipped with a 7-speed double clutch ‘DSG’ automatic.
If diesel is more for you, then the choice is between 1.6 or 2.0-litre turbo with 114 or 148bhp. Both engines come with the choice between a 6-speed manual or the 7-speed DSH. All diesel engines are front-wheel driven only, so if you prefer to have all-wheel drive, then petrol power is the path that must be walked.
Currently, there are 6 separate trim levels for the Seat Ateca, with a 7th and high-performance version of this car also available, but under the separate brand of ‘Cupra’. All cars get a touchscreen infotainment system, Bluetooth, DAB, air conditioning and cruise control, but in the higher levels of trim you can expect navigation, heated seating, climate control, large 19-inch alloy wheels and even leather seating.
Fun to drive, great to look at and well equipped, the Seat Ateca has already impressed the media and customers alike, and in 2019 the Ateca looks to become one of the most popular SUVs on the market.