ROAD TEST: Seat Ateca is a sharply styled family crossover

Seat's first crossover, the family-sized Ateca, directly targets Nissan's Quashqai in this growing segment and looks a strong proposition. Jonathan Crouch checks out what's on offer.
Seat Ateca.Seat Ateca.
Seat Ateca.

Seat’s Ateca looks a strong proposition in the family crossover segment.

It’s well priced, sharply-styled and offers the sporty feel the sector seems to want. In fact, you wonder why it took the Spanish brand so long to bring us a car like this.

Seat Ateca.Seat Ateca.
Seat Ateca.
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Not before time, the Volkswagen Group is properly getting on board with the current market preference for Qashqai-style crossover models.

We’ll see a whole series of cars like this from the conglomerate over the next few years, and here’s Seat’s take on the concept, the Ateca.

Named after a traditional Spanish town, the Ateca shares much with its Volkswagen Tiguan cousin but, says Seat, offers a sportier, more lifestyle-orientated approach to this kind of car.

And a more affordable one too. Sounds promising.

Seat Ateca.Seat Ateca.
Seat Ateca.

Seat promises a line-up of petrol and diesel engines ranging in power from 115 to 190PS - expect a couple of petrol units and three diesels.

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There’s the choice of six-speed manual or optional dual-clutch automatic transmission, plus four-wheel drive will be available on the diesels.

We expect the 2.0 TDI 190PS diesel to be the unit many buyers will target and it’s a strong engine that pulls willingly from low speeds, though isn’t the most refined powerplant of its kind.

Early reports suggest that the Ateca will ride firmly - in line with Seat’s preference to make it ‘sporty’ - that’s something potential buyers will need to like.

Seat Ateca.Seat Ateca.
Seat Ateca.

The lofty driving position will please them, as will the way that all the major controls are clustered around you.

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Not so good are the thick, angled C-pillars that block rear three-quarter vision. An optional park assist system and birds-eye camera help with tight spaces.

Under skin, the Ateca sits on the same MQB platform as its more conventional Leon stablemate and uses most of the same mechanicals found in Volkswagen’s very similar Tiguan model.

Inside, it’s also very similar to the Leon - which is no bad thing.

Seat Ateca.Seat Ateca.
Seat Ateca.

The fit and finish is of high quality, though the plastics get scratchier the farther down you go.

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In the front, there’s decent room for two adults on supportive seats.

It’s the same in the back, though it’s disappointing to find that the rear seats don’t slide or recline like they do in the latest Tiguan.

The boot’s a bit smaller than that pricier Volkswagen rival model too, though will easily swallow a couple of big cases and a pushchair.

You access it via a tailgate offering the option of power operation: it’s one of those you can activate by waving your foot beneath the bumper.

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Ateca’s pricing starts from around £18, 000 and there’s a choice of three trim levels - ‘S’, ‘SE’ and range-topping ‘Xcellence’, a variant which should come in at under £30, 000.

Seat Ateca.Seat Ateca.
Seat Ateca.

The extensive array of technology options extends from full-LED headlights to a broad portfolio of assistance systems, like an innovative traffic jam assist set-up and an emergency assist feature, to a package of latest-generation infotainment systems with eight-inch touchscreens and full link connectivity.

The infotainment screen functions with MirrorLink and Apple CarPlay connectivity and the system will also read out new text, Twitter and Facebook messages and let you dictate a reply.

It’s even got the capability to let you set up your own screen gestures to shortcut to your most popular commands.

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Typical Ateca owners will go for the economical diesel models but even the petrol variants should be relatively frugal thanks to advanced TSI technology.

Expect the volume 2.0 TDI diesel model to deliver nearly 60mpg on the combined cycle and a CO2 return of around 130g/km.

Go for the 190PS version and those figures are very little affected.

There’s no real penalty for choosing the super-smooth DSG automatic gearbox either.

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What else? Well there’s Seat’s usual three year/60, 000 mile warranty.

That’s unexceptional when rivals like Toyota and Hyundai offer five years of cover as standard and Kia offers up to seven years.

However, the Seat deal is extendable, so you might be able to negotiate on that.

And it includes two years of Europe-wide roadside assistance.

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Seat’s first effort in this segment looks to have been worth waiting for.

The Ateca isn’t quite the size of a Tiguan - but then it’s much more affordable.

And there’s a dash of spirit and character here that we think potential customers will like.

In summary, if you were just about to buy a Nissan Qashqai or something similar, an Ateca is certainly worth a look.