What is it?

Although you wouldn’t think it by the amount of awards it has received, the Ateca is SEAT’s first foray into the crowded SUV market. To be fair, it already came with plenty of pedigree as it’s built on the same platform as the VW Golf and Audi A3, and if you take a sneaky look underneath you will notice it has the same mechanics as the VW Tiguan. Let’s not get carried away with the usual ‘it’s just a re-badged…’ comments though, the Ateca has been fully designed and developed by SEAT.

Priced at a smidge under £35k, this is the range-topping Xcellence spec’d, 190ps 2.0ltr Tdi  with 4-wheel drive and a 7-speed DSG auto gearbox version, so what was it like?

On the road

Within just 1/2 hour of the previous press car leaving, the MG GS, the Ateca arrived, and although I thoroughly enjoyed the MG, jumping in the Ateca for our first jaunt was a lesson in class.  Not just the switchgear, which I’ll get to later, but straight away the Ateca felt like a more accomplished car, more stable, quieter with a fantastic turning circle!  Granted, the high spec MG GS is around £15k cheaper, but the marque doesn’t have the same gravitas, well not yet anyway.

To give the Ateca a proper workout we threw in our overnight bags and headed for Mynytho, North Wales via the M6, A494 to Ruthin, then the B1505 towards to A5.  The 7-speed DSG with 190ps on tap made this particular Ateca bloomin’ great fun to drive, I’m not suggesting that it’s a hot hatch, but it’s very usable on the right roads.

Our test car was fitted with the £680 19” alloy wheel option which helped with crisp and precise steering along with the firmer ride.  In other words I could throw it into corners with confidence, having AWD was also a bonus.

Continuing along the B4407 towards Ffestiniog, the Ateca handled the twists, turns and undulations with ease, and unlike a few other SUVs on the market, it didn't feel top heavy.

Of course this sporty ride also equates to a more solid ride at slower speeds, I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s harsh, just firm.

Off road

Like all SUVs these days, the 4Drive Ateca is packed with the usual electronic wizardry that will take you wherever the tyres and clearance will allow.

As I've mentioned, the 19” alloys were great for on-road shenanigans, but once off the beaten track I wanted normal wheel/tyre set up so I could venture further afield, there’s the constant worry of scuffing larger rims.  Add the sporty suspension and driving along rocky green lanes soon became tiresome, it’s most definitely set up for road use.

On a separate note, its engine braking whilst traversing down some gnarly muddy tracks was very good, but it suffered slightly with road-biased tyres, but that’s to be expected.

Interior

If I had to pick one fault with the Ateca, it’s the interior.  Let me explain; the Ateca has a great interior, it’s functional and everything about it feels solid and well laid out, but it didn’t really inspire me.  After a long day at work it didn’t make me feel special when I got behind the wheel, it was a bit... ‘meh’. 

Don’t get me wrong, with its piano black trim (Xcellence) and the 8” infotainment touchscreen with smartphone functionality that’s borrowed from the VW Group parts bin, its blandness wouldn’t put me off buying one.

Although I found the seats a tad short in length when compared to its VW and Skoda siblings, they did offer plenty of lumber support and not once throughout the week did I feel uncomfortable, not even on a 7-hour interminable round trip to Wales.

Engines ’n’ transmissions

You can get an Ateca in a choice of both petrol and diesel engines, but 4wd only comes with the 2.0ltr models.

Petrol 2WD
1.0ltr - 113bhp - 54mpg combined - 114mph - 0-60mph = 11 seconds & C02 = 119 g/km
1.4ltr - 148bhp - 53mpg combined - 125mph - 0-60mph = 8.5 seconds C02 = 120 g/km

Petrol 4Drive
2.0ltr - 187bhp - 40mpg combined - 132mph - 0-60mph = 87.9 seconds C02 = 159 g/km

Diesel 2WD
1.6ltr - 114bhp - 65mpg combined - 114mph - 0-60mph = 11.5 seconds C02 = 113 g/km

Diesel 4Drive
2.0ltr - 148bhp - 55mpg combined - 129mph - 0-60mph = 9 seconds C02 = 129g/km
2.0ltr - 187bhp - 53mpg combined - 135mph - 0-60mph = 7.5 seconds C02 = 135g/km

Gearbox wise, depending on engines and trim, there’s the super slick 6-speed manual box and equally nice 7-speed DSG auto.

Conclusion

As I wrote after the Uk launch, SEAT have done a fantastic job with the Ateca, it’s stylish, affordable, well put together and great to drive. I would be more than happy to have one on the Mud Life fleet, despite its rather bland dash layout, I could live with it!