The Ateca is SEAT’s first ever SUV and it’s already making the likes of the
Kia Sportage, Nissan Qashqai and the Volkswagen Tiguan a little nervous.
Now we’ve already had the Ateca on test, which was the 1.4 TSI petrol – and you can watch
that review by clicking here - but we wanted to get our hands on the most economical version of the
Ateca and see first off how efficient it really is and whether the Ateca’s winning attributes like
a low price are still worth shouting about. So lets see.
Today we’ve got the running cost-conscious 113bhp 1.6-litre Ecomotive diesel which is
mated to this six-speed manual gear box. Now, this diesel is a bit of a mixed bag, you see although
it is a diesel, you don’t get that trademark low down pull you might be used
to. It does pull fairly well, you've got 250Nm of torque, but there's a sense that when you gun it from a standing
start you're not getting all of the engine’s
power as if it’s being reigned in.
So is it a bad engine – no, not at all, like I said, this is the engine is aimed
at those who are concerned with fuel economy, and that’s the reasoning for the engine’s
slightly tamer personality. And the bottom line is you actually do get to achieve the engine’s
claimed 65mpg – or exceed it, especially if you do a lot of motorway driving.
And CO2 is quoted at just 113g/km as well. Now on a mixture of city and motorway roads we've
been getting anything between 55mpg to 70mpg.
What I like though is that you have got the option to spruce things up a bit by putting
it in Sport mode using the SEAT Drive Profile – which is available in the mid-range SE trim upwards
– and when you do you can feel the restraints of the engine slack a little, and you can
have a bit more fun with a sharper throttle response and slightly weightier steering,
ideal when you're on a twisty country road like this.
The diesel is quite quiet as well, and when combined with the Ateca’s good all-round
insulation it’s great. And like we mentioned in our other Ateca review, the ride is noticeably
on the firm side in order to offer a more entertaining, athletic drive, something missing
from a lot of its rivals. Would I sacrifice a smidge of refinement for a more entertaining
drive though? Yep. Every day of the week.
If you are looking for a more affordable version of the Ateca then you may want to go for for
this mid-range SE trim, which may look a little stripped-back, but you still get
plenty of kit with the likes of this eight-inch colour touchscreen which houses Bluetooth,
you get cruise control, dual-zone climate control and you also get rear parking sensors.
SEAT do expect customers who go for this mid-range SE trim to flesh it out a bit with options though with the likes of
the Convenience Pack, proven to be a popular option which adds the likes of rain-sensing wipers and automatic-headlights
for £170. You can also go for this sat-nav system, but that will cost you £525. Now
when it comes to space up front, it's really good all-round. You've got plenty of head room, you've also got
good-sized door bins and a good-sized glovebox – and you've got a large space here for storing keys, your wallet or some coins.
Space in the rear is pretty faultless, you’ve got loads of head room, you've got loads leg room and you've got loads of foot
well room as well, you've also got this fold down arm rest with two cup holders, you've got storage, some good storage
here. and decent sized door bins and if you wanted to, you can actually get through to the boot with this hatch access.
Now if i had one complaint about the rear it's that these seats do feel and look a bit cheap, same
goes for the front seats actually, and that’s just a caveat of its lower price tag.
The boot is spacious as well with 510 litres with the seats up and 1,604 litres with the
seats down. You can opt for a bit of extra flexibility with this double floor as well,
which you can adjust into a series of different positions and that will cost you £115.
So, at entry-level, the Ateca is cheaper than its platform-sharing Volkswagen Tiguan, by
around £4,000 in fact. But what about when comparing their frugal diesel equivalents?
Well, the price difference is actually about the same, and the Tiguan’s equivalent 2.0-litre
113bhp diesel is slightly less efficient as well.
The Tiguan does have a slight edge in terms of luxury though – and brand prestige – but
the question is, are these things worth £4,000 to you?
But it’s not just price on the Ateca’s side, it is distinctively more engaging to
drive than the likes of the Nissan Qashqai and it’s arguably better looking that the
Kia Sportage. To be honest, you’ll have a hard time finding something you don’t
like about the Ateca that can’t be justified with another aspect of its design.
But what do you think of the Ateca, would you go for one of its petrols, its diesels or one of its competitors? Let us know
in the comments section below and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Click on the enquire button to find out more details about this car or for any other models,
visit Carkeys.co.uk. And to watch more reviews, click one of the links on screen now.