SEAT Ateca SUV revealed – SEAT’s in the SUV game

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The SEAT Ateca SUV has been revealed ahead of a Geneva Motor Show debut as a sporty compact SUV as SEAT aims to cash in on the current SUV boom.

Despite offering some fun and sport cars – and sensible prices – SEAT hasn’t enjoyed the best of sales of late. But this, the SEAT Ateca SUV, could be the car that changes fortunes for the Spanish arm of the VW Group.

SEAT has been threatening to deliver and SUV to bolster sales for some time, but the arrival of the Ateca is the start of an SUV at SEAT which should see the Ateca as the middle of a range of three SUVs from SEAT in  the next few years, and drive SEAt to profitability.

SEAT claim the Ateca is not just another compact SUV, but one that will offer a proper driving experience too, with “…light-footed, precise handling” and a design that echoes design features from the Leon.

Based on the VW MQB platform, the Ateca is about the same size as a Nissan Qashsqai, and shares its wheelbase with the Leon.

The grill and headlights look very ‘Leon’ – as do the tail lights – there’s a sloping roofline, squared-off wheel arches, a window line that ticks up at the C-pillar and a prominent shoulder line running along the flanks. It’s a fairly conventional compact SUV design, but there’s nothing to frighten buyers either.

Inside is a take on the Leon’s cabin, with a central infotainment screen (from 5-8″ depending on spec), a raised central console, decent looking seats and, of course, a raised driving position.

Engines options at launch – although there could be more later – will include a three-cylinder 1.0 litre TSI with 113bhp, a 1.4 litre TSI with 148bhp, 1.6 litre RDI with 113bhp and a 2.0 litre TDI with either 148bhp or 187bhp.

Front-wheel drive and a six-speed manual gearbox are the standard offering, although a four-wheel drive option and a seven-speed DSG gearbox will be optional on more powerful models.

There will be a decent amount of technology of offer in the Alteca – some standard, some optional – including SEAT Drive Profile modes, Traffic Jam Assist and Emergency Ssist, Parking Camera, Media System Plus, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The SEAT Alteca is expected to go on sale in the UK ion the spring, with firts customer deliveries by the autumn. Expect prices to start from around £18,500.