It is impossible to resist the SUV trend. As hard as manufacturers try, all-roaders dominate the current global market landscape. Each house strives to position its model as well as possible, and in the case of the Spanish brand, the SEAT Ateca is the reference model. The one that must fight in the most competitive and commercial niche of all, the C-SUV segment.
We have tested this car:
Test Seat Ateca 2.0 TDI 150 CV X-Perience (with video)Test Seat Ateca 1.0 TSI 110 CV Style manual 6vTest Seat Ateca 1.6 TDI 115 CV. Arrives late, but with the lesson learned (video)Keeping the tradition in SEAT, the name Ateca refers to a town located in the province of Zaragoza, Community of Aragon, Spain. Its commercial launch started in 2016, and it is currently one of the fundamental pillars on which two brands are supported; Cupra and SEAT. The Ateca was the first model of the manufacturer to have a particular Cupra version, Ateca Cupra.
The Ateca sits right in the middle of SEAT's SUV family, just above the small SEAT Arona and just below the great SEAT Tarraco. In 2020 it undergoes a commercial mid-cycle update, a small facelift which introduces improvements in various aspects, including design, where it now has the current design philosophy of the house, already presented in Tarraco itself and in the SEAT Leon.
Technical characteristics of the SEAT Ateca
SEAT's advantage is that it belongs to one of the largest automobile groups in the world, the Volkswagen Group. That allows you to access shared technology. In this case the SEAT Ateca sits on the well-known MQB platform of the German conglomerate. It is the same structure that we can see in other products such as the Audi A3, or in twinned rivals like the Skoda Karoq and Volkswagen Tiguan.
As is customary at SEAT, the engineers adapt the shared technology to their needs, as is the case with the measurements. Externally, the Ateca has dimensions of 4,38 meters long, 1,84 meters wide and 1,61 meters high. To these dimensions must be added a wheelbase of 2,64 meters. Enough wheelbase to show an approved cabin for five passengers.
Despite this, the rear bench shows proportions more designed for only two occupants. Shoulder room is limited to a few very pronounced seats, not to mention the raised transmission tunnel present due to the all-wheel drive units. Also, the SEAT Ateca offers a minimum boot volume of 510 liters, expandable to 1.604 liters if the second row of seats is folded down.
Mechanical range and gearboxes of the SEAT Ateca
Although at the time Cupra was a division within SEAT, since 2019 they are separate brands, therefore, the Cupra Ateca cannot be integrated into the SEAT Ateca family. Having made this clear, the Spanish C-SUV presents a reduced mechanical offer but balanced in performance and price. It has three versions in total, three gasoline blocks and one diesel..
In the 2020 restyling, the diesel range gets rid of the 1.6 TDI to make room for the 2.0 TDI. It is a turbocharged four-cylinder block with 1.998 cubic centimeters of displacement. develop a minimum of 150 horsepower and 340 Nm of torque. It comes associated with a six-speed manual gearbox, but a seven-speed automatic transmission can be optionally incorporated.
As for gasoline engines, there are three present. The offer starts with the 1.0 TSI. A three-cylinder block that develops 110 horsepower. Above him is the 1.50 EcoTSI of 150 horses. Above, as the most powerful unit of the entire range is the ATeak 2.0 TSI with 190 horsepower. Although power is sent to the front axle as standard, the taller versions can include a 4Drive all-wheel drive.
Equipment of the SEAT Ateca
Being one of the best-selling models, or with the greatest sales potential, the SEAT Ateca presents an interior with good finishes and excellent adjustments. Thanks to the 2020 update, the Spanish SUV improves in different sections in its cabin, including a better sense of perceived quality and a better level of equipment, at least in the higher versions of the range.
Regarding the structure of finishes, the Ateca is segmented into seven different levels: Reference, Style and X-Perience. Within each level we can choose several additional steps for greater customization. In each of them, not only the load of equipment or the available mechanics is modified, but also the external appearance. In this way we can go from a basic style to a more sporty one with special accents such as wheels of up to 19 inches.
As far as equipment is concerned, the Ateca enjoys the latest advances of the house as a good star product that it is. Among the long list of elements, it is worth highlighting some such as: Full LED headlights, digital instrument panel, multimedia system with a touch screen of up to 9,2 inches, dual-zone climate control, Beats Audio sound system, voice control and much more. Of course, a complete team of driving aids and assistants is not forgotten.
Test of the SEAT Ateca in video
The SEAT Ateca according to Euro NCAP
The SEAT Ateca has been subjected to the impact tests carried out by the European autonomous body Euro NCAP in 2016. In them he obtained the highest possible rating: 5 stars. The score obtained in the different tests is as follows. Protection for adult and child occupants in the event of an impact is 93 and 84 percent, respectively. In the event of a pedestrian or bicyclist being hit, he scored a remarkable 71 percent. Finally, in active driving aids, it achieved a discreet 60 percent protection. These values apply to the 2020 restyling as there is no change in the vehicle platform.
The SEAT Ateca of Km 0 and second hand
Despite the fact that the SEAT Ateca is a recently marketed model, the number of units on the used or Km 0 market is generous. In these few years on sale, it has earned a more than deserved reputation for durability, economy and driving. As a result, the units available in the secondary sales markets show a percentage of depreciation around 28,5%, slightly lower than that of its closest rivals.
If we take a look at the second hand market we see that the cheapest units for sale are priced at approximately 14.000 euros for 2017 models with 1.0 horsepower 150 TSI mechanics and base finish. When evaluating the Km 0 market, we see how many units for sale still do not have the 2020 restyling. The prices of the previous units are low, but not the most modern ones, which do not show great discounts with respect to prices. of list.
Rivals of the SEAT Ateca
The Ateca militates in the C-SUV segment, one of the fastest growing due to sales volume and number of rivals. For both reasons, the competition in it is one of the highest in the market.. Among the rivals he has to fight are his group brothers, the Tiguan and the Karoq. In addition to them, more opponents must be added, such as: Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, KIA Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Nissan Qashqai, Toyota RAV4, Ford Kuga, Renault Kadjar, Peugeot 3008, Opel Grandland y Citroen C5 Aircross, among others. All of them compete in size, price and segment, although the Spanish has earned a reputation for being one of the most dynamic.
Highlight
- Driving
- Equipment
- Quality of finishes
To improve
- TDI diesel mechanical refinement
- Design with little personality
- Unusable central square
SEAT Ateca prices
The Ateca has always enjoyed an excellent price-product ratio. Many customers are attracted to him because of it. The starting price of the SEAT Ateca is 24.540 euros, without offers, discounts or promotions. This value corresponds to a Reference model with a 1.0 horsepower 110 TSI engine. The most expensive in the family is the Ateca X-Perience XXL 2.0 TDI with 150 horsepower and a seven-speed DSG transmission. Its starting price is 40.265 euros, with no offers, discounts or promotions.
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