Test Drives are finally back su Tech Princess.
Between quarantine and restrictions we can finally get back to doing what we like best: tell you about the cars.
With this review begins what we will define "the crossover period".
In fact, in the coming weeks we will bring you several successful SUVs and crossovers, starting with today's star: SEAT Ateca.
The Spanish C-SUV has conquered a considerable share of the market thanks to a fresh and transversal style, lots of interior space and easy and casual driving.
But can the success of the smaller Arona send the older sister off the radar?
Let's try to find out together with the steering wheel of the SEAT Ateca version Black Edition, equipped with the 1.6 bhp 115 TDI turbodiesel and 7-speed DSG automatic transmission.
READ ALSO: SEAT MÒ, the Spanish brand for urban mobility makes its debut
Want to see our SEAT Ateca video? Check it out!
Market positioning: one of the longest-lived C-SUVs
SEAT Ateca is one of the most “expert” C-SUVs on the market.
Its launch dates back to 2016 and replaced the not-so-graceful Altea minivan.
A leap that underlined the rampant "rise to power" of SUVs against minivans and even against classic sedans.
The first Spanish SUV has settled in the heart of the C segment, with traditional compact dimensions.
We are in fact a 4,36 meters in length, well 1,84 meters wide and an important height, about one meter and 60.
Ateca made its debut in the then not very dense C-SUV market with the mechanical basis of a bestseller like Volkswagen Tiguan, ready to fight against rivals such as Ford Kuga and Nissan Qashqai.
Over the years, however, the challengers have multiplied visibly.
Now indeed among the C-SUVs there are almost 40 models ready to go to war on every unit sold.
There are 10 rivals in the Volkswagen Group's SUV portfolio alone almost direct, including the “Little sister” SEAT Arona and “Different twins” Tiguan and Skoda Karoq.
How it ranks Ateca in such a crowded market?
Like a practical, comfortable car, more spacious than many rivals and with a sporty flavor from both an aesthetic and a dynamic point of view.
Engine range: petrol and diesel only, with many power levels
This dynamism is also shown by the engine range, which is anything but “sitting”.
Of course, there are reasonable engines and parks, like the excellent one 1.0 TSI and petrol (which you will soon know on our pages ...) or the “Our” 1.6 TDI, both from 115 CV.
However, there are also engines with a decent shot, such as the 1.5 TSI turbobenzina da 150 CV o the same power 2.0 TDI, and very spirited engines like the 2.0 TSI turbobenzina da 190 CV and 2.0 turbodiesel always with 190 HP, also combined with the 4Drive all-wheel drive.
Then there is the sportier version of Ateca, the first “Hot SUV” on the market.
It is Cupra Ateca: sold under the brand of the sports division of the Spanish house, it has the same 2.0 TSI of Volkswagen Golf R and Audi S3, which delivers here 300 hp and 400 Nm of torque, combined with all-wheel drive and 7-speed DSG gearbox. With a 0-100 km / h in 4.9 seconds and a top speed close to 250 km / h, it gives a lot of trouble to many rivals, even "low shot".
The mechanics: MQB platform, torsion beam and "tranquilone" engine
Let's put on the Nerd glasses for a moment and let's dive into the mechanics of this Spanish SUV.
Being an "average" product of the VAG Group, SEAT Ateca is built around the excellent and omnipresent MQB platform.
This mechanical basis is almost transversal, used on many Volkswagen, Skoda and SEAT products, and also shared by some Audi.
In fact, it hides under the "clothes" of small cars like Volkswagen Polo, sports like A or minivan such as Volkswagen Touran.
Therefore, if on paper all the cars with the MQB platform are identical, the House on each model makes more or less substantial changes.
For Ateca, SEAT has chosen to equip all models with suspension a little stiffer than the norm characterized by geometries more devoted to driving pleasure, settings then taken to extremes on the sporty FR and Cupra.
SEAT then made a common choice within the Group, namely the adoption of one torsion beam rear suspension for the less “horse-drawn” versions.
A solution that allows you to save on production costs but that leads to a slightly less refined road behavior and lower rear comfort compared to a solution with independent wheels.
However, the interconnected wheel solution put in place by SEAT is neat and well crafted, enough to mitigate these defects.
The car tends to be a little less united in the curves and to have more abrupt reactions to the rear on holes, manholes or bollards but nothing noticeable so easily.
As for “our” Ateca, SEAT has provided us with an example under construction Black Edition with a combination loved by Italian customers.
In fact, we have on board the famous 1.6 TDI, a 4-cylinder turbodiesel with variable geometry turbo.
Able to 115 hp and 250 Nm of torque, it is not a sporty or aggressive engine.
It focuses all on fluidity, ease in regaining speed and reduced consumption.
In this sense, the equally loved one helps him a lot DSG automatic transmission 7-speed dual clutch.
This excellent automatic transmission is certainly to be preferred over the manual, which with its only 5 gears does not guarantee neither the same consumption nor the same level of performance.
SEAT Ateca aesthetics: elegant and sleek, but with a hint of sportiness
SEAT Ateca was the first SUV produced by SEAT in its history.
In retrospect, we can safely say that in Martorell they succeeded at the first shot a make the distinctive features of the House on a Sport Utility Vehicle.
Aesthetically it is indeed very slender, and the sharp front is instantly recognizable as a SEAT.
In fact, the grille and the headlight cut take the lines of the previous generation of Leòn, without seeming even for a moment "out of fashion".
Of course, the restyling is coming, and with it will come a new infotainment and new engines.
Even this “old” Ateca awaiting restyling does not turn up your nose at all, quite the contrary!
From the side, however, the sportiness seen in the front fades a bit.
To take over are the typical features of family SUVs, with wide and very vertical sides, important wheel arches and lots of glazing that your children will love.
The result is however pleasant and masculine, although not too interesting and original.
At the rear, then, the lines return more aggressive and sharp. Here too it is not the festival of the original lines, but the whole is still really well done and connected.
La written Ateca then it embellishes the lower part and avoids weighing down the line with too much bodywork below the waistline.
The version we tested is then a special series called Black Edition.
The reason is quite obvious: here, it's all black.
18-inch black alloy wheels, black mirrors, tinted windows, black grille and moldings.
As Fjona addressed it in our video proof, “parece el coche de Batman!”: I would say that there is no need for great translations.
For the rest, then, the Black Edition is complete also from a technological point of view, given that there are all the most popular Adas as standard, the Adaptive Cruise Control, the digital instrument panel and the 8-inch multimedia system with Android Auto and Apple Car Play connectivity.
By and large, Ateca proves to be a very pleasant car, easy to appreciate and with a line that is both welcoming and sporty.
The interior: almost at the top within the Volkswagen Group
The leitmotiv “easy and welcoming, but also a little sporty” continues successfully inside as well.
The lines almost totally echo those of the previous SEAT Leòn.
We therefore have one vertical dashboard, with the infotainment screen integrated into the dashboard lines and placed as high as possible, comfortable and easy to use even while driving.
In general, the internal lines show a few years compared to internal rivals like Skoda Kamiq or “external” like Ford Kuga or Toyota CH-R.
However, for many this can be a great virtue.
Compared to some rivals or to Leon herself in fact there are many physical buttons, and all the controls are right where you expect them.
Compared to the trend of making all the keys soft touch and all the controls integrated into the screens, this "return to the past" is very pleasant to rediscover.
The materials are really excellent, even better than some more accredited “internal” rivals in the VAG Group.
Everything within reach and sight is covered in soft, pleasant-to-the-touch plastic, and the SEAT Digital Cockpit stands out, the beautiful digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel.
Derived from the Volkswagen and Audi sisters, on the Ateca it has a revised graphics similar to that of the analogue instruments of the latest SEATs, and shines for ease of use and clarity in reading information.
Finally, as for the exterior, the sporty details of the steering wheel, covered in soft leather, and seats upholstered in an unusual fabric-Alcantara mix, give a more sporty and personal tone to the interior.
Space and ergonomics: scary Skodas
There is a unwritten rule that defines the "souls" of the three generalist houses of the Volkswagen Group.
Volkswagen offers refinement and a good level of space and driving. Skoda relies on pragmatic and very, very spacious cars. SEAT, on the other hand, deals with cars that are more sporty and pleasant to drive.
In this round, it seems that at SEAT they wanted to mix up the cards a bit ...
If in fact the quality and the internal environment are not dissimilar from the "real" German ones, space competes with one of its Czech cousins.
In the meantime, the driving position is really excellent.
Not only is it suitable for all types of drivers: SEAT has managed to get one lying and rather sporty driving position even on such a tall car. Not really child's play.
Visibility is also excellent in all directions thanks to the aforementioned large glazing and relatively narrow pillars.
What is surprising, however, is the space, abundant almost everywhere. In front, as mentioned, the air is a lot, while On the rear sofa and trunk Ateca drops the ace.
Rear passengers have an enormous amount of leg and head room at their disposal, a little less for the shoulders.
Thanks to a lot of space for the legs and feet of the passengers, then it is possible really take advantage of the sliding sofa.
Usually, in fact, by sliding the sofa the space left for the rear passengers is completely insufficient if they are equipped with lower limbs.
On Ateca, on the other hand, the boot can increase from the already excellent 485 to 510 liters without excessively compromising the habitability.
A success!
With the seats folded down, then, you get a compartment of over 1600 liters: you will be the friend to ask for help for the move!
Technology and infotainment: complete and still with many buttons ... good?
Let's talk about on-board technology.
While the Ateca is not the youngest of the C-SUVs, it hasn't been left behind, on the contrary.
SEAT has stuffed it with technology picked up by its older sister Tarraco, such as the 10,25-inch SEAT Digital Cockpit digital instrument cluster and 8-inch infotelematics system.
If the first is almost the Spanish version of Volkswagen's excellent Digital Info Display, the second is of a generation previous to the "all touch" one of the new Golf and Leòn.
In fact, there are still the side soft touch "shortcut" keys and, incredibly, the volume wheels and to select some parameters such as radio station or the like.
But the system doesn't look old at all. The graphics are simple and intuitive, the screen is of excellent quality and communicates perfectly with smartphones through the use of Apple Car Play and Android Auto, which are standard on this set-up.
With the use of phone mirroring, a lack of this specimen is also overcome, namely the absence of the standard navigator.
Neo that shouldn't worry too much, as Google Maps or Waze are much more responsive, functional and traffic-informed than proprietary systems. The only drawback of this solution is the absence of the spectacular map reproduced in the instrument panel.
It is certainly not an unforgivable defect, but rather a missing gem.
The audio quality in playback of songs or radio stations (including DAB) is excellent, as is the quality of the call via Bluetooth, even for the receiver.
Then there are the parking sensors and the camera, of excellent quality.
Last gem I want to mention is one customizable screen within the infotainment system, taken from the Cupra.
This screen shows the driver the power delivered by the engine, the turbo pressure, the oil temperature and many other interesting information.
For many it may seem useless, but it is a really nice and useful gem to understand the behavior of the engine in various situations!
READ ALSO: SEAT Leon, will the fourth generation be the compact to beat?
ADAS and safety: all perfectly tuned
The chapter ADAS today will be very short, as there is nothing to report.
In fact, the SEAT Ateca is truly complete, and offers all the systems needed for Level 2 autonomous driving.
Adaptive cruise control, automatic braking, blind spot sensor and lane maintainer are standard for the Black Edition, as are the excellent Full LED headlights.
Electronic driving aids which are not only available as standard but which we have found to be really well calibrated.
Adaptive Cruise Control is never abrupt in picking up speed or slowing down and, thanks to the presence of the DSG gearbox, it is able to go up to 0 and restart in complete autonomy.
This combined with the excellent blind spot sensors and active lane keeping provide relaxing and very safe motorway journeys.
Then the Full LED headlights are excellent, SEAT's trademark since the launch of Leòn in 2013. They are powerful, clear and help a lot in night driving.
At the wheel of the SEAT Ateca: it does everything perfectly
Let's move on to my favorite part, the guide.
Here the SEAT Ateca impressed with its ability to do everything right.
His completeness and ability to adapt to any situation really impressed me. Let's see in detail how it behaves in different situations.
The quiet ride: it is at home everywhere, even in the city
As an SUV, its primary use is for quiet, relaxed driving, commuting to work or traveling with the family.
In this capacity, Ateca really reveals itself competent: it is very easy to drive, and being relatively compact it is easy to maneuver even in the city.
Of course the parking sensors and the rear view camera help but even without these aids Ateca is doing well in the urban jungle.
The not-too-stiff suspension and light steering also help, while the only flaw was the really large turning radius. One or two more maneuvers will be required for maneuvers or reversals.
Out of town on state and provincial it performs excellently.
The 1.6 turbodiesel is quiet and vibrates very little, and although it is not a monster of power it never gives the idea of being underpowered.
The set-up is not too soft and the curves pass without exaggerated roll or pitch.
Note on the DSG gearbox, which here takes off those unpleasant tugs at low speeds seen on some petrol engines.
On the contrary, here the driving is smooth and without jerks even at the minimum or in the hectic parking phases.
To soften the noise of the engine, then, Ateca takes advantage of an interesting idea.
A much more captivating noise is generated from the car speakers of the 1.6 turbodiesel which, from the outside, has the classic “dieselone” sound.
At first I found this solution a little sad, but it actually turned out to be really spot on, capable of almost canceling the annoying “ticking” typical of diesel engines.
Never judge a book by its cover!
On the highway: his kingdom, very easy and relaxing
The realm of Ateca, however, is the highway.
In the long runs, the Spaniard gives her best.
The aerodynamic line to be that of an SUV greatly limits the wind noise, and the wide visibility combined with the perfectly calibrated driving assistance systems make it a real travel animal.
I traveled about 2500 km with Ateca, of which over 900 in a return trip to Veneto. After every trip, even the longest, I arrived at my destination always rested and never tired or sore.
Credit is also due to the sports seats, very comfortable and supportive for hours of travel, with the manual lumbar adjustment that I found really useful, unlike other seats where their insertion is not very noticeable.
The engine is also very quiet and subdued, even if it has proven itself on the motorway a little too weak for the mass of Ateca of almost 1500 kg.
Not so much for the 115 hp but for the "only" 250 Nm of torque, lower than the French and Italian displacements.
When it comes to picking up speed for overtaking, you have to wait a moment longer than you want.
For the rest, however, the 1.6 is in focus in 90% of motorway situations, and able to give decidedly interesting consumption.
The engine at 110 km / h in seventh gear "blends" at just under 2000 rpm, capable of returning almost 20 km / l.
Ai 130 instead of touching i 2200 rpm and 15 km / l.
A regime that at code speed perhaps a little too high, also counting the presence of the seventh gear. Maybe the gears have been shortened to help the starting point (very good), but there are rivals even with fewer gears that do better.
“Committed” and off-road driving: it's made for something else, but it gets along well
Certainly those who choose a small-displacement diesel SUV with less than 120 hp and front-wheel drive it seeks neither sportiness nor maximum off-road performance.
In both cases, however, the SEAT Ateca he is doing better than you can imagine, especially in casual driving.
Thanks to the excellent MQB platform that finds its place on sports like Audi TT or Audi RS3, between curves Martorell's SUV performs really well.
The front is very precise, the rear always follows precisely and the steering, albeit light, is precise and quite communicative.
An important help, however, is the XDS electronic differential, taken from the sports GTI of the House and standard on all versions of Ateca.
This system simulates the operation of a mechanical self-locking differential, braking the inner wheel and giving power to the outer one, drastically reducing understeer and significantly increasing precision between corners.
In aid of the steering and the engine then comes the SEAT Drive Select, which allows you to choose 5 settings for engine, gearbox, steering and differential. If put in Sport, the steering hardens without becoming artificial, the engine and gearbox become more responsive and responsive and the differential works more quickly.
In this way, the Ateca remains a family car, but one that will not make you regret the compact sports cars too much.
In off-road vehicles, however, the not insignificant one comes to the rescue height from the ground of 18 cm, superior to many direct rivals. Of course, with front-wheel drive alone it is better not to venture into routes from Paris to Dakar.
On gravel, brown roads and even complex situations like mud and wet grass though Ateca does not look bad, and always takes you to your destination healthy, healthy and… dirty.
SEAT Ateca's consumption: low, but more can be done
I conclude the guide part with an examination of the consumption.
On paper, the diesel engine fleet, the 7-speed DSG gearbox and careful aerodynamics suggested very low fuel consumption.
In reality, depending on the situation, Ateca has both confirmed and disappointed my expectations.
For example, on the highway at 110/120 km / h the consumption of 18-19 km / l is really good.
At 130 km / h on the other hand, thanks to the slightly too high speed and the low engine power, it is necessary to push more than necessary.
Thanks to the power reading tool I told you about, in fact, I have seen that at 130 km / h Ateca uses 40 HP, compared to not even 25 used at 110.
This brings the consumption to code speed around 14,5/15 km/l. Not many, of course, but I expected something more from an engine so devoted to savings.
Consumption on the state road is up to excellent expectations, with 20 km / l easily surpassed.
In the city finally, due to the low torque at low revs, you have to push the accelerator more than you would expect, to the detriment of consumption, which is still very respectable 13,5 km/l.
My general average was around 15/16 km / l, not bad for the tonnage of the vehicle but compromised by the low torque of the 1.6. If you drive a lot of kilometers on the main road, it is an excellent engine but if you divide yourself between the city and (a lot) of the highway better to focus on the larger 2.0 TDI.
All consumption was found in Eco mode, except those in town.
In fact, due to the reduced reactivity of the accelerator, engine and gearbox, using the Eco mode within the city walls the result was an increase in the pressure on the accelerator to keep up with the traffic, and therefore in consumption.
In an urban context, therefore, the Normal mode is better, more ready and responsive.
READ ALSO: SEAT MÒ, the Spanish brand for urban mobility makes its debut
Price: end of series discounts!
The speech price it is obviously conditioned both by the state incentives situation and by the fact that Ateca is now at the end of the series.
In fact, the restyling will arrive at the end of the year which will not particularly change its characteristics, making the current one still beautiful and modern.
However, this change leads SEAT to offer attractive discounts on the current Ateca range.
The Spanish C-SUV starts from a list price of around 25 euros for the 1.0 HP 116 TSI in Style set-up, which drops to 21.500 with the offers in force.
For a 1.6 bhp 115 TDI DSG Black Edition exactly like ours since price list of over € 33.000 you can take advantage of almost € 7 discount, which bring the price to just over 26.000 €.
For all the details on the offers, I refer you to the official SEAT website, but already in this way it is clear that, seeing the prices of even smaller competitors, Ateca is also a valid choice from an economic point of view.
It doesn't reach the Dacia Duster value-for-money levels but thanks to these offerings it is one of the cheapest midsize SUVs around. Will it also be one of the best?
Conclusions: SEAT Ateca satisfies like a nice single dish
Well, in my opinion it's a si.
SEAT Ateca reminded me driving it of the feeling you get from eating a nice single dish like paella, Spanish like her.
Ok, it's a bit too classic cliché, and in Barcelona it's not one of the typical dishes, but stick to my concept.
Contains the necessary ingredients to satisfy all needs.
It satisfies both those looking for concreteness and those who want something a little special, different and with a spicy and original taste.
And it's cheap too.
Of course, it has its flaws, such as the poor agility, the low torque moved a little too high of the 1.6 turbodiesel or the cruise control satellite that is not very visible behind the steering wheel.
But in such a good picture, these defects take a back seat in the face of a complete, well-thought-out and well thought-out package.
There are certainly more beautiful rivals to drive, more cared for as interiors or more original.
However, the SEAT Ateca combines a lot of space, aesthetics, build quality and driveability well, with that flicker of originality typical of all SEAT products. A real Catalan paella.
TagsAteca seat Seat Ateca SEAT Ateca 1.6 TDI SEAT Ateca Black Edition test drive SEAT Ateca Black Edition test drive, password: completeness
