Seat Ateca long-term test

• The car Seat Ateca 1.5 TSI Evo 150 Xcellence DSG
• Run by Allan Muir, managing editor
• Why it's here To find out how the Ateca distinguishes itself in a sea of outwardly similar family SUVs
• Needs to Be notably more enjoyable to drive than any of its peers, without sacrificing practicality and comfort

Mileage 1668 List price £28,270 Target Price £25,858 Price as tested £28,385 Options Space-saver spare wheel (£115) Test economy 34.6mpg Official economy 40.4mpg (WLTP) Contract hire £289 per month Insurance group 18 Typical insurance quote £562 per year

9 April 2019 – Cruiser chooser

Given how sharply the Seat Ateca handles, you might not expect it to be entirely at home on the motorway, but it is. In fact, among its many talents, it’s an excellent long-distance cruiser.

At higher speeds, the firm ride smooths out to be perfectly compliant, yet body movements remain really well controlled, making the car feel very planted in a straight line, aided by ideally weighted steering. In addition, it’s quieter than many of its rivals, while the supportive driver’s seat is comfy even after hours in the saddle.

The sort of out-of-town trips I do most often – from London to the South Downs for a Sunday pub lunch, for example – are therefore always a pleasure in the Ateca, because I can enjoy it not only for its incisive handling on the twisty bits but also its comfort the rest of the time.

These outings also highlight how much better my 1.5-litre petrol Ateca can do in terms of fuel economy than the sub-30mpg I’m getting around town. Spend a few hours purely on the motorway and the Seat Ateca has no trouble returning 40mpg, which is more what I was expecting.

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