Seat Ateca review

The Seat Ateca broke new ground for Seat when it was launched; previously, the Spanish brand had built as many SUVs as it had spaceships. But while car maker was more than fashionably late to the party, fortunately it turned up with an absolute cracker.

Along with its VW Group cousin the Skoda Karoq, the Ateca owes much of its success to solid foundations. How so? Well, it's built on the same platform as the more expensive Volkswagen Tiguan and shares most of that car's important oily bits. That said, the Ateca is far from just a Tiguan with a different badge on the nose and a cheaper price tag, and that’s both good and bad, as we'll explain in this review.

Updated for the 2021 model year, the Ateca sports more muscular front and rear bumpers than the original car, and features more economical engines, an upgraded interior and more equipment. Does it deserve a space on your family SUV shortlist, then? Over the next few pages we’ll tell you how the Ateca compares with its key rivals, which engines are worth looking at and which trim levels make the most sense.

Once you're up to speed, don't forget to check out our New Car Buying service to find out how much you could save, with big discounts on the Seat Ateca and dozens of other cars.