The Ateca is a crucial car for Seat, it marks the start of the Spanish firm’s largest-ever product offensive, the first of four new cars to be launched over the next 18 months, and it’s also the carmaker’s first stab at the hugely popular, and still growing, SUV market.
Unveiled to the world at this year’s Geneva motor show, Seat’s new SUV shares its underpinnings with the Volkswagen Tiguan and features many of the design cues from its hatchback sibling, the Leon.
There are four trims available in the line-up. The car we’ve picked is in SE Technology trim, which is likely to appeal most to company car drivers because essential kit such as satnav, LED headlights, Bluetooth, parking sensors and city emergency braking are available as standard.
It’s not the best-equipped of our group of cars, but it’s arguably one of the best-looking, featuring an eye-catching and sophisticated design with sharp, angular styling cues.
Engine-wise, it’s the 113hp 1.6-litre diesel that is likely to appeal to company car drivers. Headline figures are competitive rather than class-leading, with the car emitting 114g/km of CO2 alongside an official combined fuel economy of 65.7mpg.
To drive, the steering is accurate, but the ride is a little firm, and handling can’t quite match the high levels set by the Tiguan. That’s because all front-wheel drive Atecas get a cheaper rear suspension than the Volkswagen, which is a shame, but no deal breaker.
It’s not the quickest in our list either – 0-62mph is achieved in 11.5 seconds – but the six-speed manual is slick and well suited to the engine.
Inside features a classy and simplistic cabin, which, if you’ve sat behind the wheel of any of the car’s stablemates, will feel very familiar. The centre console is easy to navigate around and control too, and the materials are of good, durable quality.
There are plenty of options and safety tech on offer to further personalise your Ateca, including a 360° camera, a self-parking aid, blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control.
It’s practical too, offering lots of interior space and one of the biggest boots in its class – only the Tucson betters it here. Residual values are a touch behind most key rivals at 37.3%, and the Ateca ranks as one of the most expensive for fuel and SMR costs.
On the costs front, again the Ateca is competitive rather than class-leading, with a cost-per-mile figure that cannot quite compete with the Kadjar and Tucson, but it’s on a par with the Qashqai and betters the Sportage – two of the heavy-lifters in the segment in volume terms.
Seat’s all-new SUV is a stylish addition to a very busy market and although it doesn’t quite raise the bar on many of its key cost metrics, the Ateca’s competitive pricing, looks, good road manners and spacious cabin make it a worthy addition to the segment.
Seat Ateca 1.6TDI Ecomotive SE Technology |
| P11D: £23,835 |
| Vehicle excise duty: £60 |
| National insurance: £2368 |
| Fuel consumption: 64.2mpg |
| CO2 (tax): 114g/km (22%) |
| BIK 20/40% per month: £87/£175 |
| Warranty: 3yrs/60,000mls |
| Boot space: 510 litres |
| Engine size/power: 1598cc/113hp |
RVs: 37.3%/£8900
Middle of the pack performance for residual values
Fuel costs: £4755
One of the highest for fuel costs in our list
SMR: £2378
Competitive rather than class-leading for SMR costs
To read the latest road test of the Seat Ateca click here
Nissan Qashqai – CPM 49.6p
The Qashqai is a great all-rounder and, although the oldest of the group here, its design still looks fresh and modern, while its 1.5-litre diesel offers some of the best running cost figures in its class.
There’s a choice of four trims in the line-up. We’ve picked N-connecta which replaced N-tec and N-tec+ in January this year, and standard kit is generous with a 360° reversing camera, satnav, front and rear parking sensors, lane departure warning, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, and lane departure warning all included.
The Qashqai’s overwhelming popularity has had an effect on residual values, though, and it’s the lowest of the group at 34.2%. Practicality is not its strongest suit either, offering the smallest boot of our cars here.
Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi 110 N-Connecta |
| P11D price £23,755 |
| Vehicle Excise Duty £40 |
| National Insurance £2164 |
| Fuel consumption 70.6mpg |
| CO2 (tax) 103g/km (20%) |
| BIK 20/40% per month £79/£158 |
| Warranty 3yrs/60,000mls |
| Boot space 430 litres |
| Engine size/power 1461cc/108h |
RVs: 34.2%/£8125
The Qashqai’s huge sales have had an impact on RVs
Fuel costs: £4324
Only the Kadjar betters the Qashqai for fuel costs
SMR: £1810
Decent SMR costs put the Qashqai in the middle of the pack
To read the latest review of the Nissan Qashqai click here
Kia Sportage – CPM 51.1p
Despite engine efficiency improvements, Kia’s popular 1.7-litre CRDi diesel still lags behind the Sportage’s rivals in the running costs department, with CO2 of 119g/km and a 61.4mpg combined economy figure.
However, it’s quicker than the Tucson from 0-62mph, completing the sprint in 11.1 seconds, and is arguably the best here when it comes to handling too.
Kia has built up an excellent reputation for build quality, which is one of the reasons why it offers the best warranty package in the industry, and equipment levels are another key selling point. In 3 trim, standard kit includes auto high beam, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, eight-speaker sound system, satnav, and a reversing camera – the best of the bunch by some margin
Kia Sportage 1.7 CRDi 114 3 |
| P11D price £24,695 |
| Vehicle Excise Duty £60 |
| National Insurance £2556 |
| Fuel consumption 61.4mpg |
| CO2 (tax) 119g/km (23%) |
| BIK 20/40% per month £95/£189 |
| Warranty 7yrs/100,000mls |
| Boot space 491 litres |
| Engine size/power 1685cc/114hp |
RVs: 39.4%/£9725
The Sportage holds its value well versus rivals
Fuel costs: £4972
Disappointing economy figures keep fuel costs high
SMR: £2381
SMR costs are among the highest of our cars here
To read our review of the Kia Sportage click here
Renault Kadjar – CPM 44.6p
Arguably the most distinctive of all the cars here in terms of design, the Kadjar is also the cheapest to buy and offers excellent value for money, with a variety of useful kit offered as standard including satnav, dual-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control and Bluetooth.
Not only does the Kadjar have the lowest P11D price, it’s also the cheapest to run overall with a 44.6 pence-per-mile figure, largely thanks to the 1.5-litre diesel’s strong running cost figures.
It’s not especially quick, though, completing the 0-62mph sprint in 11.7 seconds. Interior quality is not as good as rivals either, and it’s not as practical, offering one of the smallest boots here.
Renault Kadjar 1.5 dCi Dynamique Nav |
| P11D price £22,040 |
| Vehicle Excise Duty £0 |
| National Insurance £1916 |
| Fuel consumption 74.3mpg |
| CO2 (tax) 99g/km (19%) |
| BIK 20/40% per month £70/£140 |
| Warranty 4yrs/100,000mls |
| Boot space 472 litres |
| Engine size/power 1461cc/108hp |
RVs: 39.0%/£8600
Not the best of the bunch but close to top of the pack
Fuel costs: £4109
Thanks to impressive economy, it beats rivals here on fuel
SMR: £1825
Can’t match the Tucson for SMR costs but figures are still very low
To read our review of the Renault Kadjar click here
Hyundai Tucson – CPM 48.1p
Combining elegant looks, a plush cabin, the biggest boot here, and low SMR costs, the Tucson is also our residual value champion, holding an impressive 39.7% after three years and 60,000 miles.
Despite its 1.7-litre diesel engine offering more power and torque than most of our group (114hp and 280Nm), the Tucson is the slowest of our five cars, taking 13.7 seconds to get from 0-62mph. Running costs are also not great in comparison, while 119g/km of CO2 means higher monthly tax costs for fleet drivers.
Although lacking pace, the Tucson handles just as well as rivals on the road, and picking SE Nav trim means plenty of standard kit. The car also has one of the neatest cabins in the segment and is the best of our five cars for interior quality.
Hyundai Tucson 1.7 CRDi BlueDrive SE Nav |
| P11D price £23,090 |
| Vehicle Excise Duty £60 |
| National Insurance £2390 |
| Fuel consumption 61.7mpg |
| CO2 (tax) 119g/km (23%) |
| BIK 20/40% per month £89/£177 |
| Warranty 5yrs/unlimited miles |
| Boot space 513 litres |
| Engine size/power 1685cc/114hp |
RVs: 39.7%/£9175
The Tucson beats its rivals for residual values
Fuel costs: £4948
The thirstiest of our group for fuel
SMR: £1739
Despite premium appeal it’s the cheapest for SMR costs
To our review of the Hyundai Tucson click here
Best of the rest
| Citroen C4 Cactus 1.6 BlueHDI 100 Flair | £18,765 | 95g/km | 43.6p |
| Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi 150 Zetec | £22,890 | 122g/km | 52.2p |
| Honda CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC 120 S Nav | £24,640 | 115g/km | 53.0p |
| Mazda CX-5 2.2d 150 SE-L Nav | £24,940 | 119g/km | 52.4p |
| Mitsubishi ASX 1.6D 112 ZC-M | £19,499 | 119g/km | 46.7p |
| Skoda Yeti 2.0TDI 110 SE | £20,050 | 118g/km | 47.3p |
| Suzuki Vitara 1.6 DDiS 120 SZ-T | £17,694 | 106g/km | 41.7p |
| Toyota Rav4 2.0 D-4D 143 Business Edition | £25,040 | 123g/km | 59.1p |
Related articles:
Cost analysis – Vauxhall Astra
Whole-life costs: The hard sell
