SEAT Ateca 1.0 TSI 110 CV | test | Opinions

The Seat Ateca will always have the honor of being the brand’s first SUV. It hit the market in 2016 and, around 2020, it received an interesting update. At its presentation we had driven the most powerful diesel version and now it is time to get behind the wheel of a more balanced and demanded one, the Seat Ateca 1.0 TSI of 110 CV.

The tested unit corresponds to the Style Go finish, one of the most interesting (in fact, the mechanics are not offered with the FR sports finish or the more country X-Perience. It already has elements such as 17-inch alloy wheels, Full headlights LED with high beam assistant, dual-zone climate control, parking assistant with rear camera, warning system for involuntary lane change, Front Assist with emergency braking, digital radio, fatigue detector.

If you choose the package Style Go M You win elements such as the 9.2-inch screen with a browser, eight speakers and Seat Connect, an exterior package in black… for just 280 euros more. And the Style Go L adds further security endowment.

Starting price? Well, right now, €31,110 With this combination of finish and engine, a figure that does not include discounts or promotions of any kind. You can find Seat Ateca offers in our new car section, published by the official dealers of the brand. Remember that you can finance the car with our tools to make it more convenient to pay for it month by month. Time to analyze it and see what it offers.

Abroad

Seat arrived late to the SUV segment. Many said that it was too much, but it knew how to gain a foothold in this highly contained category, to the point of leading the market with the Arona. Without a doubt, the design was one of the strong points, without fanfare and seeking to please everyone.

The biggest innovations in the update were on the front, just a new grill that took the path that the Tarraco started. The shapes of the front lights have also changed slightly, which can be Full LED in the simplest finishes. The bumpers also have a more robust appearance.

Their dimensions did not vary, with 4,381mm length, of which 2,638 correspond to the wheelbase. Other dimensions are 1,841 mm wide and 1,615 mm high. The silhouette did not change, just new sets of wheels available, 16-inch in the simpler finishes and 17-inch in the proven Style Go finish.

Already in the rear, the headlights debuted new shapes and the logo adopted a two-dimensional pattern. The most visible of the novelties was the name of the model, which now occupies the central part of the trunk lid and has a different typeface, as if it had been written by hand.

Inside

Inside, the changes in the Ateca were just as subtle, focused mainly on improving connectivity and some coating materials. The fits between pieces continue to be very good.

The central screen stands out, of 9.2 inches of the multimedia system in the tested unit, although as standard it mounts an 8.1. It is very complete, it has gesture control and mobile connectivity with Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto. Two USB-C type sockets or the wireless charging area help not to be separated from the mobile.

After the update the steering wheel was changed and I like that it now includes the controls for the cruise control, forgetting the satellite control on the left. Behind the wheel we see a digital instrument panel with different ways to display the information, very abundant. It is optional, other simpler versions have analog clocks.

And there are no variations in space or livability. Good front and rear space, enough headroom and headroom for two adults, even if you equip a sunroof like our test unit had. As for the width, it is not the best for three (few compact SUVs offer a good dimension here). In addition, the central tunnel is quite bulky, and the central seat is not as soft as the side ones. We have, yes, air conditioning vents and a couple of USB-C sockets.

Trunk

As usual with vehicle upgrades, there were no changes to cargo capacity. The trunk kept the 510 liter capacity…in front-wheel drive versions. The figure drops to 485 liters if you choose all-wheel drive (only available with the most powerful gasoline.

It has very regular shapes that make it usable, despite the fact that it is not one of the largest in the segment, partly because the external size is quite contained. Of course, you have to save a step from the edge of loading to the floor. Under it, by the way, we have a temporary spare wheel.

There is no shortage of details such as a 12 V socket or even a 220 socket that are very useful, as well as hangers or hooks to fix the load. The space left free by the tailgate is quite wide and that makes it easy to load large objects. For this task, it also helps to fold down the rear seatbacks, leaving a space of 1,604 liters of capacity.

Engine

The mechanical range continues without electrification of any kind. The same thing happens to the Ateca as to the Skoda Karoq that recently passed through the test section: its compact equivalents (Seat León and Octavia with which they share a platform), do have it.

There are diesel versions, with the 2.0 TDI of 115 and 150 CV and gasoline, the 1.0 TSI of 110 CV. AND 1.5 EcoTSI 150 hp and, at the top of the range, the 2.0 TSI of 190 CV with 4Drive all-wheel drive. All of them, with the label C.

Access gasoline is one of the most demanded. It mounts the block of three supercharged inline cylinders, which delivers its 81 kW of maximum power (110 CV) at 5.00 rpm, with a maximum torque of 200Nm stable between 2,00 and 3,000 rpm. On paper, a sufficient engine for a quiet drive, since it completes the 0 to 100 m/h in 11.3 secondswith a tip of 180 km/h and a combined consumption of 6.0 l/100 km with the Style Go finish that we have in hand.

Behavior

With this engine under the hood, the Seat Ateca marks 1,341 kg on the scale. It is a fairly contained figure and that is why, at calm and calm rhythms, the engine moves the car well. It responds smoothly and the six-speed manual gearbox feels good.

We mentioned the transmission so soon because you have to use it often when you need the car to give of itself. We are talking about an access model, without enormous power or torque and when you travel on the highway or in an area with slopes, you have to pull it for the engine to respond.

And it is that, of course, even with this mechanics, the Ateca is one of the best in the segment in terms of chassis dynamism, with a fabulous set-up for cornering. The suspension has a good setting and the behavior is close to that of a compact, combined with precise steering. It is stable in these environments.

If you want the car to move lively, in addition to pulling the gearbox to take it high in revs, it will be difficult to get the approved consumption. You will move in figures close to them on secondary roads at a calm pace, but it is a highway, especially with long slopes, seeing figures higher than 7 l/100 km on the on-board computer is not strange. And in the city, more of the same: not having a minimum degree of electrification increases spending on urban circulation.

Opinion cars.com

Motor journalists are often criticized because we test very powerful or equipped versions. It is appreciated that Seat has given us one of the access models of an SUV that has resumed good sales figures in 2023. This version is also in high demand and dynamically exceeds the expectations that one gets with the most basic version of a compact SUV.

Obviously, its engine is not as round for a car of its size as the 150 hp 1.5 TSI can be. You don’t travel so loosely, it forces you to play with the gearbox, but at normal speeds the car moves well and the Ateca can overtake without too many problems.

We do not have this engine with an automatic transmission which, curiously, is offered in the Arona (see test). This would solve having to play so much with the lever sometimes, which, in any case, has a good touch.

The aesthetic changes were not extreme either and we cannot say that it is bad. The finishes and connectivity have improved, the aspects where they should have an impact and with this it should maintain the pace of sales, despite not having mechanics with an ECO label, increasingly important for some drivers, especially when entering with the car in cities

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