SEAT Ateca review: a carefully improved family SUV

With more than 300,000 units sold since 2016, the SEAT Ateca has been a genuine success story for the Spanish brand. To ensure it remains so, the SUV has received a thoroughly deserved update.

As this is a facelift, SEAT's approach has been to freshen up its appearance. The new front end, which adopts the family look first introduced by the Tarraco, accounts for the most noticeable changes, although there are also new rear lights and a redesigned rear bumper.

The model identification now uses new lettering, while the vehicle tested here is also a new, more adventure-inspired Xperience version.

In my view, the finished result is a positive one. If there was one area where the Ateca's already successful styling could be improved, it was the front end, and I have to say that this new face suits it well.

Still unmistakably itself

You need to look more closely inside to spot the updates. The key addition is a new 10.25-inch digital instrument panel, along with a revised infotainment system.

Perceived quality has also improved. Although the Ateca's cabin was already solidly built before the facelift, new materials and a two-tone dashboard treatment with evidently high-quality inserts have lifted the overall sense of quality.

The steering wheel is new, too. As well as being well sized and comfortable to hold, its controls deserve praise for being straightforward and intuitive to operate.

Finally, I must offer SEAT some “thanks” for not fitting the Ateca with touch-sensitive climate controls, as Volkswagen has done in the Tiguan. Physical controls remain, and their ergonomic advantages are clear when driving.

The SEAT Ateca sticks with a winning formula

Regarded as one of the best medium SUVs for dynamic handling, the SEAT Ateca remains true to those credentials after the facelift.

Its steering is still accurate, direct and communicative, the chassis remains well judged, and the whole package strikes an effective balance between comfort and handling. This makes the Ateca one of the most enjoyable SUVs to drive when travelling alone, while its predictable responses and reassuring road manners continue to inspire confidence when the family is on board.

The 150 PS and 250 Nm 1.5 TSI petrol engine is paired with the quick, well-ratioed seven-speed DSG gearbox. Like a chameleon, it adapts very effectively to different driving styles and the four driving modes.

In “Eco” mode, it sacrifices some liveliness and throttle response, without becoming lethargic, in favour of better efficiency, allowing average fuel consumption of 5.7 l/100 km. In “Normal” mode, it aims to-and succeeds in-delivering the best of both worlds.

In “Sport” mode, which also adds weight to the steering, the 1.5 TSI responds with greater and welcome enthusiasm. The DSG gearbox contributes by holding each gear for longer and changing up at higher engine speeds, making overtaking pleasingly effortless.

Fuel consumption rises slightly in this mode, though not excessively, with averages around 7-7.5 l/100 km. That is more than acceptable for a family petrol SUV.

Is the SEAT Ateca the right car for me?

The SEAT Ateca was not one of those models crying out for a facelift. However, its success and the renewal of the SEAT range risked making its styling appear dated and out of step with the Spanish brand's other models, which is why it has been updated.

The result is a model that retains all of its strengths-from its engaging handling to its family-friendly qualities-while enhancing its image and smoothing out a few rough edges.

The technology offering has grown, although the test car went without the always welcome rear-view camera; its design has been refreshed and, above all, perceived cabin quality has improved.

All of this makes the SEAT Ateca the embodiment of the saying “if it isn't broken, don't fix it”, or, in this case, “change very little”. Improved in a few details, the Ateca remains one of the segment's most balanced offerings and, without doubt, an option worth considering.