The Ateca first arrived in 2016 as Seat’s very first SUV, and while a few years later than many other mainstream brands, it quickly showed its worth with its stylish looks, practical interior and class-leading driving experience.
Since then, the Ateca has continued to improve and evolve, with its last update freshening up the design and giving the model more technology and a higher-quality finish in the process. While there might be newer rivals on the scene, the Ateca is still more than able to hold its own. Here’s what you need to know about the 2023 Seat Ateca.
What engines are available?
Seat offers a good range of engines on the Ateca, with a choice of petrol and diesel models available.
Kicking things off is a turbocharged 1.0-litre engine that’s paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. Accelerating to 60mph takes 11.1 seconds, with Seat claiming up to 46.3mpg. The additional performance of the 148bhp 1.5-litre petrol is welcome, though, as it drops the 0-60mph time to 8.8 seconds, with a fuel economy figure of 44.8mpg given. This 1.5-litre unit is also offered with a choice of a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG automatic transmission.
The quickest Seat Ateca is a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that puts out 187bhp and allows for a 0-60mph time of 6.9 seconds. It is the thirstiest version, however, with Seat claiming 35.3mpg. This engine also features a DSG automatic gearbox and four-wheel-drive as standard, with all other petrol Atecas being front-wheel-drive instead.
If you’d prefer a diesel, all are powered by the popular 2.0-litre turbocharged unit. A 113bhp version starts things off, paired with a six-speed manual, with a more powerful 148bhp option being the pick of the range. With this, you can get from 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds, while it’s able to return up to a claimed 58.9mpg. There’s a choice of manual and automatic gearboxes, with four-wheel-drive offered with the latter, though it will have an effect on fuel economy.
What trim levels are offered?
Seat offers a great choice of trim levels on the Ateca, with equipment highlights and prices as follows.
SE – from £26,395
All Ateca models come with plenty of equipment, with the entry-level SE trim coming with 17-inch alloy wheels, metallic paint, an eight-inch digital cockpit screen and an 8.25-inch touchscreen with DAB radio and wireless Apple CarPLay and Android Auto. It also comes with cruise control, keyless entry, a wireless smartphone charging and front and parking sensors, and comes with pretty much all the kit you’d need.
SE Technology – from £27,215
It might be worth upgrading to the SE Technology grade for its small price increase, as it brings a larger 9.2-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation, along with more stylish 19-inch alloy wheels, chrome roof rails and window trim.
FR – from £30,405
The FR brings a sportier look thanks to its smarter 18-inch alloy wheels, rear spoiler, tinted windows and body-coloured wheelarches. It also comes with multicoloured LED interior lighting, automatic lights and wipers and Dinamica-trimmed seats.
FR Sport – from £32,775
Building on the FR, this Sport model features 19-inch alloy wheels, a larger 10-inch digital dial display, heated front seats, leather upholstery and an electric driver’s seat.
Xperience – from £30,475
The Xperience builds on the SE Technology model with its silver 18-inch alloy wheels and more rugged styling kit, while also coming with tinted rear windows, ambient LED lighting and Dinamica-trimmed seats. Other features include a heated windscreen, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control, lane assist and traffic sign recognition.
Xperience Lux – from £33,535
At the top of the line-up, the Xperience Lux comes with large 19-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, an electric tailgate, top-view camera, heated front seats and blind spot monitoring.
What about personalisation?
Seat isn’t a brand renowned for its personalisation, as it doesn’t offer many optional extras. Instead, it brings a range of well-specced trim levels, with the Ateca’s sportier FR trim and more rugged Xperience grade offering plenty to set them apart from other models.
Seat is unique in the fact it offers all its colours for free, including brighter metallic shades like Velvet Red, Lava Blue and Dark Camouflage. But the choice of conventional optional extras is quite limited, including a tow bar (£760), space saver spare wheel (£125) and panoramic sunroof (£1,140).
Enquire on a new Seat Ateca
