Skip advert
Advertisement

SEAT Ateca review - strong start from sporty Spanish SUV - SEAT Ateca MPG and running costs

SEAT's first SUV is among the better cars of its type, but you'll have to wait for the Cupra for any real excitement

Evo rating
RRP
from £17,990
  • Good value, well-equipped, neat handling
  • Little to enthral or excite until the Cupra arrives

Most frugal of all Atecas is the 1.6 TDI, with combined economy of 65.7mpg and a CO2 figure of 113g/km. Not that you should expect to replicate such numbers in the real world of course, and particularly not if you start loading the car with people and objects. In fact, we’d expect the larger 2-litre TDI versions to get closer to their quoted figures in regular driving (55.4mpg for the 150PS car, 53.3mpg for the 190PS) and if driven gently, the 2.0 TDIs won’t be a great deal thirstier than the 1.6.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Similar on paper is the 1.0 TSI, with a 54.3mpg combined number and 119g/km of CO2. Perhaps most impressive is the 1.4 EcoTSI, at 53.3mpg combined with as little as 120g/km of CO2 escaping from its exhaust pipe. The 60.1mpg “extra urban” figure, little more than 1mpg worse than the 1.0 TSI, hints at the benefits of cylinder deactivation while running at light throttle loads and constant speeds.

Typical Ateca driving is unlikely to chew through brakes or tyres at a significant rate and with insurance groups as low as 9E (for the 1.6 TDI) the Ateca probably won’t be too expensive to run in other ways either.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The subtle trick that makes Audi’s old interior better than a touch screen
evo Fast Fleet Audi TT RS
Long term tests

The subtle trick that makes Audi’s old interior better than a touch screen

Its tech is no longer state of the art, but it’s got ease of use nailed
22 Sep 2026
Peugeot 208 GTi review – can it take the fight to the Alpine A290?
2026 Peugeot 208 GTi
Reviews

Peugeot 208 GTi review – can it take the fight to the Alpine A290?

After a six year hiatus, Peugeot has revived GTi with a modern take on its iconic hot 208. We find out if has the same spark as its predecessor with a…
23 Sep 2026
Porsche 911 Carrera T review – the ultimate all-round sports car
Porsche 911 Carrera T
Reviews

Porsche 911 Carrera T review – the ultimate all-round sports car

One of a handful of manual sports cars that remain, the Carrera T is also the most 'affordable' way into a manual 911
22 Sep 2026