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

TVR Cerbera (1996-2004) review – the British bargain supercar
TVR Cerbera
Reviews

TVR Cerbera (1996-2004) review – the British bargain supercar

The singular, spectacular Cerbera is a genuine supercar that’s often overlooked – and, arguably, underpriced
2 Nov 2026
BMW i3 50 review – why it's the best electric car we've driven
BMW i3
Reviews

BMW i3 50 review – why it's the best electric car we've driven

The BMW i3 name has returned, but now in a much more conventional form than before. It's quick in 50 xDrive form, and retains Munich's sophisticated d…
30 Oct 2026
The best cars we’ve ever driven – evo’s five-star cars
The best cars ever
Best cars

The best cars we’ve ever driven – evo’s five-star cars

Five-star cars are the very best cars we’ve ever tested, and sure-fire hits for all in search of the thrill of driving
29 Oct 2026