SEAT has given the popular Ateca SUV a major mid-life makeover, with new styling and an upgraded interior, plus some new technology and connectivity options.
"The Ateca has become one of the brands' more successful vehicles, selling more than 300,000 units since its introduction in 2016. The new SEAT Ateca 2020 is an evolution of the original product and it aims at continuing with its success by consolidating our position in one of the most important market segments," said Carsten Isensee, SEAT President and Vice-president for Finance and IT.
The most obvious change is to the outside, where the grille has become much more prominent and '3D' than before, echoing the styling of the larger Tarraco. It's a little longer overall than before (by 18mm) but that's only down to new bumpers front and rear. Otherwise, the dimensions remain the same. At the rear, as up front, there are new, slimmer, LED lights.
As before, there are SE, SE Technology, FR, FR Sport trims as well as new XPerience and XPerience Lux models, and each one gets its own unique alloy wheel design. FR trim is easy to spot from the outside - it comes with Cosmo Grey Metallic highlights on the front and rear bumper mouldings, fog lamp grill, mirror caps, side mouldings and exhausts.
XPerience, replaces the old XCellence trim, and has more of an off-roady flavour, with black bumpers, aluminium trim, and wheel-arch surrounds.
The paint palette has also been updated, and now includes Bila White and Energy Blue as solid colours, and metallic finishes in Dark Camouflage, Lava Blue, Velvet Red, Rhodium Grey, Reflex Silver, Black Magic, Crystal Black, Nevada White.
Inside, the Ateca now gets the 10.25-inch digital instrument panel, while the centre touchscreen is larger than before, at either 8.25-inch, or 9.2-inch depending on the spec level. We had been expecting SEAT to fit the updated Ateca with a free-standing screen, as seen in the new Leon, but it has instead chosen to keep the screen integrated into the centre of the dash, as before.
Interior quality is said to be improved, and the XPerience model gains a Ford-style heated quick-clearing windscreen for chilly climates.
That touchscreen now comes with a new casual-language voice recognition system, and thanks to SEAT's Spanish heritage you wake it up by saying 'Hola, Hola.' Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay connections are standard, and there's an embedded SIM card to make sure that the Ateca is always wirelessly connected, and the SIM means that there's both emergency SOS calling and connection to SEAT customer service and roadside assistance, always in your own language no matter where you take your Ateca for a spin. If you want a wired connection for your phone or tablet, there are four USB-C sockets in the cabin, so get updating those charging cables, folks...
On the safety front, the Ateca has been upgraded with systems such as Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control, Side and Exit Assist and Front Assist with Pre-Crash braking. Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) uses feeds from GPS data delivered from the navigation system and input from the front-mounted camera and Traffic Sign Recognition, allowing it to proactively amend the cruise speed depending on the road layout ahead - bends, roundabouts, junctions, changes in speed limits and built-up areas. This reduces the requirement for driver input and mitigates against sudden speed changes and manoeuvres. "The new SEAT Ateca does not only keep its strength, like outstanding robustness, proven in durability tests, but it also brings a new dimension to safety and convenience. This is achieved with a host of integrated systems that makes Ateca among the safest and most advanced SUVs in the market," said Axel Andorff, Executive Vice-president for Research and Development at SEAT. "From the ability to offer supervised automated driving in certain scenarios to aiding the driver when leaving a parking space, the new Seat Ateca gives both drivers and pedestrians increased peace of mind."
SEAT hasn't yet updated the engine lineup for the Ateca, so don't go expecting the new mild-hybrid or plug-in hybrid units to put in an appearance just yet. You can choose from a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol turbo engine with 110hp, a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol turbo with 150hp, or a range-topping 2.0-litre petrol turbo with 190hp.
The diesel lineup offers a 2.0-litre TDI engine with either 115hp or 150hp, and a seven-speed DSG gearbox is optional on all engines. The 190hp petrol and 150Hp diesel can be had with optional 4Drive four-wheel drive and there are three driving modes - Eco, Normal, Sport and Individual - on front-wheel variants, and two additional modes - Offroad and Snow - for 4Drive versions.
The Ateca has been a big success for SEAT since launch, and more than 300,000 have been sold so far. "The Ateca marked SEAT's successful debut in the SUV segment and has become a cornerstone of the brand's long-term strategy along with the other pillars of the company; the Ibiza and Leon families", said SEAT's Executive Vice-president for Sales and Marketing, Wayne Griffiths. "The SUV segment sales had a very positive impact to the company's results in 2019. 44 per cent of the cars sold by SEAT globally last year were either Ateca, Arona or Tarraco models. With the new Ateca 2020, we believe we are in a good position to keep our positive results in the segment."