Cupra Ateca
- Cupra Ateca joins the HJ fleet
- Is the Cupra Ateca exciting?
- A Welsh road trip
- Will there be a Cupra Arona?
- A week with a Skoda Octavia vRS...
- The Ateca's so good I'm not using my own car
- Is this is the ultimate winter hack?
- Cupra reveals the Tavascan
- Can you get a discount on a new Cupra Ateca?
- Cupra Ateca contributes to strong sales for SEAT
- Everything we rate and hate about the Cupra Ateca
Cupra Ateca joins the HJ fleet
We'll be spending six months with the Cupra Ateca. Andy goes to town with options...
Date: 10 June 2019 | Current mileage: 101 | Claimed economy: 34.0mpg | Actual economy: 27.3mpg
Everyone has an opinion on the Cupra Ateca. Whether I’m talking to a disinterested friend, chatting to a car enthusiast or passing time with other motoring journos, everyone has something to say about the Cupra Ateca.
If you’re not familiar, SEAT is Volkswagen Group’s trendy Spanish brand. It’s been selling Cupra models for a number of years - essentially sporty versions of its everyday cars; SEAT’s alternative to Volkswagen’s GTI, for example.
It announced in 2018 that Cupra was to go as a standalone brand, similar to Citroen’s DS and Fiat's Abarth sub-brands. In the future we’ll see models from Cupra, including the upcoming Formentor but, in the first instance, its the Ateca crossover that’s been given the Cupra treatment.
So there are no SEAT badges (unless you look really closely). They’ve been replaced by Cupra’s tribal tattoo style badge. There’s also a 300PS 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, as used in the Volkswagen Golf R, and four-wheel-drive and a DSG automatic gearbox as standard.
SEAT (sorry, Cupra) isn’t big on options - but if it’s available, my Ateca’s got it. Velvet Red paint? Yup. Bucket seats? Check. Panoramic sunroof? Essential. Oh, and I also ticked the box for copper alloy wheels. Because why wouldn’t you?
That takes the price to a hefty £41,190. On the one hand, that’s a bargain. There’s no other SUV on the market with this amount of performance for the money. The closest you’ll get is a Porsche Macan which, in standard guise, is slower and more expensive. You can also get surprisingly close to this kind of money with the standard SEAT Ateca.
On the other hand, it nudges it over £40,000, which means it’ll cost £465 a year in tax for the first five years. Oh, how the next owner will love me.
I’ve just taken delivery and, although I’ve yet to drive it, I’m chuffed with it. It looks fantastic, in my opinion, and I’m quite excited about driving a do-it-all SUV that doubles up as a hot hatch. Will that enthusiasm continue for the next six months? We’ll see...
Is the Cupra Ateca exciting?
Is the Cupra Ateca a special edition short of being truly exciting?
Date: 24 June 2019 | Current mileage: 673 | Claimed economy: 34.0mpg | Actual economy: 28.0mpg
'Exciting' and 'SUV' don't really go together. Sure, a Lamborghini Urus can be pretty exciting, and Porsche knows how to make an SUV good to drive. But generally, you don't expect an affordable SUV like the SEAT Ateca to stir the senses.
Things start to sound more intoxicating when you look at the Cupra Ateca's technical details: 300PS from a turbocharged petrol engine shared with the Golf R, 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds and a top speed in the region of 152mph.
A problem I have with the Ateca is that is does exciting in a very Volkswagen Group way. Sure, it's very quick, and its tyres will cling on ferociously in the bends - but there's something lacking.
There are, of course, a myriad of drive modes on hand to tailor your requirements. I've played around with the individual mode... sharpened throttle response? Yes please. Anti-social sound effects? Absolutely. Rock hard suspension? Definitely not. But I still don't get a buzz out of driving it.
Some will point at the Cupra Ateca's gearbox. You can't get a manual transmission with the Cupra - just a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox. I think it suits the car well, though, and there are paddles behind the steering wheel should you wish to change gear yourself.
While I normally ignore such paddles, the DSG 'box can be irritatingly hesitant at times, so I do find myself selecting manual mode quite often. And it does help make the Ateca feel a bit more exciting - partly because it gives the driver something else to do rather than simply 'point and shoot'.
Cupra recently announced a special edition Ateca. Its spec looks very similar to mine - 20-inch copper alloy wheels and bucket seats - but one highlight that stands out is the Akrapoviç exhaust system. In sportier driving modes, my Ateca will pipe fake engine noise into the cabin, but it's not as vocal as I'd like. I reckon the special edition might be worth the cash for the Akrapoviç alone.
If that's not enough, German tuner ABT Sportsline offers an upgrade which adds an extra 50PS and boosts torque to 440Nm (up from the standard car's 400Nm), shaving 0.2 seconds off the Ateca's 0-62mph time. I'm not saying the Cupra needs more power, but it certainly sounds more exciting...
A Welsh road trip
What better way to get to know the Cupra Ateca than a road trip?
Date: 8 July 2019 | Current mileage: 1085 | Claimed economy: 34.0mpg | Actual economy: 33.0mpg
When I was a teenager with ambitions of writing about cars and calling it work, I foolishly assumed I'd spend all my time in Wales. Back then I read the glossy monthly magazines and believed all road testers spent their days on moorland roads learning about the intricacies of car handling.
That doesn't happen. I'm more likely to be found on the outskirts of Peterborough wrestling with a tape measure to find out whether you get fit a set of golf clubs in a BMW Z4 or just how easy it is for an athritic pensioner to get into a Honda Jazz. This isn't a complaint - I enjoy hearing from readers who've bought a car based on my advice - but it might explain why I recently chose to go camping in South Wales during my summer holidays.
It made perfect sense: the Cupra Ateca is still relatively new to me and there's no better way of getting to know a car than by taking it on a road trip. It'd get everything thrown at it - a motorway cruise, demanding B-roads and, if things didn't go well, a mallet intended for whacking in tent pegs.
So that's what I did. As you can imagine from a 300PS SUV, fuel economy isn't the Ateca's forte. In no great rush to get there, I settled into a gentle 70mph motorway cruise while the fully-loaded Cupra showed mid-30s MPG on the trip computer. Not bad for a car with maximum official fuel economy of 34mpg.
Fuel consumption took a hit as I passed Worcester and, bored of motorways, decided to follow an alternative cross-country route suggested by Google Maps. While not great for efficiency, it was a great opportunity to test the 'Cupra' element of the Cupra Ateca.
As you'd expect, its 300PS engine makes light work of overtaking slower traffic on rural roads, and the Ateca's raised seating position helps visibility. Sure, you're not going to get much in the way of steering feel or yaw angles (15-year-old me would be ashamed), but it's easy to make cross-country progress in the Ateca when the mood takes you.
Of course, enjoying myself wasn't the sole purpose of this holiday. I also had the test out the 'Ateca' element of the Cupra Ateca - by which I mean, just how practical it is. And it easily swallowed a tent, camping chairs, clothes for all occasions and even a mountain bike in the back with the seats dropped down.
Complaints? Well, while the Cupra Ateca is incredibly versatile, it's also a little bit in-your-face. Nothing screams 'townie on holiday' than a bright red SUV with bronze alloys turning up at a Welsh campsite. This is partly my fault for speccing it the way I did, but something I wish it was a trifle more subtle...
Will there be a Cupra Arona?
A small SUV could be added to Cupra's range, powered by the same 2.0-litre turbocharged engine as the Volkswagen Polo GTI.
Date: 22 July 2019 | Current mileage: 1387 | Claimed economy: 34.0mpg | Actual economy: 32.2mpg
If SEAT's going to make a success of its Cupra brand, it's going to need a more extensive line-up than its current offering. And when the brand announced it was going alone last year, it revealed plans to introduce seven new models by 2021.
"We have the Leon, we have the Ateca, we are looking at other cars in the range that we could do a Cupra car of – whether that’s Arona or Ibiza – or, in the future, even go as far as launching a car purely as a Cupra car," said Cupra's CEO, Wayne Griffiths.
While Cupra's already got as far as announcing a standalone model - the Formentor - that sounds to me like quite a strong hint that we're going to see Cupra versions of other SEATs. And I reckon the small Arona crossover could be prime for being given the Cupra treatment.
Having just enjoyed a week with a Honda HR-V Sport, I can see the appeal of a hot little crossover like a Cupra Arona. We spent six months with a standard Arona and its biggest weakness was the 1.5-litre petrol engine, so a souped-up version would be quite an attractive proposition.
As the Arona shares a platform with the Volkswagen Polo, its likely that a Cupra Arona would use the same 200PS 2.0-litre petrol engine as the Polo GTI. Expect it to cover 0-62mph in around 7.0 seconds, while the chassis would be upgraded to improve handling.
Further modifications are likely to include bigger brakes and larger wheels, while cosmetic updates could take inspiration from the Cupra Ateca. Expect quad tailpipes, a body kit and sports seats inside.
Of course, there'll be a price to pay for all this if the Cupra magic is ever worked on the Arona. The standard SEAT Arona currently tops out at around £25,000, while the Cupra Ateca starts at close to £37,000.
With the Honda costing up to £29,000, it wouldn't surprise me to see a Cupra Arona starting at more than £30,000. And that could be a bitter pill to swallow...
A week with a Skoda Octavia vRS...
The Skoda Octavia vRS doesn't compare with our Cupra Ateca on paper. But Andy quite likes it...
Date: 5 August 2019 | Current mileage: 1883 | Claimed economy: 34.0mpg | Actual economy: 31.9mpg
When the Cupra Ateca first arrived a few months ago, I loved it. I thought it looked the business, its spec was perfect and I seized every opportunity to drive it.
But doubts have started to set in. And it's partly the fault of a Skoda Octavia vRS estate we had in for test recently.
On paper, the Ateca pips the Octavia in almost every way. 300PS vs 245PS. Four-wheel drive vs front-wheel drive. 5.2 seconds to 62mph vs 6.7 seconds. While the Ateca does have the oh-so-desirable high seating position, it does lose out to the Octavia in terms of practicality - with 485 litres of luggage space compared to the Octavia's 610 litres.
But, even though it'll never beat the Ateca in a drag race, I was really smitten with how the Octavia drives. Unlike the Ateca, which encourages you to be a yob, the Octavia seems to reward smooth inputs, and it's plenty quick enough to put a smile on your face.
Being the Challenge model, our Octavia was fitted with a trick limited-slip differential, divvying up the power between the front wheels. Go hard on the accelerator coming out of a bend and it'll shift power to whichever wheel has the most grip, leading it to feeling enormously agile - even without the four-wheel drive of the Ateca.
While I have the seat in the Ateca positioned as low as possible, you sit much closer to the road in the Octavia. A lot of people would rather see over hedgerows, but there's no denying that being closer to the road is preferable if you're looking to drive enthusiastically. And why would you buy a car like this if you don't?
Despite being on 19-inch alloy wheels, like the Ateca, and fitted with adaptive suspension, like the Ateca, the Octavia seemed better at soaking up bumps in the road, too. This might be down to the near-300kg weight advantage the Skoda has over the Cupra.
I also like that the Octavia looks quite understated. Even the Challenge model, to the untrained eye, looks like a Skoda estate with some fancy wheels. Drive it with vigour and people will just think you're a photocopier salesman who's late for a meeting. The Ateca shouts about its capabalities, though - and that isn't helped by the bold specification I went for, with bright red paint and bronze alloys.
The Ateca's so good I'm not using my own car
The Ateca does everything - from a practical runabout to a fun sports car. So much so, Andy's finding he's hardly driven his MR2...
Date: 19 August 2019 | Current mileage: 2484 | Claimed economy: 34.0mpg | Actual economy: 31.4mpg
I'm in the privileged position that, as well as running my Cupra Ateca for six months, I also get to spend time with the various cars that come in for review at HonestJohn.co.uk. That's why I recently spent some time with the excellent Skoda Octavia vRS and concluded I preferred it to the Ateca.
The sensible thing to do, in my situation, would be to not own a car and rely on driving the latest test cars. But I quite like owning a car - not only does it help with building up a no-claims bonus, it also keeps my feet on the ground with all the day-to-day mundane things like getting it MOTed and getting it fixed when it goes wrong.
My personal car of choice is a Toyota MR2. It's not very practical - but that doesn't matter as it's primarily a weekend toy - and the roof is quickly dropped on sunny days. It's also relatively cheap to run, thanks to a classic insurance policy and unwavering reliability. But I've only used it for about 700 miles this year, and it's all the fault of the Cupra Ateca.
While I'd hate to describe myself as a 'petrolhead', I obviously enjoy cars and driving. And, while the MR2 has previously been a perfect car for taking on an evening drive or for a summer's weekend away, the Cupra has now firmly taken that role. Yes, a crossover SUV can do the job of weekend sports car.
It doesn't help that I've spent a fair bit of summer doing the kind of things that appear in adverts for SUVs - camping, mountain biking and the like, and the Ateca's much better suited to that than the MR2. While the Ateca's fun to drive, it can also fit my bike in the back (with the rear seats dropped), and I could even sleep in it if I really had to. I'm not sure I'd want to try that in the Toyota.
It also turns more heads than the MR2. It looks quite in-your-face, and I was recently approached by a lad in an old Ibiza in a petrol station who was keen to find out more about it. Out of all the cars that have graced by driveway in recent months, it's also the one that my neighbours have asked about the most.
So, while I continue to be sceptical about the whole 'not a SEAT' thing, it's fair to say there's a fair bit of buzz around the Cupra Ateca. The fact that it's so good at going about day-to-day life while also being a huge amount of fun to drive means it does the whole 'only car you'd ever need' thing very well.
I just think my MR2 will be glad when it goes back.
Is this is the ultimate winter hack?
Winter's drawing in and the dark nights are revealing some of the good and bad points of the Cupra Ateca.
Date: 2 September 2019 | Current mileage: 2982 | Claimed economy: 34.0mpg | Actual economy: 31.7mpg
The nights are drawing in, Bake Off's on the tele, and I'm now spending more time driving the Ateca in the dark.
It's surprising how a dark evening in rural Northamptonshire can highlight good and bad things in a car. First of all, the interior ambient lighting - standard on all Cupra Atecas - is pretty nifty. It's red as standard, but trawling through the menus give you a range of colours you can change it to to suit your fancy.
While trawling through the menus, it's also a good idea to reduce the brightness of the screen. While turning on the headlights will change the background colour of the navigation, it doesn't automatically adjust the brightness of Android Auto. While I prefer to use Waze or Google Maps for navigation, it can be blinding in the dark.
One thing I've previously noticed in the daylight is the blind spot detection seems to have a mind of its own. In theory, this is quite a useful feature - when driving on the motorway, for example, a light will show in the door mirror, letting you know at a glance if a vehicle is lurking in your blind spot. It'll start flashing if you start changing lanes towards it.
Only, in my Ateca, it'll do this randomly when there's no car in sight. It can be a bit unnerving driving in the dark with the blind spot detection light flashing away with no cars to be seen - especially when you want to change lanes. It seems to be worse in inclement weather, so I wonder if it's something to do with rain or dirt on the sensor.
As is often the case when driving new cars (SUVs in particular) with bright LED lights, other motorists often seem to think I'm driving around with my lights on full beam, and are quick to respond with a flash or two of the lights. A search of the forums suggests I'm not the only Ateca driver to experience this.
Back onto the positives, I quite like the Cupra Ateca's puddle lights. I've previously mentioned how useful they are when camping, but they're also good when you drop your keys onto the pavement when getting out of the car in the dark.
Overall, I reckon the Ateca's going to make a brilliant winter hack. It's got all the gadgets I could wish for, along with that feeling of invincibility brought on by a high-up seating position and four-wheel drive.
Cupra reveals the Tavascan
The Cupra Tavascan has been revealed at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show. But why didn't the brand start with this rather than the Ateca?
Date: 16 September 2019 | Current mileage: 3379 | Claimed economy: 34.0mpg | Actual economy: 30.8mpg
The Cupra Tavascan. No, not a heartburn remedy but an electric concept coupe-SUV from SEAT. Sorry, I mean Cupra.
I don't want to keep retreading old ground, but I'm still finding it a little difficult accepting my Ateca isn't a SEAT. It feels very similar to SEAT Atecas I've driven before, and there are various features that suggest it's very definitely a SEAT.
I've also been finding it a little awkward having to explain what it is. When checking into a hotel recently, they asked for the make and model of my car so I told them it was a Cupra Ateca. It was obvious the receptionist thought I was the sort of person who tells everyone he has an 'AMG Mercedes', so I think I'll call it a SEAT Ateca in the future.
Anyway, back to the Gaviscon. I mean Tavascan. It's just been revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show and it's a little easier to believe this isn't a SEAT as - although it follows the Spanish firm's tradition of naming cars after places - it looks nothing like any SEAT ever before.
The brand claims it 'reinvents sportiness', powered by two electric motors (one on each axle) producing a combined 306PS.
It shares Volkswagen Group's MEB platform with the upcoming Volkswagen ID3 (you didn't think it'd be unique enough not to use a Volkswagen Group platform, did you?), and its 77kWh battery pack is good for a range of up to 280 miles.
Although it's just a concept for now, it's fair to assume a production model is likely to follow within the next couple of years. But, just like the Formentor, I find myself asking why Cupra didn't launch with this model rather than an Ateca with a bodykit?
I also think I'd like my Ateca more if it was an electric vehicle, like the Tavascan. But that's a whole other update...
Can you get a discount on a new Cupra Ateca?
We've been searching the classifieds and phoning dealers in an attempt to save money on a new Cupra Ateca.
Date: 30 September 2019 | Current mileage: 3454 | Claimed economy: 34.0mpg | Actual economy: 28.8mpg
It’s almost been a year since the Cupra Ateca first went on sale. As you’d expect from a new model from an all-new brand (sorta…), there was a huge amount of hype around it, leading to strong prices and even a few buyers trying their hand at making a quick profit in the classifieds.
So, now that the world isn’t as excited about the Cupra Ateca as it once was, are there some healthy discounts available?
Prices start at £36,695 for the boggo Cupra Ateca (mine’s £43,815), and a quick search of our classifieds reveals nearly-new examples available from around £30,000. That’s a saving of close to £7000, although these have covered upwards of 7000 miles - so they’re not exactly as-new pre-registered cars.
A search of other websites (they are available, apparently) suggests some dealers are selling demo models with delivery mileages for around £36,000 - hardly a huge saving.
Reports on owners forums suggest that dealers are very reluctant to offer discounts on new Cupra Atecas. We phoned a few to try our hand at haggling and found the same - although, obviously, you might have more luck if you're in the showroom ready to sign up to a finance agreement.
This is good news if you’re considering buying one brand new, however. There was always going to be a bit of uncertainty around resale values of a new brand, but they seem to be holding up surprisingly well.
That might be because of how few have been sold during the Cupra Ateca’s first year on sale. I’ve only seen a handful on the roads - mainly other press vehicles - and there are just eight listed in the classifieds.
Incidentally, searching for deals on nearly-new Atecas is making me realise how attractive some of the other colour combinations are. Maybe I should have gone for grey...
Cupra Ateca contributes to strong sales for SEAT
It's good news for SEAT - but how well is Cupra performing as a brand?
Date: 14 October 2019 | Current mileage: 4112 | Claimed economy: 34.0mpg | Actual economy: 28.3mpg
Despite a gloomy year for the new car industry, SEAT has bucked the trend and reported another month of increased sales in the UK. By the end of September, it had registered 54,995 new vehicles - up by 8.9 per cent compared to the same period last year.
And the reason? Continued strong demand for the Arona crossover, the successful introduction of the SEAT Tarraco SUV and, er, the Cupra Ateca.
I hesitate for two reasons. Firstly, as I mentioned in my last update, I've barely seen any Cupra Atecas on the roads aside from the odd press car or dealer demonstrator. Secondly, well, it's a Cupra... so why's it contributing to SEAT's UK sales figures?
It might be something to do with Cupra selling 12,700 cars globally in the first half of 2019. Drill that down to the UK, and it's probably fair to assume that it's not selling that many cars here in Blighty. Still, it's early days for Cupra as a standalone brand.
Nitty gritty sales figures aside, I'm still finding that people are a bit confused by the Cupra badge. It's probably the most asked about car I've driven in recent months, with neighbours, parcel delivery drivers and strangers at the petrol station all raising their eyebrows at the Cupra's tribal tattoo-like emblem on the front grille.
But maybe its rarity is part of the appeal. While there are plenty of Atecas on the road, the likelihood of parking next to another Cupra is slim. I've yet to pass another one while driving my Ateca but, if I did, I wouldn't be surprised to receive a little nod of acknowledge from the other driver. Although I also suspect it'd be a dealer demonstrator.
I'm sure things will change. There just aren't any other SUVs on the market offering this level of performance for the cash. It's easy to baulk at a £40,000 sort-of-SEAT, but find me another SUV for the money that's as practical as this and capable of covering 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds.
I'll wait...
Everything we rate and hate about the Cupra Ateca
As we approach the end of our time with the Cupra Ateca, Andy reflects on his likes and dislikes.
Date: 28 October 2019 | Current mileage: 5023 | Claimed economy: 34.0mpg | Actual economy: 29.6mpg
We're now several months into our time with the Cupra Ateca, and it's a car that's easy to love and loathe in equal measure depending on the mood I'm in. We'll start with the sticking points.
I don't like the lag from the gearbox. The Cupra Ateca's only available with a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission which, on paper, doesn't offend me. I like automatic gearboxes as they take the strain out of day-to-day driving, and I think you can still have fun in a car with an auto 'box.
But, while the Cupra Ateca will cover 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds, about a second of that appears to be the gearbox working out exactly why you're slamming your foot on the accelerator. Wanting to join a roundabout? You better time it well to avoid hesitation. Looking to overtake? Best stick it in sport mode or, even better, take control over the paddles to save crucial time waiting for the DSG to drop down a few gears.
I also don't like the fuel consumption. Even six months in, I'm finding it a challenge to crack 30mpg on a run, aside from that time I drove really sedately and saw 34.0mpg. But that was boring. In the real-world, I recently saw an average of 26.0mpg on a cross-country drive.
Considering the performance on offer, I do think it could be a bit more characterful. It's quick, and sounds alright in the sportier drive modes but, once the adrenaline hit of the acceleration wears off, it's never going to make you laugh-out-loud. A noisier exhaust would be a good thing in my childish mind.
I don't mind that it's a crossover SUV. I'm not as against them as a lot of car enthusiast types, although I still stand by my assertion that I'd rather have a Skoda Octavia vRS.
I quite like the interior. Everything's well judged, with the right amount of buttons, plenty of soft-touch materials and that brilliant panoramic sunroof letting in plenty of light. I really like the simplicity of the infotainment system, which offers access to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay without a fuss.
I love the tenacious levels of grip on offer. Even in poor weather conditions, it gives you a huge amount of confidence to make progress. You simply won't unstick the Pirelli P-Zero tyres unless you're driving with far too much commitment for public roads.
