Cupra Ateca review

The Cupra Ateca was the first car that Seat’s new sporting sub-brand launched back in 2018. It was an easy enough job, which just involved prising off the Seat badges from the carmaker’s small crossover and gluing on some sporty bits.

These days it's not alone. There’s a few bespoke models – see the Tavascan, Formentor and Terramar – plus the Cupra Born electric hot (okay, warm) hatch and Cupra Leon (and Cupra Leon Estate). More are on the way, but just be wary of the badge engineering going on here.

So what changed on the Ateca?

At launch it was available with just the one 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine – you know the one from literally every other fast VW Group thing – making 296bhp and 295lb ft. All-wheel drive and a quick shifting seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox mean it does 0–62mph in an amusing 4.9 seconds and tops out at 153mph.

Since then though, Cupra has introduced friendlier 187bhp 2.0-litre and 148bhp 1.5-litre petrols. The former remains all-wheel drive, but the latter sends its power to the front wheels only and is far more leisurely. Both are still paired with a seven-speed DCT gearbox – no manual options here.

Any other tech upgrades? 

The chassis has been beefed up to cope with the expected walloping it’ll get from enthusiastic drivers, adaptive damping comes as standard to help the ride, and you can even spec mighty 18in Brembo brakes for £3k. They come as standard on the top-spec VZ3 car.

So how does the Ateca drive?

It’s fairly impressive to drive considering what it is and where it came from. The ride is firm - which we’ll accept for a performance oriented car - but ultimately well damped and kept under control.

The performance numbers feel as perky as they look on paper, but it’s the sort of acceleration that’s best enjoyed when you don’t have passengers onboard... they might not appreciate it so much.

What about rivals?

This is what really sets the Cupra Ateca apart. Entry-level versions start under £40k, with spicier ones around the £50k mark. To get vaguely comparable speed and power from any other medium-sized SUV, you have to spend over £60k on a Porsche Macan S or over £70k on the even pricier Audi SQ5.

Of course, cheaper iterations are open to more competition: the spicy editions of the Volkswagen T-Roc and Tiguan, or the Mercedes-AMG GLA 35, BMW X2 M35i and Mini Countryman JCW. Plus there’s the elephant in the room - the Cupra Formentor - which has the same basic underpinnings but a more athletic profile.

The Cupra Ateca is a quick and capable crossover in the oversized mould of a hot hatch. Neatly engineered and competent, it’s a practical and swift family car. Not the most engaging, but fun enough to pedal along a B-road once you’ve dropped the kids off at school. We like it.

It’s pretty subtle, too, with few clues beyond the big wheels, quad exhausts and badge (which the British public still seem to struggle with) that it has almost 300bhp and will do 0–62mph in under five seconds.

But that subtlety could prove problematic. Unlike the Ateca there is no Seat version of the newer Formentor, so its silhouette is a rarer sight on Britain’s roads. Plus it’s sleeker, feels more modern and gets better tech inside, is still plenty practical and costs around the same.

Not to mention the Ateca's been around for yonks now: the fact that Cupra (nor Seat) has bothered to line up a replacement for the Mk1 suggests it's on collision course with the Retirement Home for Old Cars. Maybe the master plan involves shooing people towards the incoming Raval instead...