The brand-new SEAT Ateca is the firm's first SUV – and it has worked hard to ensure it stands out from its many class rivals the moment you lay eyes on it.
“We want to make cars that are beautiful to look at, and also very functional,” says Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, SEAT's Head of Design. “Our philosophy is to mix functionality with great design.” Or, to put it another way: “The Ateca makes your life happy.”
The new SEAT Ateca was unveiled to the public at the Geneva Motor Show recently – just watch this video to find out more.
For more information on the SEAT Ateca, click here.
To sign up to keep in touch about the new Ateca, click here.
To help decide the specifications of the first UK edition of the Ateca, click here.
To ensure the Ateca has all the practicality required of an SUV, SEAT has focused on creating a spacious cabin, and a boot with a capacity of up to 510 litres. An electric tailgate, which can be opened and closed using a Virtual Pedal, makes that space easy to access. “It has to be easy to live with,” says Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos. “It’s a lifestyle car, so it’s designed for people who need to carry anything from a bicycle to a washing machine.”
The Ateca is also packed with features designed to enhance the driving experience. Sven Schawe, SEAT's Director of Whole Vehicle Development, Chassis Development and Innovation, explains: “There is lots of state-of-the-art technology available in the VW Group, and nearly all of this is integrated into the Ateca.”
That technology includes optional full-LED headlights with pure white daylight for improved vision, which have the indicators built into them. “It’s a signature of the car,” says Sven Schawe. “When you drive this car on the road everyone will recognise this is an Ateca when you indicate.”
There is also a ‘welcome light’ built into the wing mirror that projects an illuminated Ateca logo onto the ground by the doors when you unlock the car.
Inside is just as much tech, thanks to features such as the Media System Plus touchscreen. It detects your hand, so buttons only appear when you need them - which keeps the screen layout cleaner. The SEAT Full Link system is compatible with smartphones including both Android and Apple. There's also an optional wireless charging system, which also uses the car’s antenna to helpfully boost your mobile phone reception.
Sven Schawe is proud of the Ateca's safety features: “Every driving assistance system that it makes sense to have in a car is available in the Ateca.” Options include traffic alert, a lane-departure warning system and blind-spot detection. The Top View Camera system uses four cameras built into the car to create an overhead view, which can also be used to model a 3D image. There is also a Park Assist function, which can automatically steer the Ateca into spaces for you.
Add your comment