SEAT Ateca review – Practicality & boot space
The SEAT Ateca has space for five and their luggage, so it makes an ideal family car
The Ateca will be bought largely by people with families, so it needs to be roomy and easy to get in and out of, with a large boot for all occasions. It certainly delivers on this, with a spacious interior that can seat up to five in comfort. Boot space was impressive when the Ateca launched, but many of its key rivals, such as the Ford Kuga and Volkswagen Tiguan, have since grown in size and now offer greater cargo volume. That being said, the Ateca still has more than enough space for most families and is an all-round practical package.
SEAT Ateca interior space & storage
Access to the Ateca is good thanks to its raised ride height. There are low door sills and it’s a tall car, so it’s very easy to get in and out of – especially for less able-bodied passengers or those with small children. The doors open nice and wide, too, but the opening itself is quite narrow.
It’s easy to get comfortable in the front thanks to plenty of adjustment in the seats and plenty of room. You get a clear view out and the large glass area allows lots of light in for an airy feel. The door bins are a decent size, but they’re not huge. The same goes for the glovebox, which seems quite small.
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Rear-seat passengers will have few complaints, though, as the Ateca has plenty of space for adults in the back, with good legroom and decent headroom thanks to its square roofline – three will fit in with ease.
Boot space
The Ateca is shorter than the latest VW Tiguan, with which it shares many components, and can’t match its mighty 652-litre boot. But at 510 litres, it still has a generous amount of boot space, beating the Nissan Qashqai. Four-wheel-drive versions of the Ateca have 485 litres to make space for the four-wheel-drive system.
To boost practicality, there’s wide but shallow underfloor storage and tie-down points, while the rear seats both split 60:40 and fold down. They don’t leave a flat load area, though: there’s quite a pronounced step, which means it won’t be easy to slide large, heavy items in. The seats can be folded using a lever in the boot, though.
Towing
While it isn't a full-sized SUV like a Land Rover Discovery, the SEAT Ateca should still be more than capable of towing a small to medium-sized caravan or small trailer. Even the 1.0-litre can tow a 1,300kg braked trailer, while the 1.5 TSI Eco with a manual gearbox raises that to 1,800kg.
