A set of images of the new Seat Ateca have just been unveiled before the model's world presentation, scheduled for the Geneva Motor Show.
SUV’s have been gaining more and more market share in Europe, making it imperative for brands to have an offer in this segment. Aware of this reality, Seat could not continue outside the «SUV championship» and developed the Ateca, the first SUV in the brand's history.
After the excellent reception of the new Seat Leon, it is not surprising that the Spanish brand's design team has followed the stylistic recipe of this model to launch itself in the SUV segment – naturally peppering the entire bodywork with 100% SUV proportions and resorting to to some unique elements of this model. The result is not surprising but it is very balanced.
As for the technical platform, as we had previously advanced, the Seat Ateca uses the Volkswagen Group's proven MQB platform – in other words, the same platform as the Audi A3, Volkswagen Golf, Skoda Octavia and Seat Leon.
Inside, we again find similarities with the Seat Leon. The design and orientation of the controls is similar to the Leon but the driving position should be higher. As for engines, there is still no official information. However for those who advance that the Seat Ateca can be associated with the 1.0 TSI 110hp engine (entry to the range). A motorization that, if confirmed in the model's line-up, could prove to be an important asset vis-à-vis the competition (low consumption, good performance and competitive price). In addition to this, the well-known 1.6 TDI engine with 110hp, 2.0 TDI in the 150 and 184hp versions and a 1.4 TSI with 150hp deactivation of cylinders is also expected.
Where does the name Ateca come from?
Although the Tecta name was advanced, Seat decided to give its first SUV another name: Ateca. We do not know if the name Ateca is a reference to the Spanish municipality with the same name. However – given Seat's tradition of naming its models with the names of Spanish cities – this is likely to be the case. Ibiza, Leon, Toledo, Alhambra are good examples, only the Exeo was an exception to this Seat tradition.
The municipality of Ateca is a small town in the province of Zaragoza with only 2068 inhabitants. An area known for its extensive and remote landscape that calls for adventure and evasion. If so, it's definitely a good match for an SUV.
Unfortunately, we will have to wait for the Geneva Motor Show (already early March) to confirm this and other information. With arrival on the market scheduled for the second half of this year, the Seat Ateca will face strong competition, among others: the Volkwagen Tiguan, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson and Nissan Qashqai.
Stay with the image gallery:
note: These images were released by WorldCarFans and are the result of a leak by the Spanish brand.