Cupra’s Ateca is the kind of car for people who want an SUV with a little bit of extra character. While its basing on the standard Seat Ateca means that it’s got all of those must-have practicality boxes ticked, the usual Cupra extras help to make this car more exciting both inside and out. Compared to the updated Volkswagen T-Roc R, Volkswagen Tiguan R, and Mini Countryman JCW, the Cupra Ateca still remains a sensible option as a used buy.
The Cupra Ateca brings the look and excitement of a sporty hatchback in a more practical, high-riding SUV. With engines catering for all types of driver needs, the Cupra Ateca blends fun with everyday usability.
Jack is an experienced motoring journalist who has been covering the latest new-car releases for the last 10 years.
Read bioPrices for the Cupra Ateca start from £36,700 in standard V1 trim, which gets features such as 19-inch wheels and plenty of safety equipment. This rises to £39,485 for more equipment-heavy V2 grade cars, and £44,705 for sportier VZ1 cars. Stepping up to VZ2 brings that price to £47,405 before topping out at £50,345 for the range-topping VZ3 car. A wide variety of prices and specifications means that there should be options for most budgets.
Petrol power is your primary choice for the Cupra Ateca. Things kick off with a turbocharged 1.5-litre engine, linked to an automatic gearbox and driving the front wheels. There’s then a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine which is available in two states of tune, though both get four-wheel-drive for extra traction and, again, an automatic gearbox comes equipped to these models as standard.
Performance-wise, the Cupra Ateca offers quite a lot. The range-topping 2.0-litre petrol brings just shy of 300bhp and, as a result, will get the Ateca from 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds. The lower-powered 2.0-litre version will manage the same sprint in seven seconds, while the entry 1.5-litre car will accelerate from zero to 60mph in a still-respectable nine seconds.
The Ateca brings a sportier flavour to your typical SUV experience. Of course, it gets that elevated driving position that many people find confidence-inspiring and it gives you a clearer view of the road ahead than in something like a hatchback, for instance. Visibility is good all round, too, and there are well-sized wing mirrors to help when positioning the car at slower speeds.
All engine options in the Ateca’s range provide a decent level of performance, too. While the range-topping 2.0-litre-powered car is undeniably exciting thanks to its excellent acceleration, the standard 1.5-litre car is probably more than enough for most people and brings better fuel efficiency, too. The standard-fit automatic gearbox gives the Ateca a more premium feel, too, and makes this car a lot more relaxing to drive across long distances than if it were to be fitted with a manual gearbox instead.
Given that Cupra is a brand aimed at delivering a sportier experience, it’ll probably come as no surprise that the Ateca has a sharper driving style than your typical family SUV. At points, this can be a negative, as the Ateca feels a little firmer over lumps and bumps than rivals, but it also means that through the bends, this model does particularly well. The automatic gearbox can suffer from a slight delay, however, which means that making a sharp getaway - such as when joining a busy roundabout, for instance - can take more planning than it might do in rival cars.
However, with the Ateca’s square dimensions and good range of assistance systems included on all models, it’s an easy car to park. Plus, it has relatively light steering, so navigating tighter inner-city bends or getting through a multi-storey car park isn’t too tricky.
The interior of the Ateca is based around maximising space, and with plenty of glass, it’s a light, airy place to be. While there aren’t any light-coloured upholsteries to choose from inside, it doesn’t feel claustrophobic in the slightest.
Build quality is good, too, though there are some harsher plastics to be found here and there. Some cars get a carbon-effect weave on certain elements, too, and though this isn’t the real deal, it still gives the Ateca a slightly sportier feeling. That performance theme is continued throughout the car with all cars getting well-bolstered seats and a flat-bottomed steering wheel, among other features.
Since this Cupra is based on the standard Ateca, it’s a very practical option. Legroom is plentiful throughout, and those in the back get a good level of headroom, too, even on cars with a sunroof. Sadly, a large transmission tunnel means that the person in the middle rear seat might feel a bit squeezed, but it’s not too bad. You’ll find ISOFIX child seat mounting points on the two outer rear chairs as well.
The large, square boot is simple to access, too, thanks to a low load lip. Putting heavier items in - or taking them out - shouldn’t be too tricky as a result. Boot space varies between models; cars with a front-wheel-drive layout get the largest load area at 510 litres, while four-wheel-drive versions get a slight drop in capacity, with a total size of 485 litres in contrast. That said, both versions are more than spacious enough for a large amount of shopping or several suitcases.
There’s plenty for even the most avid button-presser to enjoy inside the Cupra Ateca. The forward part of the cabin is focused around a 9.2-inch infotainment system, which though slightly smaller than some of the very latest offerings, gets lots of included features such as DAB digital radio, satellite navigation with 3D mapping and smartphone mirroring services. Plus, all cars get a digital cockpit display where you’d usually find the traditional dials. It’s configurable, too, so you can use it to show a variety of features and readouts, and you can adjust and control media and navigation functions as well.
From a comfort standpoint, standard touches such as a heated steering wheel really do help - and they’re included on V1 cars and up, too.
There are plenty of specifications on the Cupra to choose from with V1 and V2 trim levels available on 1.5- and lower-powered 2.0-litre cars, and VZ1, VZ2 and VZ3 cars accompanying the high-powered range-topper. There’s a lot of equipment installed across the board, however, with V1 cars getting features such as 19-inch alloy wheels, bucket sport seats and dual-zone climate control.
Step up to V2 and you’ll add an electric driver’s seat with memory function and heating functionality, as well as a rear-view camera. An electric tailgate makes the Ateca more practical overall, too.
Standard VZ1 cars get a similar specification to V1 models, while VZ2 cars upgrade this with a greater range of safety assistance equipment such as predictive adaptive cruise control whcih can automatically stop and go when you’re sitting in traffic. This car also rides on smart-looking 19-inch machined alloy wheels as standard.
At the top of the tree comes VZ3. One of the easiest ways to spot this against the rest of the Ateca range is by its 19-inch copper-coloured alloy wheels, utilising a hallmark Cupra colour. This version also gets Cupra’s ‘Supersports’ steering wheel, which has dedicated buttons for drive mode buttons. Upgraded Brembo brakes give the Ateca enhanced stopping power to help bring this car’s performance under control when needed.
The Ateca’s range of colours isn’t all that extensive, with only ‘Dark Forest’ standing out as something a little different against the usual blacks and whites.
There’s a wide array of safety equipment fitted to the Cupra Ateca as standard, with all cars getting front assist with autonomous emergency braking, a full ABS and traction control system, as well as lane keeping assistance and traffic sign recognition. A broad number of airbags, including dedicated ones for driver and front passenger and two curtain airbags, ensure that those inside the Ateca are kept as safe as possible in the event of a collision.
Reliability-wise, the Ateca shouldn’t prove to be too much of an issue. While some Cupra models have suffered issues with the infotainment system, the one in the Ateca is more reliable overall. The Ateca’s solid interior build quality should also mean that used examples will still feel fresh even if they’re a few years old.
The entry-level 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol version of the Cupra Ateca will be the cheapest to run overall. Cupra claims up to 42.2mpg combined, which is very good for a car of this size. Emissions of 153g/km CO2 aren’t too bad either, though the lack of any hybrid or plug-in hybrid system means that the Ateca is undercut in this area by many rivals. In the mid-range, the lower-powered 2.0-litre petrol is quite a bit heavier on fuel, with Cupra claiming up to 35.8mpg combined, while the range-topping version will manage just 31.4mpg - though this figure will drop significantly if you use all of the performance that this car has to offer.
The 1.5-litre car will be the most cost-effective model to run and we’d recommend this version for drivers looking for a more affordable runaround. Expect a standard rate of tax to be around £195 per year, though those cars which cost over £40,000 will incur the Expensive Car Supplement, which could make the first five years of motoring considerably more expensive.
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