Seat lights blue touch-paper on Cupra for its hottest SUV

Using the opportunity to launch not just a new model but a new sub-brand, highlights Iain Robertson, Seat enters the most sporting SUV segment with a genuine giant-killer.

Born from Seat’s award-winning motorsport division, is the ultimate expression of unique sophistication and hot performance, devised through passion and intended to captivate car enthusiasts around the world, by creating new cars that are no longer founded in nostalgia but rooted firmly in the present.



Cupra is an entirely new dimension for Seat, which will create an even livelier range of products. Dipping into Volkswagen Group’s technological toolkit and accessing the huge potential it gives them, Seat is diversifying its business and developing new models that offer the perfect mix of performance, driveability and practicality. 


Cupra has also re-entered the motorsport scene, competing in the TCR series in 2018 and working towards the first season of eTCR in 2020 with its eRacer concept. As you will notice with the new badging, it is worth highlighting that it was launched as a standalone brand last February.



Cupra Ateca is the first model to be launched under the new brand, which combines sportiness and practicality in a smart design, with the highest performance of any SUV outside of the premium manufacturers. Developing 296bhp and bags of torque from its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, it drives through a seven-speed DSG automated-manual transmission that is linked to an all-wheel-drive system.


The performance figures are amazing, with a top speed of 153mph and 0-60mph in 4.9s, yet it emits just 168g/km CO2, with excellent 38.2mpg fuel economy figures on the WLTP test cycle. Its Cupra-look is enhanced with the diamond-cut alloy wheels, glossy black exterior details and the new Cupra logo and lettering. Its interior features a leather-wrapped sports steering wheel and black Alcantara sports seats embossed with the Cupra logo. Standard equipment includes keyless entry and start system, wireless charging, an 8.0-inch touchscreen system, Dynamic Chassis Control and Park Assist, while the options include Alcantara bucket seats, Comfort & Sound Pack and a Design Pack.



Produced in Kvasiny, Czech Republic, the new Cupra Ateca will be supplied at a pre-discount price tag of £35,900 through just 25 specialist dealers in the UK, First deliveries will be by the end of March 2019. As an extra incentive, the first 160 UK customers will receive a limited-edition welcome gift, a Cupra Member Box produced from real carbon fibre and embossed with the new Cupra logo. Inside the box, customers will find a high-quality carbon fibre Cupra key cover and a premium carbon fibre wristband.

FCD Summary

Seat demonstrates that excitement can come in compact packages, as its new Cupra Ateca sets a fresh benchmark in the SUV scene.

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