Some of Spanish brand Cupra’s more recent models might have made the Cupra Ateca look a little square-edged, but the model that launched the sporty carmaker remains an impressive car. It has all the practicality and quality of the SEAT Ateca, but offers extra performance and prestige.
On sale since 2019, the Cupra Ateca was, and still is, fairly expensive new, but the higher-performance variants offer acceleration and handling to rival regular hot hatchbacks. There are savings to be had with used models too, so while fuel and tax may not be cheap, the car itself need not be so expensive.
Other Volkswagen Group brands offer models similar to the Cupra Ateca, such as the Volkswagen T-Roc R and Skoda Kodiaq vRS, while if you don’t need quite as much space, similar money to a used Cupra Ateca can get you behind the wheel of an Audi SQ2 or a BMW X2 M35i.
SEAT has established the Cupra brand in relatively short order, and the sporty offshoot now sells some models that have no equivalent in the regular SEAT range. The Cupra Ateca isn’t one of those models, but it was the car with which the Cupra brand was launched, and if you like the idea of the regular Ateca but prefer something with a little more style, it’s well worth a look.
That’s partly because the Ateca is already a practical, spacious, and good to drive family SUV, and the Cupra version loses none of that. It’s more expensive, but in return you get the option of much higher performance, some interesting styling touches, and a racier cabin design - even the entry-level Cupra Atecas get a set of sporty bucket seats that you won’t find in SEAT’s version.
The Cupra Ateca might be taller than a regular hot hatchback, but some variants get very close to traditional fast hatchbacks in terms of performance, and handle nearly as well too - Cupra’s work extends to far more than just a few copper-coloured badges and some fancy trim. The 4Drive-badged all-wheel drive models offer plenty of grip and traction too.
The sporty nature of the Cupra Ateca does mean that its range of petrol engines is thirstier than the hybrids and diesels you might find in other family SUVs, but if you’re buying into the Cupra for the way it drives, you may be willing to make that tradeoff. We should also mention that while the Ateca’s interior might seem a little dated next to newer Cupra (and SEAT) models, the layout and infotainment are actually easier to use.
High-performance SUVs like this aren’t as rare as you might expect. The Volkswagen T-Roc R is similar, albeit a little smaller, while sister brand Skoda has the Kodiaq vRS, which has been offered in both diesel and petrol forms. The Audi SQ2 and the BMW X2 M35i are a pair of premium models you might consider, though these too miss out on the practicality of the Cupra Ateca.
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To really maximise the kind of performance and design philosophy that the Cupra brand stands for, the 300PS engine in top-end VZN trim is certainly the most desirable, with very strong performance and distinctive styling.
It isn’t essential however, and you’ll get most of the effect further down the range, particularly if you’re looking at a car that the first owner jazzed up with some of Cupra’s option packages, which add in details like the copper-coloured wheels, or improved sound systems. We’d still look for at least a VZ1 model though, as that car’s adaptive dampers give you a little more choice in terms of balancing ride quality and handling.
The Cupra Ateca’s trim levels echo those found across the Cupra lineup. Alphanumeric names like V1 or VZ3 aren’t the catchiest, it has to be said, but if you remember that higher numbers and more letters mean more equipment, then it’s possible to navigate the range whether you’re buying new or used. Given Cupra is already pitched as a step above SEAT, even the entry-level Cupra Ateca V1 has a decent level of equipment, too.
The Cupra Ateca’s dimensions are:
The Cupra Ateca’s boot size is:
The VED or ‘road tax’ you’ll pay on a Cupra Ateca depends on how much it cost when new. Some of the higher-specification models rolled out of the showroom at more than £40,000, which currently attracts a hefty surcharge, meaning you’ll pay £570 per year for the second to sixth years of registration. If the car cost below £40k, then that drops to only £180 per year.
Cupra Ateca insurance could be surprisingly affordable at the lower end of the range, with a 1.5-litre TSI in V1 trim landing in group 17 (out of 50). This escalates quickly though, with a top-spec 2.0 TSI 4Drive 300 in VZN specification being group 33. For comparison, a diesel Skoda Kodiaq vRS is in group 30 and the petrol version in group 31, while the slightly smaller Volkswagen T-Roc R tops out at group 34.
Read our full Cupra Ateca review
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