Cupra Ateca review: the fastest versions are still great fun to drive
The Cupra Ateca comes with plenty of performance and lots of kit, although many of its rivals feel fresher now
The ‘hot SUV’ already existed when the Cupra Ateca launched, but this mid-size SUV quickly proved to be one of the best. It can’t quite rival a hatchback in terms of dynamics and value for money, but it’s more fun to drive than you’d expect. Plus, it’ll give traditional hot hatches such as the Honda Civic Type R and Ford Focus ST a run for their money when it comes to straight-line performance, and it’s loaded with standard kit. You’ll just need to convince your friends that it’s so much more than a standard Ateca with some fancy badges and a body kit.
About the Cupra Ateca
When is a SEAT Ateca not a SEAT Ateca? When it’s a Cupra Ateca, of course. When the Ateca was first introduced in 2018, it quickly became the third best-selling car in the SEAT range, despite competing in the challenging mid-size SUV segment. The rebranding exercise of Cupra only built on this success, even if it’s at the detriment of its sibling firm.
Cupra sales grew 93 per cent in 2022 compared to SEAT sales dropping by 18 per cent, and the shift in momentum towards the new, sporty brand has led Volkswagen Group boss Thomas Schafer to regard Cupra as the future of SEAT. Despite being the firm’s first model, the Cupra Ateca hasn’t quite had the same success as the bespoke Cupra Formentor or even the excellent Cupra Born electric car, which has bloodied the nose of its VW ID.3 sibling.
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Cash £20,687Cupra’s first car has had plenty of competition in the past five years. There’s the mechanically similar VW Tiguan R and Audi SQ2, plus the BMW X1 M35i and even four-cylinder versions of the Porsche Macan and Alfa Romeo Stelvio (which we tested against the Cupra Formentor). To help give the Cupra Ateca wider appeal, it’s gained two additional engine options – a 1.5-litre turbocharged unit with 148bhp and a detuned 2.0-litre with 187bhp. The 1.5-litre gets a front-wheel drive system, whereas the more powerful 2.0-litre model gets an all-wheel drive set-up.
The hottest VZ versions (short for ‘veloz’, meaning fast in Spanish) get a derivative of the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine you’ll find in cars such as the SEAT Leon Cupra, Volkswagen Golf R and Golf GTI, and here it delivers 296bhp and 400Nm of torque. As a result, this SUV with hot hatch aspirations will sprint from 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds.
It’s also well-equipped with a 9.2-inch digital cockpit for the driver, a central 9.2-inch touchscreen, bespoke Cupra seats, plenty of Cupra design details inside and out, plus a tweaked chassis no matter what engine you choose.
SEAT has gone to great lengths to remove all traces of the company’s badge from the Cupra Ateca, but the fact remains that this is essentially a repackaged version of the excellent SEAT Ateca SUV. That means you gain pretty much all the practicality of the SEAT in the sportier Cupra.
It’s not cheap though. The Cupra Ateca has gone through a few price hikes in its life and now stands at over £52,000 for the most expensive VZN version. The cheapest V1 with the least powerful 1.5-litre engine costs around £36,500 – which is roughly how much the Cupra Ateca cost when it first went on sale.
Engines, performance and drive
When the Cupra Ateca was launched, we thought it was one of the finest handling cars in its class. That’s still true today, but there are many more alternatives to avert your gaze from the Cupra, while the least potent 1.5-litre version feels a lot like the SEAT upon which it is based. The Cupra Ateca makes sense with the more powerful 2.0-litre engines you can’t get in the cheaper SEAT version, so we’ll concentrate on the latter engines here.
Like many hot SUVs, there’s a selection of driving modes to cater to your tastes. Normal, Sport, Cupra, Snow, Off-Road and Individual – but Cupra is the setting you’ll require to enjoy the Ateca at its most impressive and aggressive. In this mode, the steering is weightier, the throttle is sharper, the gear shifts are quicker, and the exhaust note is enhanced.
Body lean is kept in check by its firm suspension, while the 4Drive all-wheel drive system delivers a huge amount of traction, which serves to inspire even more confidence in the drive. There’s even an Off-Road mode, although the combination of 19-inch or 20-inch wheels and low-profile tyres won’t allow you to venture too far off the beaten track.
It’s much wiser to explore the Cupra Ateca’s on-road prowess, where only the non-communicative steering threatens to spoil the party. Its brilliant off-the-line pace isn't quite matched by the handling – which doesn’t goad you into finding the limit in a way a traditional hot hatch would. The standard seven-speed DSG gearbox is fairly fluid at low speeds, although it’s not immediately decisive when you’re pressing on – the tiny gearshift paddles behind the wheel aren’t the most confidence-inspiring either.
It can’t mix it with the likes of the Honda Civic Type R – that was never the intention – but it can trade punches with the likes of the four-cylinder iterations of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Porsche Macan. And that’s high praise.
Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed
Any thoughts that the Cupra Ateca is little more than a tarted-up SEAT SUV are soon forgotten when you hit the accelerator. In VZ-branded Cupra Atecas, there’s 2.0-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder with 296bhp and 400Nm of torque. If you’re a VW aficionado and those stats look familiar, this is the well-used EA888 engine that VW has put into a series of its hot ‘R’ badged models. You may even notice that the 296bhp figure isn’t as much as the 316bhp you get from the current Golf R – that’s because the Cupra Ateca’s engine is borrowed from the previous version of the hot Golf.
The 0-62mph time is polished off in 5.2 seconds – quick enough to trouble most self-respecting hot hatches. You really need to keep the rev-counter between 3,500 and 6,000rpm to make the most of the engine’s power band, otherwise, it’s a little flat in its response.
The faster you go, the more exhilarating it becomes, especially in Cupra mode. The soundtrack from the standard quad exhaust tips doesn’t quite deliver on the visual promise, and the only way to solve this is to pick the louder Akrapovic exhaust, which is a pricey option at over £3000.
We’re yet to drive the 148bhp 1.5-litre and 187bhp 2.0-litre, although we have tried them in various other VW Group cars and generally find them decent offerings. They certainly will give a less rambunctious feel than the full-fat 296bhp engine though. The 1.5-litre Cupra Ateca completes the 0-62mph sprint in 9.3 seconds whereas the 2.0-litre 187bhp model comes in at 7.2 seconds.
MPG, CO2 and Running Costs
Unsurprisingly, the Cupra Ateca cannot claim to offer diesel-like fuel economy, but 31.4mpg is a fairly reasonable figure considering the performance on offer. CO2 emissions of 205g/km for the more powerful VZ car combine with a list price of between £44,500 and £52,000 to deliver an eye-watering bill for the first-year VED tax.
The less powerful cars sit under the £40,000 threshold. The 1.5-litre models put out 153g/km of CO2, meaning a first-year tax rate of £680. The 190bhp 2.0-litre model emits 180g/km and costs £1,095 for the first year.
Insurance groups
While the insurance groups for the SEAT Ateca start at eight and rise to 23, the Cupra version falls into group 17 to 33, so you will pay more for your premium. For some context, the SEAT Leon ST Cupra estate sits in group 35, while the Cupra Leon hatchback is in group 33.
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Depreciation
The Cupra Ateca (with the most powerful 296bhp engine and in VZ1 trim) retains 50 per cent of its value after three years and 36,000 miles, which isn’t bad compared with rivals.
The 1.5 V1 Cupra Ateca holds its value better than the equivalent SEAT Ateca (50 per cent versus 45 per cent, respectively), meaning there is a financial case for the Cupra version over its SEAT alternative.
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Interior, design and technology
The designers have worked hard to give the Cupra Ateca a bespoke, sporty feel, but there’s no disguising the fact that you’re sitting inside a SEAT. Not even with a Cupra logo staring back at you from the centre of the steering wheel.
It’s not that the interior doesn’t impress. The cabin is loaded with soft-touch plastics, while the excellent Cupra-branded Alcantara seats of VZ models are comfortable and supportive. However, you have to put up with the same upright driving position as the SEAT Ateca, which puts you almost on top of the pedals, and it doesn’t feel particularly sporty to us.
We do appreciate some of the other touches that help to put some distance between the SEAT and Cupra versions of the Ateca, such as the Alcantara door cards, copper stitching, Cupra logo puddle lights and aluminium pedals. We don’t like the key, which, unlike newer Cupra offerings, is just a SEAT key with some faux carbon plastic covering it. Overall, the interior design stays just the right side of tasteful, although other Cupra models manage to feel further removed from their SEAT alternative.
There aren’t any complaints concerning the level of specification, though. All cars come with keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, wireless phone charging and tinted rear windows, while heated seats, a rear-view camera and an electric tailgate are available on V2 trim and above.
The Cupra Ateca features a digital cockpit as standard, which uses the same electronics as Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, it features a 9.2-inch display that replaces the analogue dials with full-colour instruments that can be set to show maps, navigation and a host of other information.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
The 9.2-inch infotainment system found on higher-end SEAT Ateca models is standard on the Cupra, delivering the usual navigation and entertainment information, as well as performance-led data, such as oil temperature and G-forces.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are fitted as standard, along with a wireless phone charging pad. An eight-speaker sound system with a DAB radio is standard, while a nine-speaker, 340-watt Beats audio system is offered on the top-spec VZN.
Practicality, comfort and boot space
The Cupra Ateca shares its five doors and five-seater body with the SEAT version, so there’s little change in terms of flexibility and practicality. However, it does feel like it’s a little less spacious than its SEAT sibling.
That’s partly thanks to the fact it sits 10mm lower to the ground, making it feel a little less like an SUV, while the combination of the dark headlining and standard-fit tinted rear windows make it feel more claustrophobic, especially in the back. The heavily bolstered front bucket seats also encroach more on rear seat room compared with the SEAT Ateca.
Dimensions and size
At 4,376mm long, the Cupra Ateca is 13mm longer than the SEAT version, with the ‘sporty’ rear bumper the major contributor to this slight increase in length.
The Ateca is based on the Leon hatchback, so space inside is good, if not remarkable. It’s roughly the same size as a Nissan Qashqai and Renault Austral inside. Crucially, however, you cannot buy performance versions of these crossovers.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
The amount of legroom is adequate for a car of this size, but only slightly more than you’d get in a Leon hatchback. However, the taller crossover body means that headroom is improved, which is especially noticeable in the back. Only a child will appreciate sitting in the centre rear seat for a prolonged period, mind.
Two ISOFIX child seat mounting points are provided on the outer positions of the rear seats.
Boot Space
The Cupra Ateca comes with a 510-litre boot in the two-wheel-drive version. In most areas, the Cupra version of the Ateca remains as family-friendly as the SEAT versions, but you will have to put up with a slightly smaller boot. The four-wheel drive system makes the boot floor slightly higher, bringing the luggage capacity down to 485 litres.
The rear seats split 60:40 and can be released via a mechanism in the boot, but they leave a significant lip, so you’re not left with an entirely flat floor. There is a ski hatch, which might help with longer items, while an electric tailgate comes as standard on V2, and on high-performance versions, VZ2 and above.
Towing
The Cupra Ateca offers a maximum braked towing weight of 2,100kg with the 2.0-litre 300 TSI engine. The less potent 1.5-litre 150 TSI engine can still haul around up to 1,800kg, which is still enough for a big caravan.
A towbar pre-installation kit with hook is available for just over £800.
Reliability and Safety
The Cupra Ateca received the same top five-star Euro NCAP rating as the SEAT Ateca received in 2016 because it is essentially the same car underneath. At the time, it had a better adult rating and protection for vulnerable road users than the Peugeot 3008. Unfortunately, the rating for the Ateca has since expired because the testing regime has gotten much tougher over the years, making comparisons with newer rivals impossible.
All Cupra Atecas are fitted with seven airbags, front assist, autonomous emergency braking to help mitigate or avoid low-speed collisions, hill-hold control to make hill starts easier, and tiredness recognition to remind you to take a break on longer drives. Traffic sign recognition to alert you to speed limits and potential hazards, lane assist to help keep you within your lane on the motorway, adaptive cruise control to maintain a safe distance from the car in front, and high beam assist to help avoid dazzling oncoming traffic, are all available as part of an option pack.
The Cupra brand didn’t appear in our 2023 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, but the SEAT Ateca finished 63th out of 75 on the list of the best cars to own, with a score of 87.9 per cent. Meanwhile, SEAT was ranked 23rd out of 32 in the best manufacturers poll.
Although it’s badged Cupra, the performance SUV uses tried and tested Volkswagen technology, so we wouldn’t expect it to be any less reliable than the SEAT version. That said, it will be driven with more enthusiasm, so it might chew through serviceable items such as tyres and brakes quicker than the standard car.
Warranty
All Cupra models offer a five-year/90,000-mile warranty, which is much more generous than the three-year/60,000-mile warranty you presently get with a new SEAT.
Servicing
You can prepay for the first two services as part of the Cupra Care plan, which costs around £500 as a one-off payment, or can be split into 24-monthly payments of £20.
A major service should be carried out every two years or 20,000 miles, whichever comes sooner.
Frequently Asked Questions
On the surface the Cupra Ateca manages to successfully mix hot hatch performance with the practicality of a SEAT Ateca. If you delve a little deeper into the Cupra Ateca’s driving dynamics you’ll find it doesn’t quite stack up to any hot hatch (let alone the Volkswagen Golf R with which it shares its mechanical underpinnings). We don’t really see the point of the lesser-powered Cupra Atecas.
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