Cupra Ateca - Reliability and Safety
The Cupra Ateca is likely to be as reliable as the SEAT version, with buyers treated to a personalised service
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.
