SEAT is refreshing the Ateca with the introduction of the 2020 version. According to the company, the revamped vehicle “will build on its SUV attributes, adding a refreshed and more emotional appearance both inside and outside, a fully connected user experience, improved levels of safety, comfort and efficiency”.

“The Ateca has become one of the brands’ more successful vehicles, selling more than 300,000 units since its introduction in 2016. The new SEAT Ateca 2020 is an evolution of the original product and it aims at continuing with its success by consolidating our position in one of the most important market segments,” said Carsten Isensee, SEAT President and Vice-president for Finance and IT.

Sales of the Ateca have increased each year since its introduction in 2016. To date it’s sold over 300,000 units, and in 2019 alone nearly 100,000 vehicles rolled off the production line. In the UK, more than 35,000 have been sold since its launch.

“The Ateca marked SEAT’s succesful debut in the SUV segment and has become a cornerstone of the brand’s long-term strategy along with the other pillars of the company; the Ibiza and Leon families”, said SEAT’s Executive Vice-president for Sales and marketing, Wayne Griffiths. “The SUV segment sales had a very positive impact to the company’s results in 2019. 44 per cent of the cars sold by SEAT globally last year were either Ateca, Arona or Tarraco models. With the new Ateca 2020, we believe we are in a good position to keep our positive results in the segment”.

Design

“The new SEAT Ateca announces itself with a refreshed look, more in tune with the needs of the market. It mixes the new SEAT design language, with a robust character, but one that doesn’t diminish its emotional personality,” said Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, Director of Design at SEAT.“While the interior adds new colour mouldings, interior parts include new fabrics with stitchings to increase the perception of quality.”

Exterior

The SUV grows in length (+18mm) to 4,381mm – due to the new design of the front and rear bumpers – but remains as wide (1,841mm) and tall (1,615mm) as the current model.

A new rear bumper, the introduction of full LED rear lamps with dynamic (sweeping) indicators (FR and Xperience trims), and new exhaust pipe are also present. The Ateca will also take the updated nameplate with the ‘Ateca’ name now embossed in the new handwriting style.

SEAT has taken this opportunity to update the specifications available.

In addition to the SE (and SE Technology) trim, there is the sportier FR (and FR Sport) model and the new Xperience (and Xperience Lux) variant which focuses on all-terrain styling. Each trim also gets its own unique wheel design, ranging from 17- to 19-inch.

The FR trim now has a new grille design, front and rear bumper mouldings, fog lamp grill, mirror caps, side mouldings and exhausts, all finished in Cosmo Grey Matte.

The newest trim, replacing Xcellence, is called ‘Xperience’ offering “a more robust visual” to the vehicle, without compromising versatility. This character is accentuated with the addition of black front and rear bumpers with aluminium-finish lower valance, body-coloured wheel arch surrounds, and side mouldings completed in an aluminium finish.

The colour palette has been extended to 10, which now comprises two solid (Bila White, Energy Blue) and eight metallic (Dark Camouflage, Lava Blue, Velvet Red, Rhodium Grey, Reflex Silver, Black Magic, Crystal Black, Nevada White).

Interior

The 10.25-inch SEAT Digital Cockpit (standard on FR Sport and Xperience Lux) is the focus of the interior from the driver’s seat, while an upgraded infotainment system, which incorporates new HMI interface, is available via a re-positioned 8.25-inch or 9.2-inch (SE Technology upwards) touchscreen, ensuring the interior is fully digitised.

Ateca now also benefits from an all-weather heated windscreen, coated in an invisible ‘Climacoat’ layer (Xperience trims only).

The driver’s seat is electric with eight-way adjustment and memory function (as are the exterior mirrors).

The seats are finished in either cloth (comfort seat), Microsuede or Leather (sports seat).

Safety

“The new SEAT Ateca does not only keep its strength, like outstanding robustness, proven in durability tests, but it also brings a new dimension to safety and convenience. This is achieved with a host of integrated systems that makes Ateca among the safest and most advanced SUVs in the market,” said Axel Andorff, Executive Vice-president for Research and Development at SEAT. “From the ability to offer supervised automated driving in certain scenarios to aiding the driver when leaving a parking space, the new SEAT Ateca gives both drivers and pedestrians increased peace of mind.”

Powertrains: Petrol and diesel engines designed to maximise efficiency

A range of updated petrol (TSI) or diesel (TDI) powertrains are available, each designed to deliver the highest levels of performance and driveability while improving efficiency, giving every customer the perfect engine for their needs. Diesel remains a key technology in the Ateca’s powertrain line-up, and with the introduction of the new 2020 version of the Ateca, the offering has been adjusted to offer a greater balance between driving character and efficiency.

The 2.0 TDI engines offer improved performance while reducing emissions versus the outgoing 1.6 TDI unit. The line-up includes a 2.0 TDI engine linked to a six-speed manual transmission with a power output of 85kW/113 bhp. A more powerful 110kW/148 bhp unit is also available, linked to either a manual or DSG dual-clutch transmission, with the latter able to support 4Drive all-wheel drive as an option. All TDI units introduce a new twin dosing SCR system that includes dual AdBlue injection to significantly reduce NOx emissions compared to previous generation diesel engines. The result is a range of diesel engines that meet the strict requirement of Euro6d emissions standards.

New SEAT Ateca powertrains:

Five diesel options :

• 2.0-litre 4-cylinder TDI 85kW/113 bhp, manual gearbox
• 2.0-litre 4-cylinder TDI 110kW/148 bhp, manual gearbox
• 2.0-litre 4-cylinder TDI 110kW/148  bhp, DSG gearbox
• 2.0-litre 4-cylinder TDI 110kW/148 bhp, DSG gearbox & 4Drive