Review: Seat Ateca 1.4 TSI 150 FR

Not everyone would equate an SUV with sportiness, but Seat’s sharp-handling Ateca has played a big part in disrupting that perception.

This newly-released sporty FR version takes things to the next level by adding not just a macho look through its new body kit and bespoke alloy wheels but also extra dynamism through faster steering and a new 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol option.

We’ll be having a go in that 2.0-litre petrol Ateca soon, but first we’re sampling the most affordable FR engine choice, the 148bhp 1.4-litre turbo petrol. That engine has been around since the Ateca first appeared in summer 2016, and it’s still a great unit, pulling hard from just 1500rpm in all six of the manual gears (there’s a 7-speed auto option at £1380) and returning a more than decent 0-60mph time of 8.4sec.

Diesel fans can get an FR with either of the two 2.0-litre diesel engines (148bhp or 188bhp). Both of these have standard all-wheel drive, but they cost more and emit more CO2 than the 1.4 petrol, lifting your outgoings on road tax, so they make less sense to us.

The chassis and suspension are unchanged on the FR, but on the Ateca it's very much a case of if it isn't broken, don't fix it. This is a great-handling small SUV that will bring a smile to an enthusiast’s face on even quite nadgery country roads. Only the Audi Q2 feels more agile. The Nissan Qashqai and Peugeot 3008 are left behind by the Seat.

The FR has what Seat calls 'progessive' steering. This increases the speed with which steering is applied the more you turn the wheel, reducing arm-work on twisty roads. The system works well, building weight naturally to give good feedback on what’s happening at the front end of the car in terms of grip.

The FR ride quality is a bit less successful. The tradeoff of chassis stiffness is most keenly felt at low speeds, where bumps are much more obvious than they are in the Nissan Qashqai. Having said that, the same principle applies to the Audi Q2, which is even bumpier than the Ateca, with the Seat on its standard 18in alloys. You can get the FR with 19in alloys, but we’d advise you to give them a miss if you want to retain more ride comfort.

Inside the FR, the most obvious change is in the provision of figure-hugging sports seats that work just as well on long trips as they do in spirited driving. Other than that, apart from an FR steering wheel badge and aluminum pedals, the FR mirrors every other Ateca. The dashboard’s look and soft feel will be familiar to Seat Leon owners. It’s OK but not up to Audi Q2 or Volkswagen Tiguan standards. Still, the buttons and switches operate solidly.

There’s plenty of space in both front and back, with lots of head and leg room for two rear adult passengers. Our only regret is that the Ateca FR doesn’t have the VW Tiguan’s slide/recline rear seats. Nor does it have the Tiguan’s big boot, but it will take more cargo than just about every other rival including the Qashqai thanks to a practical square load bay and handy levers for lowering the 60/40-split-fold rear seats. Once those seats are down, a big step is created in the extended load bay. If you pay an extra £120 a height-adjustable boot floor remedies that.