The article was originally produced on February 6, 2019, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Cupra Ateca

As many others have already done, Seat now chooses to split its brand into two divisions and let the addition Cupra, intended for their sportiest models, become its own brand. Enliven test drove the first Ateca model in a sunny but windy Spain.  

Seat was founded in 1950 by a state-owned Spanish company. The first factory was located in Barcelona and in addition to the Spanish state and Spanish banks, Fiat was also a part owner. Consequently, the first Seat models were based on the Fiat 600, 850 and 1400/1500. In 1986, Volkswagen bought Seat through its subsidiary Audi.

The journey Seat has made in the last ten years, maybe even twenty, is completely in line with what Volkswagen's other brands have made. Almost all members of the Volkswagen group have moved up from being cheap and simple brands to more expensive and more premium. Skoda was the brand that received the most attention before Seat, but now the Spanish car company has received full focus. This has resulted in the decision to split the brand into two parts. From the beginning, the sportiest models from Seat had the suffix Cupra in the name, such as Leon and Ibiza Cupra. Seat has great experience in racing and it is this department that took care of the Cupra versions. Although the step is big, you can compare it with the Audi RS, BMW M and Mercedes AMG. Unlike these brands, they have now chosen to split and make Cupra a separate brand and skip Seat on these models. Of course, this is still about Seat cars, but in a completely different vintage and with a sportier attribute than regular Seat models. First among the Cupra models is the SUV Ateca, a model Enliven test drove just in Barcelona 2016 when it was presented. 

The Ateca model is a compact SUV in the middle class. When Voyage test drove it in 2016, it stood out thanks to equipment level, comfort and price. When it arrived, it was a very important piece of the puzzle for Seat to take its brand further and broaden the model range. What is being done now by breaking up the brand into two and launching the Cupra Ateca is to offer a model in another segment where there is a complete lack of competitors. It is about a sporty premium SUV with a price level that puts it far below other cars to compare it with, for example the Audi RS Q3. The price of a Cupra Ateca starts at SEK 409,900, which is more than SEK 100,000 below the price of an Audi RS Q3 when it went on sale in 2014. For that price, the performance is almost the same, the Cupra Ateca has 300 horses, which is 10 horses less than the Audi, but does 0-100 kilometers per hour in the same time which is 5.2 seconds. To get the power down to all four wheels from the two-liter engine, a 7-speed DSG gearbox is used. A recipe that works both for everyday use and when you demand that little extra from the car. The settings to be able to be just this versatile are Normal, Sport, Individual, Snow and Off-Road as well as Cupra. The control for these selections is located between the seats behind the gear lever. The latter, which is advantageously chosen when you want to get the most out of the car's sportier character, changes the car's engine response, sound and also the adaptive dampers for more stable driving characteristics. 

In order not to confuse a Cupra Ateca with a regular Seat Ateca, a lot of work has been done on the outside. The grill in the front is beefy with large air intakes throughout the front. In the middle of the grill sits the new Cupra emblem in bronze. At the bottom of the front and on an air intake, there is also the text Cupra so that no one misses what it is about. Unlike the regular Seat Atecan, the Cupra Ateca is lowered and stands more firmly on the ground thanks to this. At the rear, the car has received four exhaust pipes at the bottom along with a diffuser that really gives a powerful and sporty tone. Here, too, there is a bronze Cupra emblem, but on top of a carbon fiber plate. There is a wing in the upper edge of the rear window, whether it has any aerodynamic effect remains to be seen, but we can agree that it adds to the sooty appearance. Inside, they have been generous with alcantara, which most people can probably agree is a nice material. The seams on the steering wheel and the seats are bronze-colored, just like the emblems that the steering wheel is also equipped with. Instead of traditional analog gauges, a large display now fills the space in front of the steering wheel. Here you get all engine data as well as navigation with more neatly and easily overviewed presentation. The infotainment system is of course compatible with Apple CarPlay and the equivalent for Android phones. 

The test drive from Barcelona airport is mostly on the motorway and here it goes away without you hardly noticing. The fine asphalt the roads are equipped with here means that tire noise is minimal and barely audible in the car despite the large rims. You have to keep an extra eye on the speedometer from time to time to avoid going too far over the speed limit. The beauty of an over-engined car is that when you drive calmly you get a ride in harmony, the engine doesn't have to go full throttle and instead at revs but still without feeling weak. This also leads to lower consumption in the long run. To really feel what the Cupra Ateca is, they have arranged a closed section on a public country road. Along the route, officials are posted to see that nothing happens but not to make you slow down. I personally consider this particular type of driving to be among the absolute most fun there is. Being able to let the car go full throttle on an unknown stretch of road without worrying about encounters, a bit like driving the Nürburgring or a rally for those who have had the pleasure of experiencing it. After a round, the adrenaline is pumping and the Brembo brakes are almost red-hot, but the Cupra Ateca is by no means tired or exhausted and is happy to take another round. 

What has been achieved by dividing the company into two divisions is that it has increased its image as a brand with performance and a premium feeling in its genes. Something you might not have believed from the beginning if someone mentioned the name Seat. But the Cupra Ateca succeeds really well in this and the model really gets that feeling of sportiness that is needed if you are going to find exactly these customers who want more than just a Seat.