SEAT's first SUV had to be a good one, and thankfully the Ateca has scored a direct hit. More than that, it's combination of style, space, quality, driving enjoyment and value earned it the title of Crossover of the Year 2016 at our New Car Awards. The Spanish brand's sharp design language ensures that the SEAT Ateca is one of the best looking SUVs of its kind. There's substance underneath, too, with a wide range of punchy and efficient engines and a well-tuned chassis making the Ateca the best in its class on the road. A lack of kit for the cheapest models and slightly dull interior may deter some, but the impressive space on offer, general air of solidity and availability of four-wheel drive gives the Ateca all it needs to beat the Nissan Qashqai.
The Seat Ateca breaks new ground for Seat, because the Spanish brand has previously built as many SUVs as it has spaceships. But while Seat is undoubtedly very late to the party, it’s drawing on the experience of others and offering keen pricing. Underneath the sharp bodywork is essentially the same mechanicals that sits beneath the much more expensive Volkswagen Tiguan. True, the Ateca misses out on some of that car’s practical features, such as reclining and sliding rear seats, but it still has a large boot and masses of rear seat space. We think many people will happily give up the VW’s extra flexibility when they consider that a very well equipped four-wheel-drive Ateca will cost the same as a mid-range two-wheel-drive Tiguan.
The SEAT Ateca is an affordable, practical and desirable SUV that gives buyers a great alternative to the Renault Kadjar and Nissan Qashqai. SEAT has never had an SUV in its line-up before, but the SEAT Ateca has quickly become one of our favourites, giving potential Renault Kadjar and Nissan Qashqai owners a great alternative. The Spanish manufacturer hasn’t exactly started from a standstill, as most of you will know the Ateca shares a considerable amount with the Volkswagen Tiguan. But, the SEAT did get a small head start in the UK, going on sale first, costing less and looking rather stylish, too.
Pros Very well priced Looks fantastic Good to drive
Cons Slightly firm ride Not a completely flat loading area Tiny five-inch screen on cheaper models
The 2017 Renault Koleos is a huge step up for the French brand.The launch of the second-generation Renault Koleos medium SUV in Australia is one of the company’s most significant to date. So significant that we are in fact the first market to get the car — not something we’re used to here in our remote corner of the world. This French rival to the Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson and imminent new Volkswagen Tiguan is poised to become the company’s top-seller here, which is fitting when you consider the continued rapid growth in this corner of the market. The new Koleos sits on the same proven architecture as the Nissan X-Trail (fruits of the global Renault-Nissan Alliance) and is once again built in Korea as part of Renault’s alliance with Samsung Motors. It’s larger than before, more upmarket and certainly better value.
Pros Interesting cabin design Plenty of interior space Good value The promise of reasonable ownership costs may surprise you
Cons Petrol engine and CVT uninspiring, a diesel would be good Not the rounded dynamic package that class-leaders are
The original Koleos was Renault’ s first crossover ever, and the newest iteration is set to be the brand’s flagship SUV that will compete against the likes of the Mitsubishi Outlander and the Nissan X-Trail, among others. As Renault’s flagship SUV, the Koleos is now larger and offers seating for up to seven. It comes loaded with an automatic four-wheel drive system, new technology, and a decent list of driver assistance systems. When spy shots of the new Koleos started surfacing, I was a little skeptical that Renault would do right by the model. The original did well in some markets, but poor in others others . Now that we’ve seen the finished product, it’s pretty clear that Renault went all out on its new flagship SUV. It’s filled with technology that will be used and doesn’t have any of the extra crap that nobody ever uses. The interior is upscale and luxurious, and it is sure to be a hit in most markets.
Pros Updated styling Space for seven Up-scale features
Cons Could be too close to the X-Trail Engine packages might fall short
