At first that may seem faintly ridiculous, but when you look at the Venn diagram of price, proportions and performance, the Ateca lives in a little world of its own. To get vaguely comparable speed and power from any other medium-sized SUV, you’re looking at spending around £50k+ on a Porsche Macan S or an Audi SQ5. But although it may be marooned in its own micro-sector, that doesn’t mean it has a free pass. A £40,000-ish Seat – sorry, Cupra – has a lot to prove, starting with how it drives
Pros Hot hatch performance with SUV styling and practicality
Cons £40k for a Seat with somewhat unconvincing branding
The Cupra Ateca SUV is a brilliant family car that’s fast and great to drive, but you’ll have to accept its gloomy interior and boy racer exterior complete with tuner-esque branding.
Pros Surprisingly nimble Fizzing performance Still practical
Cons Boy racer looks Dark, gloomy interior A VW Golf R costs less
PROS Seriously sorted chassis Determined three-cylinder engine Excellent interior technology
CONS Cramped rear seats Getting expensive for a small SUV We don't get the ST
PROS Fast, terrific dynamics, extremely well-engineered.
CONS Ride can be a little uncompromising, sub-optimal fuel consumption if you use the performance.
Not only is the Ford Puma ST one of the most exciting SUVs we’ve ever driven, it’s also immensely practical, comes packed with equipment and undercuts all of its main rivals on price. In other words, the Puma ST is a classic performance car from Ford: fast, fun and fantastic value, making it our favourite Sports SUV.
PROS Immensely enjoyable to drive Surprisingly big boot Great driving position
CONS Occasionally bouncy low-speed ride Infotainment could be slicker A VW T-Roc is bigger in the back
