Cupra Ateca Review 2023
The Cupra Ateca is a practical yet sporty mid-size SUV that's fast, great to drive and an excellent family car leasing option.
Rivals to the Cupra Ateca include the Seat Ateca, Audi Q2, Range Rover Evoque, BMW X2 and Volkswagen Tiguan.
Our Cupra Ateca review covers:
- Sporty presence with its honeycomb grille and aggressive rear diffuser
- Stylish interior with body-hugging sports seats and adjustable ambient lighting
- 485-litre boot, which expands to 2,150 litres with all rear seats down
- One 2.0 TSI DSG-auto 4Drive Petrol engine
- Three trim levels, including VZ1, VZ2 and VZ3
Pros:
- Sporty athletic looks
- Well equipped
- Reasonably priced
Cons:
- Not that thrilling to drive
- Basic interior
- Thirsty on fuel consumption
The Cupra Ateca is based on the Seat Ateca, but you can quickly tell them apart from the Cupra's various copper accents and Cupra badging. The Cupra Ateca has an elegant sportiness with its unique body kit, a quad exhaust system, honeycomb grille and aggressive rear diffuser, which gives the Ateca a sophisticated presence on the road.
Insider the Cupra Ateca it's as spacious and versatile as the Seat Ateca, but it does comprise some practical features, like the storage tray beneath the front seats. It's also very comfortable in the Cupra, with its seats having snug side bolsters to hug your body in place when going around corners.
As for boot space, the Cupra Ateca offers a 485-litre boot, which expands to 2,150 litres with all rear seats down. Overall, the boot space in the Cupra Ateca is big enough for most day-to-day jobs, but it's not the biggest in the segment. However, due to the four-wheel drive system in the Cupra taking up space beneath the boot floor, the Seat Ateca will hold 25 litres more than the Cupra.
The Cupra Ateca has a great interior that looks classy, feels well-made and has a few nice touches that mark it out from the Seat range. The body-hugging chairs and piano black accents set off the interior's sleek black design and set it apart from rivals inside.
However, it is a shame the quality isn't quite as good as in other models, with the door bins made of scratchy hard plastics and overall feels more dated than the Cupra Formentor.
The latest Cupra Ateca has an updated 9.2-inch infotainment system featuring a piano-black surround flanked by touch-sensitive shortcut buttons for different menus. A wireless smartphone charging pad is also included in the kit, along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Plus, another digital screen sits behind the steering wheel and transforms into a huge map, making following directions a lot easier.
Three trim levels are available: VZ1, VZ2 and VZ3
VZ1 models get 19-inch sport black and silver alloy wheels, full LED headlights, heated leather steering, Alcantara-clad bucket sports seats and a dual cockpit and configurable dashboard to keep you informed.
VZ2 models add adaptive cruise control and electrically adjustable heated front seats, which the driver's seat will remember your setting. The VZ2 also has a petrol blue leather interior and a motorised tailgate.
VZ3 gets all the technology and luxury kit of the already well-kitted VZ2 trim and adds 19-inch copper alloy wheels, a sports steering wheel with satellite buttons and Brembo brakes.
Under the bonnet, Cupra offers the Ateca with a 2.0 TSI DSG-auto 4Drive 300PS engine which is featured on all three variants of the Cupra Ateca.
The 2.0-litre turbo engine is essentially the same as in Volkswagen's Golf R hot hatch, so there's more than enough power behind the wheel. It has a range of up to 31.7mpg and can do 0-62 mph in 4.9 seconds.
The Cupra Ateca comes as standard with a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox. The only drawback to that is that there is no other transmission available.
The Cupra Ateca is comfortable when on the road, soaking up bumps easily and going around corners with minimum fuss. Compared to the standard Seat Ateca, which has a fairly firm ride, the sportier Cupra model can be bumpy on bad city roads.
Overall, the Cupra Ateca is a great car that is practical, sporty, fun to drive, and an excellent family car leasing option.
Prices for the new Cupra Ateca start from £41,105.00 OTR* or to lease from £393.51 per month.
Do you have questions about leasing a Cupra Ateca? We are one of the best car leasing providers in the UK. Our car leasing deals include a manufacturer's warranty, inclusive road tax, breakdown insurance and free delivery to the UK's mainland (exclusions apply).
Additionally, due to set monthly payments, variable mileage, a low initial rental, and changeable contract lengths, leasing a Cupra Ateca may be less expensive than buying one outright.
*'On the road' price is correct at the time of publication and includes one year's road fund licence, DVLA first registration fee and number plate fee. Prices are subject to change. Always check with your nearest retailer.
