DESIGN & ENGINEERING

THE Ateca is based on the VW Group’s MQB platform. This underpins everything from SEAT ’s new Ibiza supermini (driven on Page 38) to the Audi TT sports car and Skoda’s seven-seat Kodiaq SUV, which highlights the versatility of the modular chassis.

For the Ateca the ride height has been raised to give it an Suv-like stance, and you feel like you’re sat higher and more upright than in the Peugeot. Part of that is to do with the cockpit. Whereas the 3008’s dashboard wraps around you, the Ateca features a large, flatter slab of soft-touch plastic.

The layout is logical, but it’s not quite as rich as the 3008’s, and nor does it feel as luxurious. Material quality is OK, with more tactile surfaces covering some areas, but there’s also more hard plastic compared with the Peugeot. Fabric inserts make the French model feel more modern inside, too.

There are no complaints underneath, though. The suspension layout matches the 3008’s, with Macpherson struts taking care of damping at the front, and a torsion beam axle at the rear.

Sat-nav, DAB and Bluetooth are standard, as are cruise and climate control. However, you only get rear parking sensors on the Ateca and have to pay £220 for a reversing camera. The SEAT counters this with full LED lights (an £850 option on the 3008), but keyless go is more expensive.

The SEAT doesn’t come with quite as much equipment and nor does the quality or execution match the Peugeot. It feels boxier and geared more towards usability, whereas the 3008 seems to offer a higher standard of finish. You can see and feel where your extra cash goes.