Seat keeps youthful swagger

Jack McKeown says this is a big car with a youthful vibe

Seat is part of the vast Volkswagen empire and the Spanish brand is unashamedly pitched at younger drivers, with Skoda being used to hoover up the older motoring crowd.

Over the years the company has had success producing models with youthful panache, such as the Ibiza, Leon, and small/ medium SUVs the Arona and Ateca. So the Tarraco is something of a gamble for the firm – a big, sevenseat SUV that’s aiming for family buyers.

It’s the sister car of the Skoda Kodiaq and shares the same engines and underpinnings. In line with its youthful vibe, the Seat is arguably a bit more sharply styled.

It’s not bargain-basement cheap, though it is a lot of car for the money. Prices start around £28,000 and top out at just north of the £40,000 mark for topspec automatic 4x4 models.

Engines span 1.5 and 2.0 litre petrols and a 2.0 litre diesel with 148 or 187bhp, and you can pick from front or four-wheel drive as well as six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG automatic transmissions.

My steed was the more powerful of the two diesels with a manual gearbox in mid-spec SE Technology trim – yours for just over £31,000.

At 4.75 metres long, the Tarraco is a big car. All UK versions have seven seats, with the rearmost ones folding flat into the boot when not in use. They’re a bit tight for adults but just fine for children.

Despite its size, the Tarraco seems to shrink when you’re driving it, feeling more nimble than it has any right to. It’s hardly a sports car, but it’s agile