Cupra Ateca
REPORT 4 £ 35,900/£41,175 as tested/£344pcm WHY IT’ S HERE Does this new Cupra brand thing work? And does a hot-hatch-SUV? DRIVER Owen Norris
SO FAR I’VE BEEN KEEPING A PRETTY TIGHT HOLD ON THE CUPRA’S keys because I’m rather enjoying it. But it’s fair to say that it polarises opinion. So it’s time to lend it out and get some other thoughts... from Stephen Dobie on the road-test desk.
For a car of its breed, I find it acceptable. But that’s a big caveat. I’d argue it’s a much more compromised performance car versus the VW Golf R/Leon Cupra it’s based upon than a Merc GLC 63 is vs C63, or Porsche Cayenne vs Panamera, etc. This feels so much blunter than a proper hot hatch – an engine that’s usually vivacious is stymied by the weight and heft, and it’s tangible how much harder the suspension and brakes have to work. As soon as you’ve had a go at driving it quickly once, you’re kind of over it, and then you settle into driving it like you would a diesel Ateca.
At which point, bloody hell, the fuel economy. My old i30N probably did similar mpg and range – not enough – but though it’s a smaller, lighter car, I could forgive it as it’s a properly focused performance car. But here it’s meant to be a family car with a flavour of performance, so so going such a paltry distance between fuel stops is just a massive pain in the arse.
In trying to make a car that does LOTS of things, Cupra has made one that doesn’t do much well, in my opinion. But then I find it much more likeable than the Kodiaq, because by sticking with a proper petrol engine it does at least have a bit of performance credibility. You can’t claim something is like a hot hatch if you have to put a glove on to fuel it.
When people ask, “What car have you come in?”, I just say “Seat.” Because explaining anything over and above that is just embarrassing, surely? Do the classy, fashion conscious-types this car apparently targets really want to sit in their fancy gin bars explaining the difference between Cupra and Seat, and what a sub-brand is?