Cupra Ateca 2018 review

Cupra Ateca 2018 first drive review - hero front Good to drive for a tall SUV and a competent all-rounder, but Cupra has a long way to go to deliver on its promise The arrival of the Cupra Ateca marks a significant moment for the Spanish arm of the VW Group as it delivers on a promise to promote Cupra from its position on the sidelines, as Seat’s performance division, to the more prominent role of standalone brand.Cupra was first introduced in the mid-1990s and has since become synonymous with go-faster Seats, but from this moment on it will be recognised as a car maker in its own right. It isn’t just about performance; individuality and sophistication will also be core attributes, apparently.At least, that is the ambition. Its first model is a 296bhp version of Seat’s SUV with uprated suspension and styling revisions. The new Cupra models will be built alongside their Seat counterparts at the Martorell factory on the outskirts of Barcelona and they will be sold through selected Seat dealerships, albeit by dedicated staff.As is the way with the VW Group the Cupra Ateca is less a ground-up engineering exercise and more a cherry-picking one, for it plucks from the enormous VW Group toolkit every item of hardware that’s needed to turn a family SUV into a sporting one. The 2-litre turbo engine, seven-speed DSG gearbox, Haldex four-wheel drive system, MQB architecture and plenty more besides are all shared with other Seats, VWs, Skodas and Audis. Cupra is the first brand in the group to bring all of those bits and pieces together to build a fast SUV, but no individual element is in any way unique to the Ateca.Why launch the new-look Cupra with an SUV? That’s where the volume is. For the time being, the Cupra Ateca is the only performance SUV in the sub-premium sector, which helps it stand out. Going where the volume is will undoubtedly be good for Cupra’s bottom line, but the risk is that people who really love driving and therefore wouldn’t consider an SUV of any sort are left wondering if Cupra in its new form is actually aimed at them at all.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BTCC 2018: Neal wins Diamond Double at Snetterton

Image
Neal clinched victory in the extended Diamond Double race Jack Goff stars in qualifying and race one, while veteran Neal clinches glory in double-length finale Triple British Touring Car champion Matt Neal clinched victory in the special extended Diamond Double race at Snetterton, held to mark the 60th anniversary of the series in his Honda Civic Type R . Rising stars Jack Goff and Ashley Sutton also took race wins at the Norfolk track. Instead of the usual reverse-grid finale, the third race at Snetterton was extended from 12 laps to 20, with double championship points on offer and no success ballast. The race also featured its own separate qualifying session. Picture special: 60 years of the BTCC That was good news for Eurotech driver Goff, who went fastest in both qualifying sessions to claim two pole positions in his Civic Type R. He made the first one count, pulling out a big lead in treacherous wet conditions.  The young guns of the BTCC Behind Goff, reigning champion
Read more

Japan's micro sports cars – Honda and Daihatsu kei cars driven

Image
S660 and Copen are the only kei sports cars in production Kei cars are big in Japan, but do they deliver driving thrills? We sample a pair in Tokyo to find out When the American style of christening storms came to Britain a couple of years ago, it was inevitable that some wag in the Met Office would find a way to undermine the whole concept with an underwhelming name to snigger about.  Storm Brian was the result. It’s a fine English name but perhaps lacking the gravitas of many of those coined overseas. “In terms of impact, we’ve had spray overtopping quaysides,” someone from the Environment Agency told the BBC of Brian’s pummelling of Cornwall. Top marks for not trying, Brian.  While Brian was doing his thing on the other side of the world, Typhoon Lan – now there’s a name – was homing in on southern Japan, bringing with it 140mph winds and a storm that made photographer Stan Papior wish he’d invested in a waterproof camera and jacket.  Look really closely at some of his pictur
Read more