The family multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) which provides an alternative to the sportier Seat Leon hatchback has been updated to bring it into line with the new family car look introduced with the Seat Ibiza. After the Leon and Ibiza, the Altea is the Spanish car most likely to find a home in the UK. As with the 2009 Seat Leon, the Spanish auto car maker has taken an evolutionary approach to developing the car with, in the main, interior improvements also following a subtle approach. The SEAT Altea is a true chimera of the car world – part hatchback, part family car and  part MPV. Price Range: £13700 – £19000.

Style builds on Reference with several more elements, such as cornering fog lights, three-spoke leather multi-function steering wheel, leather gearknob, rear power windows, electric heated folding door mirrors, cruise control, Coming Home, chrome inside door handles, climate control, combined USB + Aux in connection, height adjustable driver and passenger seat with lumbar control, 16″ ‘Enea’ alloy rims, 205/55 tyres and visible twin tailpipe on versions with 140 hp or higher engines. The top of the new SEAT Altea 2009 range is finished in Sport trim, which builds on Style with dark glass, sport seats with specific upholstery, 17″ ‘Aroa’ alloy rims, 225/45 tyres and sports suspension.

A new instrument panel and revised centre console take most of the credit for increasing the feeling of quality over the outgoing model. The steering wheel has also been updated and new door panel trim and upholstery introduced. As with the SEAT León, the SEAT Altea range continues with the Reference version, which builds on the entry-level version with trip computer, CD radio + MP3 + 6 speakers + Aux in, low tyre pressure warning, air conditioning, body colour door mirrors and handles, front active headrests (on the SEAT Altea XL) and rear door folding shades (also on the SEAT Altea XL).

As with the Seat Leon, two new range-topping engines, one diesel and one petrol have been added with a common rail diesel engine debuting in the shape of a 2-litre TDI 170bhp engine across the range and a 211bhp 2-litre TSI petrol engine available in the Freetrack. Engines are linked to a choice of manual and automatic DSG gearboxes (which now feature steering wheel-mounted paddle shifts as standard) with the new diesel engine able to power from 0-62mph in 8.7 seconds and the petrol doing the same job in 7.6 seconds.

[Source: Auto Trader UK]

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