SEAT Altea

SEAT Altea at a glance

The Altea was previewed by the Salsa Emoción concept, and a show car called the Altea Prototipo won a "Best Concept Car" award in 2003. The rest of the brand's range is in the SEAT catalogue.

Generation and variants

The Altea had only one generation, internally 5P, with a facelift in spring 2009. Two derivatives stretched the same body: one longer, one taller.

• Altea (2004): the original five-door, 4,280 mm long on a 2,578 mm wheelbase. It went on sale in March 2004 and sold 31,223 units in its first year.
• Altea XL (2006): 187 mm longer than the standard car, with more luggage space. It was shown at the 2006 Paris Motor Show and went on sale in November 2006.
• Altea Freetrack (2007): raised SUV-style version with, on most versions, Haldex-based four-wheel drive. It measures 4,493 mm long and 1,622 mm high and weighs 1,586 kg.
• Facelift (2009): ADAC describes it as an extensive update with technical and visual changes. In the following months the 1.6 TDI replaced the 1.9 TDI, and in 2010 a 1.2 TSI petrol joined the range.

Engines and gearboxes

Gearboxes were five- or six-speed manuals, a tiptronic automatic, and six- or seven-speed DSG dual-clutch units.

Dimensions, space and boot

The figures are for the facelifted car in ADAC data; Wikipedia gives 4,280 mm, 1,770 mm and 1,560 mm for the standard Altea. The XL adds 187 mm of length. The Altea is a high-roof hatchback rather than a seven-seater: all versions have five seats. To see how it compares with a modern crossover, use the size comparison tool.

Running costs and prices

The most economical Altea was the 1.6 TDI Ecomotive, rated at 4.5 l/100 km and 119 g/km in the NEDC cycle; the 1.2 TSI petrol was rated at 5.7 l/100 km. In Germany the first 1.6 Reference of June 2004 cost EUR 17,990, and the cheapest facelifted Altea, the 1.4 with 63 kW, started at EUR 15,290 in April 2009 (ADAC list prices). The last special edition, the 2015 Altea Sun, cost EUR 19,290 with the 1.2 TSI.

Trims and equipment

German trim levels changed often: Reference and Stylance at launch, then Reference, Style and Sport after the 2009 facelift, with many limited editions such as Fresh, Rebell, Copa, Salsa, 4You and Sun. The sporty FR came with the 2.0 TDI (125 kW) or the 2.0 TFSI (147 kW). The Ecomotive versions were the economy models with the 1.6 TDI.

Safety

Euro NCAP tested the Altea in 2004 and awarded it five stars for adult occupant protection. That result is more than 20 years old, and the test has changed many times since, so it cannot be compared with current ratings; see the safety rankings for today's cars.

Reliability and known issues

We have not found a sourced reliability study for the Altea, so we do not list typical faults. Its engines and gearboxes are Volkswagen Group units also used in other models of the period.

Awards and the end of the Altea

The Altea won a Red Dot "Best of the Best" design award and was named "The World's Most Beautiful Automobile 2004" in Milan. Demand faded in its last years: in 2014, only 439 Alteas and 445 Altea XLs were sold in the UK. SEAT announced the end of production on 21 August 2015, and its chief executive presented the Ateca SUV, launched in February 2016, as the Altea's replacement.

Rivals

In its day the Altea competed with the Volkswagen Golf Plus, its own platform sister, and with compact MPVs such as the Renault Scenic, Opel Zafira, Ford C-Max and Citroen C4 Picasso.

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