Alternative review of SEAT Altea

As much as I love the more practical aspects of most mini-MPV style cars, I just can't seem to get past the dull styling. You either get lumbered with something that looks like a tin loaf or a car that has been designed with a setsquare. The one car that did really appeal to me - Fiat's Multipla - has been emasculated of late so there's not a great deal that generates much excitement. That was until SEAT's Altea came along. SEAT prefer to call the Altea a Multi Sports Vehicle but don't let the marketing weenies pull the wool over your eyes. Here's a car with Ford's Focus C-MAX and Honda's FR-V fairly and squarely in its sights. With its unconventional styling and squat stance, the Altea is a long way removed from the apologetic dullards that cluster at the school gates. Instead it looks acceptably sporty. Finished in red it really looks the part and I was quite looking forward to putting it through its paces. The latest models can be spotted by their reshaped headlights and revised grille with a smaller SEAT badge.

The Altea unashamedly offers five spacious seats rather than seven cramped ones but weighs in with some innovative thinking. The side profile has the same 33:66 glass to metal ratio that features on so many sports cars and gives the Altea a far higher waisted and more dynamic look than, say, a Volkswagen Touran. Inside, there are more than thirty places to stow and stash goodies, including a super-sized glove compartment, big storage bins on all four doors, drawers under the front seat and even a storage area under the boot floor. Even the parcel shelf has a storage cubby incorporated within. The trim and build quality has been improved on the current cars and now does a better job of reflecting the exciting looks of the outside. The latest models can be spotted by their sleeker headlights and reshaped grille with a smaller SEAT badge at its centre. The Altea's greatest party trick is definitely the windscreen wipers - spot them if you can. Clue: they're hidden in the A-pillars. The two-tiered boot has a capacity of over 400 litres in the standard model, which rises to 532 litres in the stretched XL bodyshape. In this variant, you can extend that to 635 litres without folding the rear seats if you slide them forward - or you can fold the rear bench and access 1,604 litres. Park up in Kensington and you could rent it out as a studio flat. Whichever bodystyle you go for, the rear bench is a 60/40 split affair with a fold down armrest incorporating cupholders.

As befits SEAT's position within the sportier Audi side of Volkswagen's empire, the Altea's seats are supportive and the steering is meaty, the multi-adjustable wheel making it easy to find a decent driving position. The Altea rides on the same platform as a MkV VW Golf and also features the Agile Chassis Concept originally developed for the high performance Leon Cupra R. In other words, it's very good to drive, with surprisingly little body roll, despite its relatively high body and seating position. Six engines are available in the Altea; three petrol and three diesel. The petrol engines comprise an 84bhp 1.4-litre, a 101bhp 1.6-litre and a peppier 1.4-litre TSI turbocharged option with 123bhp. Diesel buyers choose between the 1.9-litre powerplant in 89bhp or 103bhp forms, the 138bhp 2.0-litre diesel unit and a 168bhp 2.0-litre TDI which uses common-rail fuel injection technology. The DSG twin-clutch gearbox is available as an option on selected models and includes steering wheel paddle shifters, to add that motorsport element that's usually missing from the school run.

The Altea is a car with very few vices. I think SEAT could have expended a little more effort in making the interior as adventurous as the exterior styling but other than that there's little cause for complaint.

TOP 3 ALTEA DEALS

The results below show the top ALTEA deals on buyacar

Seat Altea 1.6 TDI CR Ecomotive SE 5dr diesel estate
Price £16,688 Read Altea Reviews	Save £2,272
Seat Altea 1.6 TDI CR SE 5dr DSG diesel estate
Price £17,262 Read Altea Reviews	Save £2,558
Seat Altea 1.2 TSI SE 5dr estate
Price £15,827 Read Altea Reviews	Save £1,778
VIEW MORE DISCOUNT ALTEA DEALS