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.

SEAT have arrived at the conclusion that most mini-MPV customers probably don't need seven seats and the market seems to be fragmenting into the seven seater specialists such as the Vauxhall Zafira and the more lithe and lively five-seat cars. First shown at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, the reaction to the Altea was so positive that SEAT's paymasters, the Audi Brand Group (Audi, SEAT and Lamborghini), threw everything into turning the car into a production reality. Just five months after its debut under the tungsten lights it was ready to roll into dealerships. It's a significant precursor of what's to come from SEAT. The huge radiator grille with prominent 'S' logo, the almond-shaped headlamps and the 'dynamic line' that runs from the front wheel arch over the doors to the rear wheel are all styling traits that SEAT's design director, Steve Lewis, proposes to incorporate into all the marque's forthcoming models. 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 supersized 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 two-tiered boot has a capacity of over 400 litres. 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 seats are supportive and the steering is meaty, the multi-adjustable wheel making it easy to find a decent driving position. The trim and build quality, whilst maybe not the most exciting in terms of colour choices and materials, is nevertheless of a relentlessly high quality. The Altea's greatest party trick is definitely the windscreen wipers - spot them if you can. Clue: they're hidden in the A-pillars.

Based on the latest generation Golf chassis, the Altea serves up a set of sophisticated road manners. Turn-in is surprisingly sharp for a vehicle that's fully 1570mm high and body roll is very well controlled. The Altea isn't found wanting in terms of safety provision, being SEAT's first car to be sold in the EU with twin front, side, and head airbags as standard. Three-point anchors for all five seats, ISOFIX child seat attachments, anti lock brakes and traction control are all offered. Six engines are available; three petrol and three diesel. The petrol engines comprise a 102bhp 1.6-litre entry level unit, a peppier 150bhp 2.0-litre FSI unit and a 200bhp 2.0-litre turbo. Diesel buyers choose between the 105bhp 1.9-litre powerplant, the 140bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel unit and the 170bhp 2.0-litre TDI found in the FR model.

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.