SEAT Altea Hatchback (04 on) - Review

Review by Dan Harrison on
Last Updated: 25 February 2010
The SEAT Altea was billed as the sexiest people carrier ever when it was launched - and we reckon that's spot-on. The sweeping lines and sharp styling give it a sporty look that few other family cars can match. There's more to the Altea than just a pretty face though. It has a range of modern and efficient engines, lots of equipment and although it only seats five, it makes the most of the available space. It isn't particularly versatile though and the rear seats don't do anything clever like folding flat. It is however, good value and there's even a sporty FR model available which gets improved handling and a sportier specification. In July 2009 it was revised with subtle exterior changes, engine tweaks and a much more upmarket interior. There is also a low emission Ecomotive version which is very cheap to run.
4 out of 5

Other SEAT reviews

3 out of 5

Running costs

Insurance is good - groups range from 5 to 9 for standard models (or 11 to 13 for the FR) and fuel economy is especially impressive from the diesels. However, the Altea is quite expensive if viewed as a five-seat hatchback, so expect used prices to fall to the level of a traditional family hatch if you're selling on. Service intervals could be further apart, but at least SEAT dealers tend to offer reasonable labour rates.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,252 - £1,980 *

Diesel

£1,034 - £1,424 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

10,000 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£30.00 - £270.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

4.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
    119
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
    218
  • L
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The Altea scores well on the eco front. With an average of 177g/km CO2 across the model line-up, its emissions are quite low for a people carrier. The 1.9 TDI is very frugal - it can return 52mpg and emits 146g/km of CO2, but it's outdone by the Ecomotive version, introduced in March 2010. It emits just 119g/km of CO2, making it cheap to tax, while averaging 63mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2