In official Euro NCAP crash tests the Altea scored the maximum five-stars for adult protection, putting it alongside the safest people carrier and family cars around. Six airbags are standard on all cars, as is ABS, with a built-in emergency braking system (EBA) and traction control. Security is taken care of with remote central locking and an alarm and immobiliser.

All revised cars from July 2009 come with ESP as standard.

The Altea is a star performer when it comes to storage space – there are cubbies and boxes dotted throughout the cabin (see the picture gallery for examples of all). Plenty of thought has gone into the boot area too, which is two-tiered. The top layer is the normal boot, which is big enough for everyday use, while underneath there’s extra storage. There’s even a cubby built into the parcel shelf – ideal for storing umbrellas.

The rear seats can’t be removed, but sitting on runners they allow trade-offs to be made between leg and boot space. Alternatively they can be folded flat (with a 60/40 split) without removing the headrests. Unlike most cars, the wipers rest in the upright position in the windscreen pillars for the largest sweep – a neat touch.