Road test review: Cupra Ateca VZ

Thursday, 13 May 2021

Seat has given the Ateca SUV a refresh for 2021. The hot Cupra gets one too!

CUPRA ATECA VZ
Base price: $66,900
Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol inline four, 221kW/400Nm, seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, AWD, combined economy 7.7L/100km, CO2 177g/km (source: RightCar).

The Cupra Ateca and its awesome copper wheels.

Vital statistics: 4394mm long, 1841mm wide, 1615mm high, 2638mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 485 litres, 19-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Still a lot faster than it looks (and it looks really good), remarkable bang for your buck.

There are a few differences between Cupra’s Ateca and the vanilla Seat but they aren't as immediately obvious as the wheels.

We don't like: Strangely lacking in some basic kit.

Seat recently updated the Ateca small SUV for 2021, with a new face and a bunch of new kit. So, of course, the hot Cupra version got in on that action as well.

Inside is a special steering wheel alongside the other 2021 updates.

Shouldn’t that be Seat Ateca Cupra… or something?

Maybe once upon a time but these days, Cupra is its own thing, albeit mostly still using Seat models as springboards for its own offerings. Hence, the Cupra Ateca VZ here.

The real star of the show is this, the 2.0-litre turbo four from the Volkswagen Golf R.

**READ MORE:

* First Drive Review: Volkswagen Tiguan

Expect to see more of this badge as Cupra has confirmed it will bring its entire range to New Zealand.

* First drive review: Seat Ateca and Cupra Ateca

* VW reveals Tiguan R because it needed more hot SUVs

* Cupra reveals high-performance Leon siblings

* A short history of Cupra road cars

That VZ suffix would usually indicate it is one model out of a range, but in this case, there’s only the one. Cupra is introducing it here as a way to get people used to ‘VZ’ being the range-topping variant, which will start with the forthcoming Formentor.

Anyway, Cupra gave its Ateca a slight update at the beginning of 2021, mainly comprising sports seats, a larger infotainment display and small styling tweaks.

In terms of standard kit, Cupra sells every Ateca with adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, rear- and top-view cameras and side/exit assist with blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert.

Weirdly, it doesn’t get electric seats as standard. It’ll cost $700 for that, and it’s only for the driver.

So it’s still a cut-price, lifted Golf R with a different face?

Absolutely. Cupra asks a paltry $66,900 for the hot Ateca, which is a steal considering it uses the same powertrain as the Golf R, which (when it was selling here) cost nearly $76k.

That powertrain is Volkswagens tried-and-true 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, sending 221kW/400Nm to all four wheels. It’s enough to slingshot the Ateca to 100kmh in 4.9 seconds, which is quite impressive considering the fact that this is a small, largely family-friendly SUV.

Factor in Cupra-spec sports suspension, Volkswagen’s awesome Dynamic Chassis Control and a well-tuned steering set-up, and the Cupra Ateca is quite astoundingly good through the corners. Not even for an SUV either, it’ll hold up against machinery double its price.

Don’t let that mention of sports suspension worry you either – the Cupra Ateca is still completely usable in the city with its various bumps and holes.

Any other cars I should consider?

Volkswagen is preparing the Tiguan R for a launch later this year, which will use the same 2.0-litre turbocharged engine as the Cupra Ateca along with a more modern chassis. It’ll cost more, however.

Also for your consideration, the Hyundai Kona N, which uses the engine and front-drive set-up from the awesome I30 N. No prices have been announced yet, with Hyundai NZ saying it will reveal them closer to the local launch, which is scheduled for the second half of this year.

Further competition is coming from Cupra itself, with the top-spec Formentor VZ due in June with a sticker price of $68,900.