Spanish car maker Seat is usually very strong on style but sadly the new Altea XL lifestyle estate/MPV won’t turn any heads, despite being practical. Altea XL just looks awkward next to the standard Walter De Silva designed Altea.
From the ‘B’ pillar forward (i.e. the post where the front seatbelts hang from) XL is just like the standard Altea but the rear design is clearly all about maximising space for the family and their kit. The VW-owned firm makes some terrific cars like the Ibiza, Leon/Toledo/Altea trilogy (three cars born of the same father and mechanical bits) and of course the pint-sized Cordoba, which has to be one of the best small saloons you can buy.
When launched the Volkswagen Golf based Altea cut new ground, as it was a style driven five-seat MPV that made the Scenic look like a very dull box. Sadly Seat hasn’t fitted any more seats into the larger XL, so it has to fight for a share of a very small niche market. When compared to others the Altea XL is no prettier but vast on space.
XL is almost 19cm longer than the Altea. The boot is some 123 litres larger at 532 litres. Slide the rear seats forward and you free up a massive class leading 635 litres. If you fold the rear seats there is 1,604 litres available. The boot has a narrow opening and a lip that shopping or cargo has to traverse, so it is not overly convenient. The boot is deep and long and you will find it a ‘stretch’ to reach the back. Rear legroom is improved with a further 2cm of travel added to the sliding bench.
Altea XL is clearly practical but the exterior fails to excite. As we get used to the likes of C-Max, Golf Plus and other high hatchbacks XL’s proportions will become more acceptable but I really can’t see why anyone would want to pay a couple of grand more over the standard Altea for this car. Altea XL has a five-star Euro NCAP crash rating for passengers and a three-star pedestrian rating so you can rest assured that it’s sturdy.
On the road Seat’s by their nature are sporty and the Altea XL is set up for a firm ride. From the front seats you quickly forget you’re hauling the big cargo area stuck on the back, as the car feels tight and nimble. I like to think of Seats as Alfas - that work.
Build quality is very good and the owning experience promises to be enjoyable. Petrol and Turbo-Diesels make up the engine range starting with a 1.4 litre (85bhp) petrol unit in the €22,000 entry version. The other petrol unit is a 102bhp 1.6 litre. My test car has the familiar 1.9 105bhp unit and sportier drivers can opt for the 140bhp 2 litre. This engine also has an automatic gearbox option. ‘R’ and ‘S’ are the specification levels.
The only annoying feature with Seats that persists in the XL is the painful red dash illumination that is less than easy on the eye, although you can turn it down with the dimmer switch at night.
Seats in general are a thinking driver’s choice, although I’d think twice about the Altea XL.
Michael Sheridan
