Though a 5-seater (some other similarly-sized MPVs seat six or seven) the high-roofed Altea is cleverly designed. With over 30 storage compartments (there’s even one in the rear parcel shelf), bottle and cup holders, umbrella straps, fastening rings and hooks, the boot features a two-tiered floor and the whole rear seat slides forward by 14cm to increase boot space further. Capacity rises from 409 litres to a max of 1,320 depending on how the seats and other items are configured.
Standard equipment on the £18,025 otr SE-spec Ecomotive includes dual-zone climate control, cruise control, electric windows front and rear, an MP3-compatible CD audio system with ‘aux’ inputs and a trip computer. My leather-trimmed test car was also loaded with over £2,500-worth of options too numerous to list. Fuel consumption is quoted at 62.8mpg combined, along with just 119g/km of CO2 (£0 annual VED in the first year, rising to £30 thereon) and group 13E insurance. All’s fine then, but potential customers should be aware that Ecomotive technology comes at a price, in this case £18,025 otr, and that price may not be offset by a less costly, non-Ecomotive Altea.
Read the full SEAT Altea SE 1.6 TDI CR Ecomotive road test
