Comfort, safety and performance in one SUV: Cupra Ateca review

The first thing you may notice about the Ateca is the aggressive, sharp, angular bronze arrowhead-shaped Cupra logo.

If you've seen it on the road, you may have tilted your head, squinted your eyes or dug deep into the recesses of your mind – wondering what car brand that logo represents.

Cupra is the high-performance twin of the Spanish brand SEAT, a Volkswagen Group (VAG) subsidiary. As Abarth is to Fiat, Cupra is to SEAT.

On the outside, apart from the logo and wheels, the Cupra Ateca is almost identical to its SEAT counterpart, with a few minor differences. A family-friendly SUV, it is great for hauling the family out for a leisurely morning drive and picnic at East Coast Park.

The Cupra 19-inch wheels has a sportier design with silver accents like canine teeth around the tyres and Cupra-branded disc brake calipers. Along the LED signal indicators on the side mirrors are little bumps housing side cameras for a top-down 360 camera view.

The Ateca's front is spattered with angular bends that reflect an aggressive demeanour. The daytime-running lights (DRL) are in signature SEAT style, surrounding the headlamp cluster like a race circuit.

Meanwhile, the car's rear has an emblem on a square badge, where the SEAT-shaped logo would have sat. CUPRA is spelled out in black letters along the bottom. I thought the letters A-T-E-C-A would be more appropriate given that the Cupra logo is already on the rear. 

At the bottom are four true, functioning exhaust pipes that would sputter cracks, bangs, and pops – announcing the arrival of this sleeper SUV which would otherwise blend in unnoticed.

Under the hood is where the Cupra comes alive. Packing a 2.0L turbocharged TSI engine with a 7-speed direct-shift gearbox, the Cupra delivers instant, seamless power, with 300bhp and 400Nm of torque. Harnessing all that power, the Cupra Ateca runs the century sprint in a blistering 4.9s, with the help of an all-wheel drive system.

Inside, the Cupra Ateca doesn't sacrifice any comfort over performance. With a keyless entry and start, unlocking the Cupra also activates the puddle lights. Stepping in, you'll notice the illuminated Cupra scuff plates – scoring a few style points – as well as customisable cabin ambient lighting.

The front of the cabin has two leather semi-bucket seats with electric controls and memory options in an elegant, deep shade of blue. These seats will hold you and your front passenger in place when you're tackling bends with the SUV's speed and power.

On the D-cut multi-function steering wheel you get the typical driver and media buttons, paddle shifters. Note the Cupra logo in its brand-signature bronze, contrasted against the carbon fibre black of the steering wheel.

The 10.2-inch instrument cluster is fully digital with customisable options from an analog meter display to a more performance-themed speedometer and rev counter found along the edges of the display. For racing track days, the Cupra also comes equipped with an onboard lap timer.

The 9.2-inch infotainment system is Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatible and also supports wireless connections. No fumbling with cables needed every time you get in and out of the car. Just drop your phone into the wireless charging pocket in the centre console – get charged, plugged in (wirelessly) and ready to go.

The wireless charging dock is also angled steeply, which holds your phone in place. That way your phone doesn't go flying to the backseat when you race off at the traffic junction, especially when you're launching the car with its launch control mode. As if the car wasn't quick enough, the Cupra lets you launch from a standing start, holding at around 4,000 RPM for maximum torque and power off the line.

Like top trims found in some Volkswagen Group vehicles, you'll find eight speakers and a subwoofer tuned by BEATS. You can blast your Eurobeat music while you're out and about for maximum Initial D/Wangan Midnight arcade nostalgia.

Other comfort features include dual zone climate control, automatic lights with high beam assist, automatic wipers, auto-dimming rear view mirror (and it's frameless!), and even park assist.

Creature comforts and performance aside, the Cupra Ateca also comes with safety features like blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, seven airbags, and frontal collision avoidance.

Of course, all that comfort and safety features mean nothing if the Cupra Ateca doesn't perform as well as it should. With a raised dial drive selector, switching between the six drive profiles is simple and intuitive.

The Comfort drive profile lets you ferry kids and parents around with a mellowed-out pedal response and softer ride from the Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC).

For the Cupra drive profile (Sport drive profile but sportier), pedal response is more immediate, and the ride stiffens up so you have more control over bends and curves. With this drive profile, I'm not sure why you would want to opt for the Sport option. You also get traction control modes for off-road and snow – though not much of use in Singapore – but as an SUV, those options are still presented.

On the road, the Cupra is a responsive and comfortable drive. The steering is direct and precise, and gives you the confidence of a planted, lower-riding car. Even in Comfort drive profile, the two-litre turbocharged engine is raring to go – not breaking a sweat when accelerating to overtake or merge.

At the traffic junction, you'll find it irresistible to launch when the lights turn green, barely opening up the throttle before hitting the speed limit. 

When easing off the accelerator, the engine protests with its pops and bangs from the quad exhaust tips. Switch to the Cupra drive profile, the suspension then gives you a 'stiffer' feel around corners for a more spirited and exhilarating ride.

Even with a whole lot of spirited driving, the Cupra Ateca managed to clock above 9km/L – which might not sound like a lot, but is pretty impressive fuel economy for a performance SUV.

All in all, packing comfort, convenience, safety, looks, and a whole lot of power, the Cupra Ateca is an SUV that's the whole package. At $205,999 to $209,999, it's a pricey punch but doesn't let down in any aspect. The Cupra Ateca is certainly an SUV to look out for, and I know I'll be keeping an eye out for the incoming lineups, the Formentor (crossover) and Leon (hatchback).

jayjaylin@asiaone.com