In-depth reviews

Cupra Ateca review - MPG, CO2 and Running Costs

Reasonable fuel economy for a performance SUV, but VED will be expensive if you go overboard with options

Overall Auto Express Rating

3.5 out of 5

MPG, CO2 and Running Costs Rating

3.0 out of 5

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Unsurprisingly, the Cupra Ateca cannot claim to offer diesel-like fuel economy, but 38.2mpg is a reasonable figure for a performance SUV. With CO2 emissions of 168g/km, all Cupra Ateca models, regardless of option packs, attract a first-year VED rate of £515.

Add the Comfort & Sound and Design packs to the Ateca, and the list price is nudged over the £40,000 mark. This means the second year road tax rate is £450, rather than the standard £140. Over the course of five years, that’s an extra £1,550 to pay.

Insurance groups

While the insurance groups for the SEAT Ateca start at 8 and rise to 21, the Cupra version falls into group 33, so you will pay more for your premium. For some context, the SEAT Leon ST Cupra estate sits in group 35, while the Leon Cupra hatchback is in group 33.

Depreciation

It’s too early to predict how well the Cupra Ateca will hold its value, but the SEAT version offers strong residual values. Some models retain more than 54 per cent of their value after three years, which is more than most rivals.

The Cupra brand has next-to-zero equity, but proven mechanicals, the popularity of SUVs and a high level of standard specification should ensure secondhand values remain high.

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