SEAT Tarraco review - MPG, CO2 and Running Costs

Predictably, the 2.0 TDI diesel is the most fuel efficient engine, offering between 45.6mpg and 48.7mpg on a combined cycle in manual, front-wheel drive guise. In common with all the engines, avoid the larger alloy wheels if you’re hoping to maximise the economy.

In all other cases, economy takes an expected drop, with the 2.0-litre diesel in DSG and 4Drive guise offering between 39.8mpg and 42.8mpg. There’s only a marginal decrease in economy for the 1.5-litre petrol, so this is the best option if you intend to do a lot of city driving and don’t cover more than 12,000 miles in a year.

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The 2.0-litre petrol is far from economical, delivering between 29.7mpg and 31.7mpg on a combined cycle. Not only is the bigger petrol engine hamstrung by its four-wheel drive system, but it’s also only available in the more lavish trim levels, which ride on larger alloy wheels.

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With CO2 emissions of 123g/km, the front-wheel drive 2.0-litre diesel is the only Tarraco to cost £210 to tax in the first year, with the other models attracting a first-year VED rate of £530. 

In most cases, this drops to £145 in the second year, although the FR Sport 2.0 TDI 190PS 4Drive auto costs £40,405, which takes it £405 over the ‘premium’ car surcharge, meaning you’ll pay an additional £320 for road tax during years 2-6 of ownership. This is also something to consider when you’re adding options to high-spec models. 

Following the model realignment, pricing for the Tarraco is now more competitive, albeit slightly more expensive in general than its Skoda stablemates.

Insurance groups

The Tarraco will be more expensive to insure than the Kodiaq, with the Skoda slotting into groups 15 to 29. Meanwhile, the Tarraco starts at group 19 for the SE 1.5-litre petrol, rising to 30E for the Xcellence Lux in 2.0-litre TSi DSG 4Drive guise.

Depreciation

This is SEAT’s first seven-seat SUV, and initial residual values are in the 50-53 per cent range. In comparison, the similar Kodiaq has a range of residual values from 45-52 per cent. That model has already been on sale for a couple of years, and once the Tarraco’s novelty value has worn off, it’s likely that it will settle into a similar depreciation range. The fact it’s an SUV means it’ll be popular with buyers and will retain more of its price than a similarly priced MPV or family car.