What's all this about?

Remember when SEAT asked the public to pick a name for its new large SUV? Well, the public has (finally) spoken.

It's going to be called a what?

The SEAT Tarraco. Yes, it may sound like some type of Mexican fast food, but it is in fact named after what the old city of Tarragona is now known as.

Names aside, what can we expect from this?

Well, other than this one teaser image that SEAT has given us, we won't see the full car until it makes its official debut at the Paris Motor Show in September. What the teaser image does show is a new-look front grille design that isn't all that different from the shape of some of Audi's grilles. Perhaps the SEAT design team has spent too long watching the Q3s roll off its production line in Martorell.

How big will it be?

The exact size of the Tarraco is yet to be confirmed, but it will slot in above the Ateca in the SEAT range. It is sure to share most of its mechanicals with the Skoda Kodiaq, but some well-placed sources suggest that the Tarraco will be larger than the seven-seat Skoda.

Will it only be a seven-seater?

That detail remains to be known for certain, as SEAT may take the same approach as Skoda and Volkswagen took with the Kodiaq and Tiguan Allspace. Both of these models come as five-seat models, but offer a seven-seat option. Although this makes them more five-plus-two SUVs, it has been hinted that the Tarraco will be a full-size seven-seat SUV.

Won't that hurt the Alhambra?

Indeed it will, and with the Alhambra model starting to show its age now, the days may be numbered for what has proven to be a very successful model for SEAT. The reality of the situation is that these days buyers are looking more towards bigger SUVs than the more traditional MPVs, even though these cars often offer more space.

When will it go on sale?

Following its official debut in September of this year, the first customer deliveries are expected to begin in the Spring of 2019.

Dave Humphreys - 19 Feb 2018