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First drive: SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.

First drive: SEAT Alhambra
The SEAT Alhambra has been facelifted, and it's still a brilliant big MPV.

   



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SEAT Alhambra

4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5

A mild facelift for a very clever, very spacious and very pleasant seven-seat SUV means, as ever, we really like the SEAT Alhambra. There's a petrol model offered but stick with the diesels, such as this high-spec 184hp 2.0 TDI model, and you'll have a supremely capable family motor that's hard to beat in this segment.

Test Car Specifications

Model tested: SEAT Alhambra 2.0 TDI 184 Style Advanced
Pricing: starts from £24,885; as tested £33,185
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel
Transmission: front-wheel drive, six-speed manual
Body style: five-door, seven-seat MPV
CO2 emissions: 139g/km (VED Band E, £130 annually)
Combined economy: 53.3mpg
Top speed: 133mph
0-62mph: 8.9 seconds
Power: 184hp at 3,500rpm
Torque: 380Nm from 1,750- to 3,000rpm

What's this?

A raft of subtle revisions for the second-generation SEAT Alhambra, which has been around for five years. This is the 2016MY example and its overhaul has come in the wake of its cousin, the Volkswagen Sharan, also having a midlife tweak. The Spanish MPV now receives a different front grille, LED rear lights, a glossy B-pillar and some new alloy wheel designs. Inside are fresh upholstery finishes, a redesigned steering wheel and instrument cluster, plus a few sundry trim mouldings to lift the cabin over and above the pre-facelift model. There are two new body colours available as well, Romance Red and Urano Grey.

None of these changes are exactly ground-breaking stuff but then they don't need to be. Externally, the Alhambra is a neatly styled vehicle, as much as anything that is a two-box shape can be, and it looks suitably premium, while the interior is absolutely fine in terms of fit and finish - but its real strength lies in its space and versatility. Whether you want it in five-seat mode, where it has a colossal 955-litre boot out back, or seven-seat mode (in which it still can take 267 litres of clobber behind the rearmost pair of passengers), or with all five of the rear seats folded down, where it does a good impression of a van with its 2,297 litres of cargo capacity, tumbling and sliding the seats as necessary is simplicity itself. The two-piece rear chairs take seconds to fold up out of the boot floor, the squabs flipping over separately, while the middle row seats all slide independently. The outer two of these move forward a long way to allow easy access to the spacious third row, the action operated with a simple shoulder-mounted latch. It's a thoroughly well-thought out cabin and we really approve of the intuitive way everything works.

Three trim lines are available at launch, which are S, SE and then Style Advanced, as tested here. The range-topping SE Lux will join them from October, although Style Advanced is a limited-time specification that will be replaced with another 'special' trim in 2016. For what it's worth, the Style Advanced gets 18-inch Akira alloy wheels and Alcantara upholstery, with the front seats being sports items with a massage and memory function for the driver's chair. The massage seat will be a £150 option on the SE Lux, which makes do with 17-inch wheels but benefits from additional toys such as leather upholstery, sports suspension and the XDS electronic limited slip diff (on the 184hp TDI engine only).

How does it drive?

In terms of comfort, the SEAT is fantastic - and that should mean buyers love it. No one climbs into an MPV expecting it to drive like a sports car and thus the Alhambra focuses on refinement and a supple ride before pin-sharp steering and road-holding prowess. Actually, on that latter score, this 184hp TDI model wasn't too bad on a twisting mountain route, the body control being surprisingly adept for a 1.7-metre tall, 1,881kg machine. But while it can go round corners in a reasonably entertaining manner, owners will be far better off driving it in a relaxed fashion, as this is where the Alhambra excels. It's so quiet, it's extremely smooth and it feels like a really expensive piece of kit when holding a steady pace, either on a normal A-road or cruising along a motorway. It should keep even the trickiest of kids (or adults) sitting in the back quiet throughout long journeys.

A few more revisions to the Alhambra line-up can be found here, as the two diesel models get modest power upgrades. Both 2.0-litre units, the lesser version has 150hp instead of 140hp as before, while this most powerful example climbs from 177- to 184hp; yes, if you're familiar with Volkswagen Group product, this is the engine from the Volkswagen Golf GTD. Also offered is Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC), a £935 option across the range bar on the S entry-level models. It provides three settings for the dampers, Comfort, Normal and Sport, but to be honest we couldn't feel much of a difference between them and - at the best part of a grand - they seem a superfluous addition to an MPV. The ride in Normal, which is what the standard, passive set-up should feel like, is spot on as it is, so save your cash.

The turbocharged three-engine range is now EU6 compliant and the two diesels are very close on economy/emissions. Only the 150hp unit can be had as an extra-frugal Ecomotive model but its best numbers of 56.5mpg and 130g/km aren't that far ahead of the £1,425 more expensive 184hp version, which delivers 53.3mpg and 139g/km. We prefer the slick six-speed manual gearbox on either lump (DSG is a not inconsequential £1,300), but we reckon that the extra power and torque of the 184 is really quite noticeable on the road, as evinced by a 0-62mph time that's 1.3 seconds quicker than the 150. Think of the Alhambra fully laden with passengers and a bit of luggage, and you'll want the extra grunt.

Verdict

Every bit as good as the excellent Volkswagen Sharan, the 2016MY SEAT Alhambra is an attractive proposition for those with large families. The elegant simplicity of both its exterior design and interior configurations make it one of the best large MPVs going, and the fact it is usefully a good deal cheaper than an equivalent-spec Sharan is a bonus. There is a 1.4-litre TSI petrol model but a brief drive in a DSG example of that convinced us that diesel really is the way to go with the SEAT. The best-seller in the UK will be the 150hp TDI and that's a fine vehicle as it is, but if you can stretch to it, treat yourself to this 184hp range-topper and enjoy a truly superb large MPV experience.

4 4 4 4 4 Exterior Design

4 4 4 4 4 Interior Ambience

5 5 5 5 5 Passenger Space

5 5 5 5 5 Luggage Space

5 5 5 5 5 Safety

5 5 5 5 5 Comfort

4 4 4 4 4 Driving Dynamics

4 4 4 4 4 Powertrain


Matt Robinson - 9 Jul 2015



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2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.

2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.



2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.
 

2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.
 

2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.
 

2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.
 

2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.
 

2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.
 

2015 SEAT Alhambra. Image by SEAT.
 






 

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