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Wednesday, 10th of February 2010

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SEAT Alhambra 2.0 Tdi Ecomotive road test report

2.0 Tdi Ecomotive

Named after the famous Moorish palace in Granada, Spain, the SEAT Alhambra is the third component of the Spanish marque’s Ecomotive range of greener vehicles. Although the car hasn’t changed aesthetically since the turn of the century the seven-seater can still hold its own thanks to perky performance, green credentials and strong resale values.

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Performance

On the face of it you wouldn’t expect a seven seat people carrier focused on economy to be the most entertaining of vehicles to own , I have to say however that the Alhambra ecomotive really was quite pleasant to drive. The 2.0 Tdi engine is strong enough to provide good overtaking options and the ecomotive version of the Alhambra is actually 0.3 seconds quicker to 62mph than both the reference and the Stylance! This is probably due to the modifications which have been made to lighten the vehicle, the same modifications which also make it more economic to own.

Ride & Handling

It is never going to replicate the handing of a sports hatch, what it does well however is keep the driver in touch with the road, with a very direct feel through the steering wheel to the tyres which is actually a feature of most of the Seat range. The ride is comfortable with the special low resistance tyres of the ecomotive not detracting from the experience.

Build Quality & Reliability

Build quality is solid and you really would not expect many problems at all during your ownership of any of the Seat range, this is as much to do with the well publicised tie in with VW as anything else which is now actually one of ,if not the key plus point of owning a Seat.

Safety & Security

Crash tested head restraints , pre tensioned front seatbelts and Curtain airbags are all standard on the Alhambra. This is a vehicle in which you can put your family with peace of mind.

Space & Practicality

Huge space is available in the Alhambra as you would expect. Compared to other people carriers in it’s range, it may not look the most advanced or appealing but it does carry a lot of people and/or luggage! You could Comfortably fit seven people and their luggage in this vehicle.

Ownership & Value

The Seat Alhambra is not expensive for a people carrier, in fact it is one of the most competitively priced in it’s sector. The only issue with this car is the resale value in three years time. It’s designed doesn’t seem to have changed that much in a period which has seen the development of the Ford S-Max and new version of the Galaxy. The Ecomotive however is an excellent vehicle for transporting your family around in comfort , safety and without breaking the bank. After you have dropped them all off you could even have a bit of fun on your way home!

Submitted: 23/03/2009 15:32:42

Performance

It makes you wonder what first went through the minds of the bods at SEAT when faced with injecting an aging Ford/Volkswagen developed People Carrier with the expected SEAT’s ‘auto emoción’ however to be fair to them they have succeeded in delivering a large seven-seat car which gives enough performance to be fun to drive. The Ecomotive has an excellent 2.0-litre TDI 140PS engine which delivers strong performance but with relatively low CO2 emissions of 159g/km and fuel economy of 47.1 mpg. The six-speed gearbox works well, with the gearing ratios not noticeably tweaked for optimum frugality.

Ride & Handling

Make no mistake the Alhambra has presence, the vehicle is over 4600mm long and 1810mm wide, and before getting behind the wheel thoughts of wallowing around bends and poor acceleration were at the forefront. However these were soon dispelled with the engineers creating a ride which belies its size, the car holds the road well, soaks up the worst of the bumps and lumps that British roads can throw at you and doesn’t suffer too badly in high winds. The driver’s seating position is excellent with good views to the front and using the wing mirrors giving a nice feeling of owning the road.

Build Quality & Reliability

The SEAT Alhambra is part of the “Shalambraxy” collaboration, in English, back at the turn of the century Ford and Volkswagen collaborated in creating a People Carrier platform to hit back at other manufacturers successful MPVs; the outcome gave birth to the Ford Galaxy, VW Sharan, and the SEAT Alhambra. Happily the Alhambra has that “VW” feel which new SEATs posses, the interior plastics don’t feel like corners have been cut, and the seats, armrests and other areas have a well made, substantial feel.

Safety & Security

As you would want in a car designed to move a large family from A to B the SEAT Alhambra comes complete with a plethora of airbags – driver, front passenger, front-seat side airbags, plus curtain airbags are all present as standard on the Ecomotive model. ABS is standard across the whole Alhambra range, and this model also comes with ESP.

Space & Practicality

The Alhambra Ecomotive is a true seven-seat MPV, configured in a 2-3-2 formation, with the second and third rows foldable or removable if required. SEAT has worked hard to utilise any small nook and cranny with lidded boxes, bottle holders, and large pockets. Boot space with the third row in place isn’t huge, but enough for a couple of good sized bags or the weekly shopping. Removing all 5 rear seats provides a large useable load space, with a volume of 2610 litres.

Ownership & Value

The Ecomotive has an on the road price of £18,940, and comes with an excellent array of equipment as standard. With its high fuel economy and CO2 emissions of 159g/km the car is cheap to run for a MPV, and is category D for VED purposes. For business users, the car comes under the magic 160g/km barrier, making it a viable option for many. Overall, the SEAT Alhambra is an excellent option for those with a larger family looking for an established model with good equipment levels and low fuel bills.

Submitted: 23/03/2009 15:28:13

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