SEAT Altea XL 2.0 TDI Stylance Road Test Report

Performance

Slightly confusingly, there’s a choice of two 2.0 TDI engines with the Altea XL. The one with ‘Piezo-electric’ fuel injectors produces 168bhp, while the other, slightly less sophisticated version makes 138bhp. I tested the latter (with a 6-speed manual gearbox) and over a 1,800-mile round trip to the South of France, with five aboard plus holiday luggage, I found power to be more than adequate. With a 0-62mph time of 9.9 secs and a 125mph top speed it wasn’t the fastest car on the autoroute, but being unflustered by headwind or gradient, and being able to easily maintain a three figure cruising speed (mph), we weren’t that bothered. Equally importantly, its lusty 236lb/ft of torque came in handy while climbing twisting, mountainous roads.

Ride & Handling

Over the course of this test I encountered pretty much every type of driving, from motorway to sweeping single carriageways to twisting bumpy lanes to dense urban traffic. The XL’s electro-mechanical power steering is accurate and well weighted, its braking sure and, remarkably, its suspension remains compliant whether fully laden or with just me aboard. It may be a little longer and taller than an ordinary Altea or Leon, but the XL always feels nimble and responsive.

Build Quality & Reliability

Nothing broke, came loose, rattled or squeaked during the 12-day test period. Furthermore, nothing suggested that anything might break, loosen, rattle or squeak anytime soon. Build, fit and finish on this Spanish-made car is right up there with the best of European mass manufacturers. If I were to be ultra picky I might suggest that the handbrake lever had a tad less sideways flex, and that the rear wiper worked when the tailgate was properly shut but pressed against luggage – it always worked when the boot was empty.

Safety & Security

The Altea XL has the full 5-star EuroNCAP rating for occupants, while items such as rain-sensing wipers, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, heated door mirrors, ISOFIX child seat mountings, tyre pressure sensors, plus front, side and curtain airbags all come as standard safety equipment. (ESP is a £390 option.) Standard fit security equipment includes: remote central locking, a volumetric alarm with back-up horn and an engine immobiliser.

Space & Practicality

As mentioned, SEAT claims that in normal use the Altea XL has the largest luggage capacity in the class, and at 532 litres (with the three rear seats upright) that’s some 123 litres more than the standard, 18.7cm-shorter Altea. The boot features a handy, easily removable two-tier floor, and with the split/fold rear seats slid forward by 14cm, capacity increases to 635 litres. With rear seats folded flat space increases again to a max of 1,604 litres – impressive, but no match for the Fiat Multipla’s 1,900 litres. The XL’s middle rear seat is narrower than the outer pair so can only accommodate a grown-up at a pinch, but the rest of the interior is comfortable with headroom, legroom, cupholders, rear window sun blinds, fold-down trays and stowage bins aplenty.

Ownership & Value

The XL’s official combined mpg figure is 47.1mpg, but in the real world I averaged 35-40mpg which resulted in a useable range of roughly 400 miles. With group 8 insurance and band D (£145) road tax the Altea XL shouldn’t break the bank. For a smallish but capacious family estate this Altea looks quite neat too, but its high waistline definitely restricts outward vision for small people in the rear, and its substantial A-pillars (which are home to both airbags and wipers) can also hinder visibility. Other than that, the Altea XL is hard to fault.