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Price: 拢35,900 Price as tested: 拢37,830 Options: Comfort and sound package 拢1,930

Month 6

The time has finally come鈥�

The Cupra Ateca is going back to its rightful owner and I鈥檓 a little sad. Actually, no. That鈥檚 a lie. I鈥檓 not sad, since it鈥檚 being replaced by a rather lovely-looking SEAT Leon Cupra R ST ABT (yes, that name could do with some work).

In my time in the Ateca, I covered the best part of 3,000 miles. The more memorable of those were in its hopped-up ABT form with 350hp. It was a practical, quick and fairly economical daily but let鈥檚 not sing its praises too much: there are some downsides to the SUV body style it doesn鈥檛 share with its replacement.聽

I tried and tried to have fun with the Ateca. In a straight line, it was great but, the more I drove it on country roads, the less I got on with it. Don鈥檛 get me wrong, I know it isn鈥檛 supposed to be a sports car, but it never felt that confidence-inspiring to drive at speed and the firmer suspension was a little annoying at times 鈥� even with the dampers in their most supple setting.聽

I found the Ateca was always much happier on the motorway, munching through mile after mile with more than enough poke to easily overtake slower-moving traffic. I also really liked the seats. Ignoring the weird, fake carbon-fabric parts, they are really comfortable and less 鈥渢ryhard鈥�-looking than the sporty seats in our Skoda Kodiaq vRS 濒辞苍驳-迟别谤尘别谤.听

Obviously, fitting all my camera paraphernalia into the Ateca鈥檚 boot was never an issue. It made the perfect companion for filming on shoots, although I can鈥檛 help but feel that a similarly priced Volkswagen Golf R estate would do all the same things even better and also fix the Ateca鈥檚 shortcomings in the fun department.聽

To sum up, I鈥檝e enjoyed my brief Cupra Ateca 鈥榦wnership鈥�. It鈥檚 mega capable, practical and alarmingly quick, which gives me high hopes for what Cupra does in the future, considering this is their first car as a standalone brand. However, like 50% of marriages, my time with the Ateca has ended in a divorce (and got traded for a younger, sportier model). So, look out for updates on the Leon Cupra R. If you want to see more Ateca content, check out our videos on .

Month 5

This month I decided rather than keep banging on about Golf R estates and hauling my gear up and down the country, I thought I鈥檇 let you in on five things I have learnt about the Ateca in my time with it.

1. Lots of people look at it, I think some of them wonder what it is, some people worry about my mental state (after all, who in their right mind would modify a standard Ateca) and some people just think it looks awesome 鈥� me included, though I do prefer the Grey and bronze colour combo you can get

2. Driving an 鈥楽UV鈥� doesn鈥檛 have to be wafty and somewhat numb feeling, when we recently shot the new Mercedes GLE I was surprised at how soft and lazy everything felt. Yes, I know that isn鈥檛 meant to be sporty and a hoon to drive but it honestly made me wish I was driving the Ateca instead.

3. Lending it to someone might just be deadly, there is the possibility they will like it so much they try to shoot you instead of give you the car back.

4. The higher driving position is great for motorway driving, you notice when cars ahead have come to a halt just a few seconds before you would in a 鈥榥ormal鈥� height car and you can also lawd it over slower people when trying to make progress.聽

5. Your pipes will go rusty if you don鈥檛 keep them clean. No that isn鈥檛 a euphemism or dirty joke. Really, they will go rusty! So clean them regularly with some metal polish.

So that鈥檚 five things I have learnt in my time so far with Ateca. At the time of writing this update it鈥檚 exactly a month until it goes back to Sea鈥�. Cupra. CUPRA! And i鈥檓 secretly hoping they forget and let me keep it for a bit longer.

Month 4

Another month goes by with the Cupra Ateca and not a lot has changed, oh, apart from one thing 鈥� it鈥檚 now got more power!

In my last update there was talk of a race against a Golf R and despite sharing many of its components with the Golf, aerodynamic bricky-ness was the SEAT鈥檚 downfall, losing out to the VW by just a few car lengths.

So we reckoned we鈥檇 turn the tables by taking the Ateca to German tuning specialists ABT. ABT鈥檚 been tuning VWs and Audi鈥檚 for years now, so it makes sense that it now turns its hands to SEAT (er, we mean Cupra) products. One ABT ECU replacement later and the Ateca now has 350hp and an appetite for Golf Rs that鈥檚 neatly illustrated in the video above.

Oh, and in its few days under Seat鈥檚 custody the noise from the steering column also mysteriously disappeared.

While not handing out whippings to everyone鈥檚 favourite hot hatch, the SEAT鈥檚 been getting on with its more mundane duties, chiefly ferrying me and my kit up and down the motorway. 聽

Despite the extra power, fuel economy doesn鈥檛 seem to have been affected 鈥� sitting at a fairly consistent 30mpg. I have however developed a new bugbear with the Ateca, parking sensors that go crazy when another car gets within spitting distance of the rear bumper. Turning them off is easy, you just need to remember you鈥檝e done it every time you鈥檙e reversing into a tight space.

As my time with the Cupra Ateca nears its end, I can鈥檛 help but feel indifferent about its leaving. If it was my own money I would probably get a Golf R estate 鈥� it would be just as practical but with the added benefit of sharper handling, that鈥檚 a problem even ABT can鈥檛 fix on the high-riding Ateca.

So, while the Cupra wins the battle, it鈥檚 the Golf R that emerges victorious from the war between the fast but practical family cars.

Month 3

Now that we鈥檝e spent more time behind the wheel of our Cupra Ateca, the time has come for us to ask a rather difficult question 鈥� do you really need a high-riding, high-performance SUV, or are you better off with a hot hatch?

After all, the Cupra Ateca shares most of its oily mechanical bits with the cheaper VW Golf R yet, thanks to its heftier body and jacked-up suspension, it takes a few extra tenths of a second to complete the 0-60mph sprint (although we have a plan in the offing to fix this).

In all honesty, you鈥檇 struggle to notice this difference without breaking out a stopwatch, but it鈥檚 a shame that the Cupra Ateca鈥檚 high-riding body noticeably dulls your sense of speed. Barrelling along a country lane just doesn鈥檛 feel as fun when you鈥檙e sitting up high in a roomy family SUV as it does in a low-slung hot hatch.

That鈥檚 not to say the Cupra Ateca feels ungainly 鈥� in fact, it disguises its SUV roots very well indeed 鈥� but the ultra-stiff suspension required to stop its tall body leaning in tight corners makes it feel more jittery and less surefooted than many lighter, lower hot hatches. It certainly doesn鈥檛 inspire quite as much confidence on an unfamiliar road or in slippery conditions, despite having four-wheel drive as standard.

After fiddling with the customisable driving modes, we found that a combination of the most supple suspension settings and the sportiest engine and steering modes made for the most satisfying back-road blasts. But, it鈥檚 still hard to shake the feeling that you鈥檇 be having more fun if the Cupra Ateca was a little bit more Sport and bit less Utility Vehicle.

Once you鈥檝e finished imitating Colin Mcrae and decide to head home, you鈥檒l find the Cupra Ateca is still pretty unforgiving to travel in 鈥� even with the adaptive suspension in its most relaxed setting. Fail to spot a monster pothole until too late and you鈥檒l feel a sharp thud through your seat. Things don鈥檛 really improve out on the motorway, either, where the Cupra鈥檚 huge alloy wheels and grippy low-profile tyres produce a loud and unpleasant rumbling noise.

But, part of the reason why you鈥檇 buy an SUV is because it鈥檚 more practical than a hatchback. In this respect, the Cupra Ateca trumps the likes of the VW Golf R and Audi S3. There鈥檚 more space in its back seats for tall adults and it鈥檚 easier to fit a child seat because you don鈥檛 have to stoop down low to strap in a child. You can fit more bulky luggage in its boot without having to fold the back seats down, too.

That being said, the Golf R Estate is roomier still, but there鈥檚 a definite pleasure to be found in blasting away from a set of traffic lights in a school run-sized SUV with a loud, antisocial burble emanating from its four huge exhaust pipes.

So, we鈥檝e found out how this speedy SUV measures up to conventional hot hatches on a cross-country blast, but how does it compare when we take it for a spot of drag-racing? Stay tuned to find out鈥�

Month 2

It has been a busy month for our Ateca Cupra. Having ferried the kids around with website editor Iain Reid on the weekend and drag raced a Golf R in the week (keep your eyes peeled on YouTube for that one) it now finds itself in the custody of cameraman Jack Scotton. A man that鈥檚 a fan of a big load.

Over to you, Jack:

He鈥檚 talking camera equipment, of course, and thanks to it鈥檚 huge boot opening, lack of load lip, square shape and flat floor, I鈥檝e so far failed to find the Ateca鈥檚 potential wanting. Not bad for a car that鈥檒l give a Golf R a run for its money in terms of performance.

What else do I like about the Ateca? Well, Android Auto for one. It means I can play Spotify tunes directly from my phone while simultaneously using the Waze sat-nav app on the car鈥檚 big centre screen. Although, it鈥檚 annoying you can鈥檛 beam the app鈥檚 maps onto the car鈥檚 digital instrument binnacle 鈥� if you want to do that, you鈥檒l have to use the car鈥檚 inferior in-built nav.

It鈥檚 also a shame that the Ateca has developed on odd noise from its steering column 鈥� that acceptable in an old car like my E36 BMW 328i but not so brilliant on a brand new SUV worth almost 拢40,000.

It鈥檚 not all bad news though, the SEAT鈥檚 fuel economy hasn鈥檛 been as crippling as you鈥檇 expect for a 300hp car with the aerodynamics of a brick, the Ateca managing a solid 28mpg with just 2,500 miles on the odometer. You can expect that improve as that mileage increases and the engine loosens up.

It鈥檚 even better when you consider the Cupra Ateca is genuine fun to blast down some country lanes. And, while the adjustable sports suspension is firm, it鈥檚 no so fidgety that I can鈥檛 film out of the SEAT鈥檚 boot.

Kudos where it is due, the Cupra Ateca great fun to drive and very practical but does it strike this balance better than the VW Golf R, the undisputed king of practical performance? Find out in our next update.

Month 1

Having your cake and eating it seems a well-worn phrase these days but can you have your cake and eat it when it comes to choosing a car?

For those of us who dream of sports car performance but have to use a car for more mundane, practical family-carrying duties could the Cupra Ateca be the answer to our problems? Can you take the kids to their clubs, do the weekly supermarket run and the odd motorway schlep but still put a huge grin on your face when the opportunity presents itself? Over the next few months, we鈥檒l discover all.

Putting the 鈥楽ports鈥� back into Sports Utility Vehicle, the car is based on the ultra-practical SEAT Ateca SUV, but with a 2.0-litre 300hp petrol engine under the bonnet. It comes with a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox and four-wheel-drive. Choosing a spec for the car is easy 鈥� there鈥檚 only one well-equipped trim level and the decisions you do have to make are limited to a couple of equipment packs.

As standard, you get 19-inch alloy wheels, tinted rear windows, a subtle body kit and four exhaust pipes 鈥� so the Cupra undoubtedly looks sporty 鈥� while its roof bars mean it still retains a sensible side. The Nevada White metallic paint is standard too as are the more gimmicky puddle lights which shine the Cupra logo on the ground when you lock and unlock the doors.

Quick word about that Cupra logo. Why is it there? SEAT has decided to split its Cupra performance models from the rest of its range. The logo is supposed to be based on a tribal tattoo 鈥� midlife crisis anyone? 聽鈥� and you get Cupra details outside and inside the car.

Speaking of which, the interior gets an 8-inch colour touchscreen with a proximity sensor, sat-nav, black Alcantara sports seats and a digital driver鈥檚 display in place of traditional dials. The sporty-but-practical theme continues as you scroll down the standard kit list: Park Assist (practical) Cupra sport suspension (sporty) Top view and rear view camera (practical) Cupra Drive modes (sporty).

The last on that list comprises of a dial next to the gear shifter and switches the car between six different drive modes. These alter things like the steering response and throttle response depending on how you want to drive the car. The modes are Comfort, Sport, Individual, Offroad, Snow and exclusive CUPRA mode.

We opted to skip the Design Pack, as tempting as copper wheels and brembo brakes were, as it would have added another 拢3,000 to a car that already costs more than 拢35,000. Still, the Comfort and Sound pack seems like a worthy addition. It costs 拢1,930 and for that you get an upgraded Beats audio system 鈥� an important upgrade for sing-alongs when you鈥檙e ferrying the kids about.

It also gets an electric tailgate and a kind of sub-pack called Advance Comfort and Driving Pack Plus. There鈥檚 some good stuff in here, such as traffic-sign recognition, lane assist, adaptive cruise control and high-beam assist 鈥� all handy safety features that are reassuring good-to-haves when you鈥檝e got kids. Lastly, it gets heated front seats, which have been put to good use during the recent cold snap.

Specced up and ready to go, we鈥檝e put a few hundred miles on the clock so far. Around town, it鈥檚 been mainly in Comfort mode, but that might just be a bit too relaxed. Coming out of busy junctions, the considerable power (all 300hp of it) takes a while to kick in so we鈥檒l need to fettle the Individual model so we can get the comfortable ride, but quicken up the engine response a tad.

Fuel economy has been as expected 鈥� high 20s over a mix of in-town and faster roads driving. So, the cake looks good, we鈥檝e had a nibble and it鈥檚 pretty tasty. Keep an eye out for more monthly updates on the Cupra as we find out just how agreeable living with an outrageously fast (but very practical family) car can be.