Seat Tarraco Begins Track Testing Wearing Production Headlights And Taillights

After multiple leaks as well as official teasers, we finally have our first look at the brand new Seat Tarraco SUV, seen here undergoing track tests at the world-famous Nurburgring in prototype form.

The Tarraco, named after the oldest Roman settlement in Spain (Tarragona), is underpinned by the VW Group’s MQB platform, shared with VW’s Tiguan, as well as with the Skoda Kodiaq.

Despite this prototype’s heavy camouflage, we can easily make out its production-ready headlight and taillight graphics, which seem to confirm what we already knew from previous teasers. With the exception of the front and rear fascia, the rest of the body does apparently take after the VW Tiguan Allspace.

If you look close at the rear trunk lid camouflage, you’ll be able to spot the thin strip connecting the angular taillights, which we also knew was coming. Visually speaking, the Tarraco should look different than both the Arona as well as the Ateca.

Minimalistic, driver-focused interior

While we’re still waiting for our first real look inside the car, leaked images shared by MQB-Coding back in February gave us a pretty good understanding of the Tarraco’s interior design.

The layout of the dashboard is simple and driver-focused, while a tablet-like infotainment display stands atop the center console, which only seems to feature a pair of air vents and the climate control buttons. As for the steering wheel, it’s the same one you’d get in an Ateca.

A range of petrol and diesel options

Since they’re so closely related, it’s only logical that Seat would equip the Tarraco with some of the same powertrain options found inside the Skoda Kodiaq. These include 1.4-liter and 2.0-liter TSI petrol units, as well as a 2.0-liter TDI diesel. Meanwhile, a hybrid option is also a possibility, but certainly not at launch, especially if it’s the plug-in type.

According to Autobild, the 1.4-liter TSI petrol engines will have outputs of 125 PS and 150 PS respectively, whereas the 2.0-liter TSI will produce 180 PS and 220 PS. As for the 2.0-liter TDI diesel, it could be available with outputs of 150 PS, 190 PS and 240 PS. The top of the range 220 PS petrol and 240 PS diesel would be sourced from the VW Tiguan.

Seat is expected to unveil the Tarraco later this year, sending it out to battle the likes of the Skoda Kodiaq, Peugeot 5008, Renault Koleos and the rest of the non-premium mid-size SUV range.

CarPix / S. Baldauf/SB-Medien for CarScoops