SEAT has finally added an SUV in its range, the all-new Ateca that was officially presented today prior to its first public outing at next month’s Geneva Auto Show.

With the SUV market booming in Europe and SEAT looking for ways to become profitable, the Ateca was a no brainer for the Spanish carmaker, which is also planning to add a smaller crossover based on the next Ibiza while also mulling a larger one, possibly with seven seats.

Aimed squarely at the popular compact SUV segment with rivals such as the Renault-Nissan group’s Nissan Qashqai and Renault Kadjar, the Mazda CX-5, Hyundai ix35 and the Ford Kuga, as well as the likes of the closely related new VW Tiguan, the Seat Ateca rides on the German group’s modular MQB platform.

It shares a similar footprint with the Leon measuring 4.36 meters long, 1.84 meters wide and 1.6m tall, riding on the same 2.64m wheelbase, and boasting a respectable boot size of 510 liters in its standard front-wheel drive configuration and 485 liters when equipped with all-wheel drive.

When it reaches European showrooms in September, it will be available with a variety of powerplants – all turbocharged, including an entry level 1.0-liter three-cylinder petrol producing 115PS (113hp), a 150PS (148hp) 1.4-liter petrol with cylinder deactivation tech, and three diesels, a 115PS (113hp) 1.6L TDI, and a 2.0L TDI in 150PS (148hp) and 190PS (187hp) guises.

All engines will be connected to a standard six-speed manual, with high-end models offering an optional seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Seat’s first SUV will come with a comprehensive suite of safety and tech features, including the Traffic Jam Assist that brakes the car in heavy stop-start traffic Emergency Assist, and the Emergency Assist function that provides support with speed control and lane keeping by monitoring the driver and which can bring the car to a halt if there’s no reaction after prolonged warnings. ACC with Front Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Top View Camera are also on offer.

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