Your wife will let you buy this sports car! Cupra Ateca

An SUV that evokes sports emotions - for me, such a statement has always sounded like an oxymoron. An SUV is such a machine for everything that actually ... nothing special. Universal, for today's time. Boring! Do you think so too? I hereby declare to you that there is a competitor in the popular class of cars that will never allow itself to be judged in this way. Or is this the exception that proves the rule? Before you: Cupra Ateka!

Brand new chapter

Probably everyone already knows that Cupra is a new brand that has split off from Seat designs. However, despite the fact that it was officially created in 2018, the history of Seat and sports cars dates back to 1971, when a special department was created in the Spanish brand. He had to deal with cars that could be raced. Six years later, Seat 124 drivers finished third and fourth in the legendary Monte Carlo Rally. However, only in the 3rd year, the Seat Sport cell was created, which already quite seriously and completely took over the development of new models prepared for racing. In 4 years, Seat Sport has created as many as 1985 models designed for starts in such series as WRC, WTCC, Dakar, and most recently TCR and E-TCR.

Therefore, it cannot be said that the new Cupra brand was created without any heritage, history or experience. In the end, however, it was decided to completely separate it from Seat - in order, firstly, to increase its rank, and secondly, to gain new opportunities. Although, of course, the Cupra still has a lot in common with the Seat.

Is the SUV the first sports car?

It was a big surprise for everyone. The new brand, which will produce only sports cars, boasts its first model, an SUV. By taking this step, Cupra management confirmed that the market and customer preferences dictate the direction of development. At the same time, they realized that they had to create an exceptionally good car according to the rule: win or die. It's a dizzying task, that is, to convince the automotive world with a sport utility vehicle to make no mistake, but is it really a success?

We headed to Barcelona for the Cupra Ateca test, where winding mountain roads help test the capabilities of a car with sporty aspirations. When we were handed samples for testing at El Prat airport, we were not surprised. Oh, the Ateca as we know it, beautiful gray with copper rim inserts, a new hood badge and four tailpipe tips.

Inside? Ateca as we know it! Of course, the icon on the steering wheel has been changed. The semi-frame seats indicated a more powerful car, but there were no other exciting accents.

Cold start and carburetor in standard driving mode? Normal car. However, when we changed the driving mode to Race or Cupra, there was a gurgle behind us, and sometimes even shots from the exhaust gases. It should have been pretty good.

On the public road, the Cupra Ateca handled very well. Acceleration in 5,4 seconds to 100 km / h for such a large car (weighing only 1461 kg!) Is more than satisfactory and even impressive. Interestingly, despite the large 19-inch rims with performance tires and the 10mm lower and stiffer (compared to the Seat Atec) suspension, suspension comfort in everyday driving is surprisingly good. Of course, bearing in mind the undeniable sporting aspirations of Cupra.

Plus, it's spacious - it's a really big family car, with a large trunk that can easily fit a family of four with luggage for an extended vacation. However, this is mostly to be expected.

But what I was most interested in was how the Cupra handled a really hard ride.

In track conditions, impresses with its sophistication

We did not go to the track, but especially for the duration of the test, the organizers prepared a multi-kilometer section of the public road (closing it under police supervision) in order to squeeze sweat out of this car. We were told: "Here you can do everything that the machine allows." I didn't have to be persuaded.

At the beginning, start with launch control, i.e. controlled start procedure in the race - yes, the Cupra Ateca has such a function. The car literally catapults into the top 160, and the high seating position only enhances this feeling. On a straight line of several hundred meters, the speedometer showed more than km/h, then sharp braking and... With the optional Brembo brake kit, the Ateca surprised me for the first time. An SUV that stops so smoothly and instantly is truly something extraordinary.

After a very sharp first and second turns that went unnoticed, another direct and very tense nitpicking followed. This time I didn't brake to the board anymore, wanting to see if the tires, suspension and center of gravity would work against me or help me get through this section with confidence. And here I am immediately allergic to you - Cupra Ateca is an SUV. Leon Cupra would have gone through this bullying much more confidently. However, for a machine of this size, Ateca allowed me to do this very, very quickly.

With each subsequent turn, I was convinced that anyone who wants to drive this car really fast, even on the track, will not be disappointed. I did not notice any uncontrolled slopes, loss of traction on the front or rear axle caused by poor balancing, diving during very hard braking, I did not notice - in this price class there is no SUV with such parameters, but most of all driving performance. BMW X4 M40i, Audi SQ5 or Mercedes-Benz GLC 43 AMG cost more than PLN 300, and not more than PLN 000 (with Brembo brakes), as is the case with Cupry Ateca.

Safe and modern

Cupra Ateca is a modern, well-equipped car. As in Leon Cupra, a virtual cockpit has appeared here, which has many options for displaying information. The test copy included a set of security systems with active cruise control or a blind spot sensor. The sound system has the Beats by Dr Dre logo.

The interior is designed in dark colors, even the door handles are made of black matte material.

The seats deserve special attention, as is usually the case in sports cars with the Cupra logo. Strongly contoured, with integrated head restraints, and at the same time very well contoured. Both fast turns and long routes of several hundred kilometers can be completed with pleasure and without back pain.

Nearly everything as standard, maximum performance optional

The price of Cupra Ateca starts from PLN 191. On the other hand, the copy that I had the opportunity to ride was valued at PLN 900. What required a fee? A package of orange and gold rims with Brembo brakes costs more than PLN 226 (worth it in my opinion!), but also, unfortunately, elements such as a power tailgate, active cruise control or a double boot floor. It's hard to say whether it's expensive or cheap, because Cupra Ateca has no competitors in its class.

A family car with a racing soul

Imagine what it could look like: in the morning you put the kids in car seats, drive them to kindergarten or school, then turn the drive mode switch to the checkered flag icon and turn the family SUV into a real projectile. A projectile that turns perfectly, surprises with flexibility in every rev range, accelerates at a prompt from any speed allowed in Poland, clings to the road like a thoroughbred athlete and is completely easy to control. If the bidders plan to include a high-performance SUV in their proposal, the engineers and designers should devote a lot of time to this vehicle. Why? Because the Spaniards have created a car that will be difficult to catch up - literally and figuratively.