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Seat Altea Freetrack 4

Seat’s Altea freetrack 4 is a difficult vehicle to pin down with its strong performance, MPV body and 4x4 underpinnings but as an amalgamation of styles, it works surprisingly well. Steve Walker reports

A vanishingly small number of UK residents actually need a four-wheel-drive vehicle but if the massive glut of 4x4s appearing on the market is anything to go by, plenty of us want one anyway. It’s not even enough for manufacturers to develop proper 4x4s. The top brands are busy plumbing off-road mechanicals into conventional models too or at least, affixing the butch styling accessories that hint at something rugged underneath when in fact, you’d have more chance of navigating the Rubicon Trail on a spacehopper. It’s into this menagerie of off-road impostors and wannabes that SEAT pitch the Altea freetrack 4. Is it another compact MPV with misplaced macho pretensions or a crossover model that gets the balance just about right?

The appeal of the 4x4 isn’t so much of a mystery really. These things are tall so you get a good view out and you don’t get loomed over and intimidated by all the other motorists who’ve already got one. They’re large and they have big, tough-looking bumpers so they make you feel safe even if the evidence suggests that you may not actually be any more so. They have big tyres, tough suspension and extra ground clearance so kerbs and speed humps are easily dealt with without any heartrending crunching sounds. They also have four driven wheels which give better traction in the wet, more secure towing and, yes, there’s the potential to travel off-road without getting stuck. Finally, overriding it all, there’s the image - the perception that a 4x4 vehicle is a bit more trendy, a bit more ‘lifestyle’ than an equivalent saloon or hatch. Whether you buy into this or not will be crucial to whether you’ll want to consider an Altea freetrack 4.

The Altea compact MPV is one of the best handling vehicles of its type by virtue of its close links to the Leon hatch which, in turn, rides on MkV Volkswagen Golf mechanicals. The Altea freetrack 4 is based on the longer Altea XL which is still no mean steer despite its extra bulk but the freetrack 4 rides 40mm higher so it looses a little of the nimbleness derived from the XL’s lower centre of gravity. Power comes from a pair or 2.0-litre engines that both give a fiery turn of speed.

"The Altea freetrack 4 looks a good way of avoiding those sour looks normally directed at 4x4s by the green lobby"

The petrol option is the 198bhp 2.0-litre TSI unit that’s most famously found in the Golf GTI. It’s characterised by a beautifully progressive power delivery and when given its head from a standstill, it’ll have the Altea freetrack 4 passing 60mph in 7.5s. The diesel is almost as much fun with 168bhp but considerably more torque, It makes overtaking effortless and can do the 0-60mph in 8.5s. This just isn’t the kind of clout you expect from a four-wheel-drive MPV but it’s a welcome inclusion on the freetrack 4.

The 4x4 system is an automatic Haldex coupling set-up which runs in front wheel drive mode most of the time but will seamlessly engage the rear wheels when a loss of traction is detected. Up to 50% of the available power can be redirected aft so the Altea freetrack 4 should plod on through some pretty sticky terrain and it’s likely to be the modest ground clearance that gets you stuck rather than the absence of grip. The safest bet is to leave anything more testing than an unmade road to vehicles with more mud-plugging pedigree.

SEAT may have hit on something with the Altea freetrack 4’s styling. Conventional passenger cars that have been subjected to the old 4x4 make-over often look faintly silly with their roof rails, beefed-up bumpers and more body cladding than a chieftain tank. The Altea freetrack 4 is no less eye-catching but it does without the obvious off-roader bolt-ons. Instead, the vehicle looks for all the world like it’s been dipped wheels first in a vat of tar. Specify the bodywork in any colour you want, the sill extensions and the bumpers at both ends still come in black so the freetrack 4 cuts a particularly odd figure in the dark when shocked bystanders witness the top two thirds of a car floating above some rather fetching disembodied alloy wheels. It all sounds rather weird but in the cold light of day, it works quite well. The curvy lines of the Altea MPV are preserved largely unmolested and the freetrack 4 derivative is successfully differentiated without being tipped over the crass barrier with certain other mock-roaders.

The freetrack 4’s interior is as you’d find it in the Altea XL so high-end materials are employed throughout and it’s all judiciously screwed together. The extra length in the Altea XL’s body manifests itself as a useful 593-litres of bootspace which will come in handy for freetrack 4 buyers who indulge in the kind of adventure sports-obsessed lifestyle that marketing departments usually envisage for buyers of 4x4 vehicles. Fold the seats down and that capacity rises to 1,562 litres so a couple or mountain bikes will fit and even a surf board or two may not be out of the question. Nice MPV-style touches include the overhead storage boxes which will take CDs or sunglasses and there’s no shortage of cubbies and cup holders.

Prices sit slightly higher than this car’s natural rival, Renault’s Scenic Conquest, starting at £19,495 for the petrol model. The lack of any lower powered, entry-level engine options inevitably prevents the Altea freetrack 4 from being any more price-competitive. Still, the performance and the equipment levels you’re getting from the SEAT will be enough to convince many of its merits. Standard specification includes picnic tables for rear seat passengers, roof rails, dual zone climate control, rain sensor wipers, parking sensors, cruise control, trip computer, light sensor headlights, and a CD MP3 stereo with steering-wheel mounted controls.  Rear door window blinds are also fitted as standard, which are stored neatly within the door when not required.  Safety equipment includes ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme), six airbags and a tyre pressure warning system. Not bad at all.

As we’ve suggested, if your MPV needs to massage and nurture the family budget, the 2.0-litre TSI freetrack 4 may not be it and even the TDI option is more of a performance diesel than a fuel sipper when installed in this class of car. The 4x4 mechanicals add weight and will also impact on economy despite the freetrack 4 defaulting to 2WD mode when grip is plentiful. The official combined economy figures are 30mpg for the petrol and 41.5mpg for the diesel - not great for an MPV but not bad for a compact SUV, it depends on your point of view.

There’s a growing stigma attached to 4x4 ownership and the Altea freetrack 4 looks a good way of avoiding those sour looks from the green lobby. The 4x4 system provides plenty of grip but don’t be fooled into thinking you’ve got a proper off-road warrior on your hands: the freetrack 4 will be best kept on the tarmac. The engine choice is limited to two powerful units with strong performance. They make the most of car’s composed handling but MPV buyers may baulk at the price level they push the freetrack 4 up to. Equipment levels are generous though and if you can get on with the unusual styling, this is a capable and pleasantly unorthodox family car.

The TSI petrol engine is a beauty but not really the unit that most people would choose to put in their MPV. The diesel is a touch clattery by today’s high standards but its economy and punchy mid range make it the more sensible choice. There was a time when a growing family would push buyers into MPVs and they would wave goodbye to any notion of style, individuality or driving enjoyment. The Altea freetrack 4 has much more of these qualities about it than the majority of rivals and it retains a good degree of practicality.

CAR: SEAT Altea freetrack 4 range

PRICES: £19,495-£19,995 - on the road

INSURANCE GROUPS: 11-13

CO2 EMISSIONS: 179-223g/km

PERFORMANCE: [2.0TSI] 0-60mph 7.5s/ Max Speed 133mph

FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0TDI] (combined) 41.5mpg

STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Six airbags, ABS, ISOFIX, ESP

WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4467/1770/1570mm [est]