The Altea is one of those medium-size cars that always feels solid and well put together. In 2.0-litre TDI guise it is also fast and has the sort of handling that makes you want to drive it enthusiastically. Put a caravan on the back and it doesn’t disappoint. In particular, the gearbox (six speed) is a delight to use and the ratios are just right.
A conventional handbrake held the outfit rock steady on our tough hill test, and though there was a bit of wheel scrabble on take-off (on a newly-dampened surface), the Seat’s traction control soon got things in order.
From the driving seat, a lovely car let down only by very thick A-pillars that obstruct forward vision. If load capacity features high on your list of requirements in a reasonably sized and priced towcar, then look no further.
| Caravan weight |
Noseweight limit |
Drive |
Cyls/CC |
bhp@rpm |
lb/ft@rpm |
CO2 g/km |
Ins group |
Price |
Tested |
|
1,312kg |
75kg |
FWD |
4/1968 |
138@ 4000 |
236@1750 |
157 |
8E |
£17,885 |
2008 |
Seat Altea XL Stylance 2.0 TDI
