No matter how hard you rev it, the Altea 1.6 never feels sporting. It’s not so much the ordinary 11.9sec 0-60mph time that tells the story, rather the slothful series of in-gear acceleration times, and the 43.3 seconds it takes to claw its way up to three figures. Driving the Altea briskly requires full use of the engine’s rev range and frantic stirring of the gearlever. It’s hard work – especially if slower traffic lies ahead – and motorway driving requires frequent use of full throttle and occasional down-changes. And, with a 70mph cruise equalling 3645rpm, the motor will be working hard, too.
Seat hasn’t disappointed with the Altea’s handling characteristics, however. Enjoying a favourite stretch of road from high-up in the Altea’s cabin initially feels slightly bizarre, but there’s genuine poise and enjoyment on offer. The Altea is firmly suspended and exhibits fine body control, if not quite the same effortless flow as a Ford Focus C-Max can muster. Yet it is more overtly sporting than the Ford, with little body roll, a keenness to change direction and a firm resistance to understeer right up until the limit of grip is eventually breached.
As is unfortunately the norm with such systems, the electro-hydraulic power steering offers very little feedback, but the weighting is well judged and the rack is precise off the dead-ahead, allowing the Altea to be easily placed on the road.
Overall, driving the Altea is an enjoyable experience, offering considerably more entertainment than a regular MPV or many traditional family hatchbacks. The pay-off is a ride that can verge on the harsh, especially around town. How you view this depends on which element of the MSV concept is most important to you. Overall, the Altea’s good body control helps keep the cabin level and relaxed over road surface undulations, but around town it can fidget over broken and rutted surfaces although never to an annoying degree.