SEAT just took the wraps off its first SUV, the Ateca, and talks about a sportier variant of the automobile are already starting to sprout.
We’re talking about a possible Cupra version, that would get the same potent 2.o-liter TFSI powering the Leon.
In fact, Auto Express reports that SEAT bosses are already assessing the feasibility of such a model, with president Luca de Meo confirming it during the launch of the new Ateca: “We're having the discussion right now. We're very creative. We can do tons of things. However, we've to make one solid step after the other.”
Design chief Alejandro Mesonero appears to be excited about the prospect of a high performance Ateca, stating: “We’re fighting to stretch the line.”
A theoretical 287 HP four-banger taken straight out of the Leon Cupra could have up to 100 HP more than the currently most powerful engine option available for SEAT’s SUV: the 187 HP 2.0-litre diesel.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the model will borrow the turbocharged powerplant from the hatchback, as the Ateca It could very well be powered by a diesel unit instead and leave the petrol engine exclusively for the car tack-capable smaller vehicles – nothing uncommon in the Volkswagen Group, since Audi did more or less the same with the SQ5.