SEAT’s biggest product offensive reaches its climax with the introduction of the brand’s new flagship model, the SEAT Tarraco. The large SUV will bring higher margins to the company, growing its portfolio and increasing its competitiveness, allowing it to cover 80% of vehicle segments in the European market. SEAT’s outlook continues to be confident and upbeat as it introduces new vehicles to its line-up and refreshes those that are already mainstays in the market, offering vehicles that suit every aspect of our customers’ lifestyles. Between January and October this year, the brand reached a total volume of 449,000 vehicles worldwide, which is 13.7% more than in the same period of 2017 (395,100). This is the best result in the history of SEAT, and it is above the figure achieved between January and September 2000 (433,600 cars).
The new SUV blends the key attributes of every vehicle in the SEAT range: design and functionality, sportiness and comfort, technology and emotion, but in a form factor that suits a wider variety of lifestyles. The New SEAT Tarraco is designed for drivers who need the usefulness of a five- or seven-seater, the practicality of a higher driving position but are conscious of a vehicle’s aesthetics and appreciate the SEAT Tarraco’s balance between self-confidence, elegance and sportiness. As the SUV market continues to expand, The Tarraco will play a key role for SEAT when it is introduced at the very beginning of 2019, strengthening the brand and aiding further growth at a time when the company’s sales are rising steadily already. And with a trio of SUVs to offer the opportunities for greater expansion become much clearer, with the Tarraco leading the way.
Bigger dimensions inspired the design team to find a greater balance between aesthetic integrity and purposeful proportions. And even though the SEAT Tarraco SUV is 4,735mm long, 1,839mm wide and 1,658mm tall, creating a huge interior space and an imposing exterior, the overall design implies a lightness and agility as well as a robustness and practicality. At the front a more prominent grille design, gives an increased presence and more characterful look, and while the sharp full LED headlights retain the company’s triangular signature they are set further into the body, giving a more focused appearance, and a greater sense of purpose to the vehicle. Lighting technology is an important aspect of the Tarraco’s design, to this end the SUV uses 100% LED technology throughout the exterior and interior as standard on both the Xcellence and Style trims. The technology has given designers greater creative freedom to highlight and extenuate the SUV’s design, while at the same time, customers benefit from cleaner, crisper lighting.
Inside, designers have worked hard to create an interior that cocoons occupants, using a horizontal line that spans the dashboard and emphasises the width of the SEAT Tarraco, increasing the feeling of space in the cabin while at the same time inspiring confidence. And whether customers chose a traditional five seat layout or elect for the optional seven seat configuration, the interior offers the form, functionality and quality that is a necessity in today’s competitive marketplace. The SUV’s interior design exudes a level of quality normally found in the premium sector, mixing different materials to evoke a feeling of confidence no matter which trim level is chosen and which specification is selected. Perfectly sculpted, the cabin balances the differing needs of the driver and passengers; providing a driver-focused, ergonomically designed seating position when behind the steering wheel and a relaxed, comfortable environment for passengers whether sat at the front of the SUV or in the second row, thanks to the generous internal proportions for both leg and head room. Even at the very rear of the vehicle there is sufficient space for the third row passengers.
Performance, efficiency and reliability are key to the Tarraco’s powertrain line-up with all the engines powering the large SUV benefitting from direct-injection, turbocharging and start-stop technology with outputs of between 150PS and 190PS and all meeting latest emissions standards. Two petrol variants: a four-cylinder 1.5 litre TSI unit that produces 150PS and is linked to a six-speed manual transmission powering the front wheels, and a 2.0 litre, 190PS offering mated to a seven-speed DSG gearbox and 4Drive total traction system. The 1.5 litre unit produces 150PS of power between 5,000rpm and 6,000rpm while the engine’s 250Nm of torque is available from just 1,500rpm up to 3,500rpm. The output figures are achieved due to the 1,498cc unit’s bore and stroke of 74.5mm and 85.9mm respectively and a compression ratio of 10.5, and give the SEAT Tarraco a top speed of 201km/h. The larger 2.0 litre TSI engine benefits from a bore of 82.5mm and a stroke of 92.8mm with a compression ratio of 11.65 and produces its maximum power output of 190PS between 4,200rpm and 6,000rpm. The engine’s enormous amount of torque, 320Nm, is delivered at 1,500-4,100rpm. The larger petrol engine helps the Tarraco reach 100km/h in just 8.0 seconds and gives it a top speed of 211km/h. There are two diesel options, both 2.0 litre TDIs, with power outputs of 150PS and 190PS respectively. Bore and stroke are identical at 81mm and 95.5mm but the compression ratio differs: the 150PS unit uses a 16.2 ratio while the 190PS engine is 15.5.
The SEAT Tarraco has been engineered for drivers looking for excitement and functionality in a single vehicle. People who need the practicality of up to seven seats and the space to transport family and friends, but appreciate a vehicle that reacts to the driver’s inputs and offers dynamic performance. The key to its nuanced approach to practicality and dynamic behaviour is the latest technology from Volkswagen Group and the MQB-A long wheelbase architecture that underpins the large SUV. At the front, the SEAT Tarraco integrates an independent MacPherson strut suspension system with coil springs and hydraulic shock absorbers, while at the rear a multilink approach has been used, also incorporating coil springs and hydraulic shock absorbers. Combined with the vehicle’s Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) setup, it gives the perfect balance between a sporty feeling when you are behind the wheel, and a more comfortable ride when you need to cover longer distances, on different types of roads. The driver can select which setting they prefer – Normal, Eco, Sport – but the system can also adapt automatically, modifying the ride depending on the road surface and driving style.
The New SEAT Tarraco is the benchmark among its competitors for safety. A mixture of sensors allows the vehicle to see the road ahead like never before and adapt to any incident that may occur. Front assist with bicycle detection, lane assist and Emergency Call are all standard throughout the range, while Adaptive Cruise Control is standard on the Tarraco in Xcellence trim. SEAT offers a plethora of additional systems too, including Emergency Assist, Blind Spot Detection and Exit Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Traffic Jam Assist and Light Assist as options, while it has also introduced two new safety systems for the first time: Pre-Crash Assist and Rollover Assist. The Pre-Crash Assist system can react in 0.2 seconds should it detect an accident is about to happen – tightening the seatbelts, activating the hazard lights, rolling up the windows and closing the sunroof – helping protect the passenger compartment. Rollover Assist, a rollover detection system, if activated, will make an emergency call, switch off the engine, unlock the doors, turn on the hazard lights, and change the ventilation system. Add to these systems the convenience features also included; Park Assist, the Electric Tailgate with Virtual Pedal and Top View camera system and the New SEAT Tarraco stands head and shoulders above its competitors in the large SUV market.