| SEAT Altea | |
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| Manufacturer | SEAT |
| Parent company | Volkswagen Group |
| Production | 2004-present |
| Class | Compact MPV |
| Body style(s) | 5-door |
| Wheelbase | 2580 mm (101.6 in) |
| Length | Altea: 4280 mm (168.5 in) Altea XL: 4470 mm (176 in) |
| Width | 1770 mm (69.7 in) |
| Height | Altea: 1560 mm (61.4 in) Altea XL: 1580 mm (62.2 in) |
| Related | Audi A3 SEAT León Škoda Octavia Volkswagen Golf Mk V Volkswagen Touran |
The SEAT Altea is a compact MPV produced by Spanish automaker SEAT and named after Altea, Spain. The vehicle was designed by the Italian Walter de'Silva and launched in 2004 as the first example of SEAT's new corporate look. The current Toledo is identical except for the addition of a larger boot; another extended version, the Altea XL, has been presented at the 2006 Paris Motor Show. The Altea was released a few years after many of its competitors arriving on the scene, but it was expected to sell well. However, it exceeded expectations and 31,223 Alteas were sold within the first year. It is a family-oriented five-seater which attempts to portray a more sporty image than most of its rivals. The car is based on the A platform. An unusual design feature is the 'vertical parked' windscreen wipers, they disappear in to the window surround either side of the screen. The effect is a completely cleanly swept windscreen but does mean the 'A pillars' are rather wide and cause a bit of a blind spot. It has a five star EuroNCAP rating. There are six trim levels: Essence, Reference, Reference Sport, Stylance, Sport and FR. Eleven engines are available, with the range-topping 2.0 FR TDI delivering 170 bhp (127 kW), available since April 2006. There are four gearboxes available (depending on market and engine); five or six-speed manual, five-speed tiptronic and six-speed Direct-Shift Gearbox. Despite being visually very similar to the Toledo upon which it is based, the Altea has sold very well in the UK and has proved itself more popular than the Toledo.
External links
| SEAT, part of the Volkswagen Group since 1986, car timeline, 1980s-present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |||||||||||
| City car | Panda | Marbella | Arosa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Supermini | Fura | Ibiza I | Ibiza II / Córdoba I | Ibiza III / Córdoba II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Small family car | Ronda | Málaga | Toledo I | León I / Toledo II | León II / Toledo III | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Panel van | Inca | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compact MPV | Altea | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Large MPV | Alhambra | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founder: ??? | SEAT Corporate website | A brand of the VWAG group | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
