The new Cupra Ateca is here and it’s slightly faster than before

The new Cupra Ateca has been revealed, introducing new technology and styling tweaks to bring it in line with the freshly updated Seat version.

The Spanish manufacturer recently revealed a mid-life facelift for the Ateca, and now its performance arm has shown how these updates apply to its version.

Chief among the changes is a new-look exterior that looks similar to the outgoing model but with sharper, more sporty lines. There’s also full LED headlights, fog lights and rear lights, dark trim pieces and a quad-exit exhaust.

The standard alloy wheels are 19-inch units in black or silver, with a copper choice available at extra cost. Seventeen-inch brake callipers are fitted as standard, but 18-inch Brembo performance brakes are available as an upgrade.

Much like the outgoing car, the new Cupra Ateca gets Alcantara-clad bucket seats, while the steering wheel gets a microsuede trim. The dashboard and door panels are both dark aluminium with copper stitching.

The instrument cluster is a 10.25-inch all-digital system, while infotainment comes from a 9.2-inch touchscreen, which includes a new voice recognition technology. There are also four USB-C ports in the cabin for fast smartphone connection.

Performance comes from a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine making 296bhp and 400Nm of torque, with all-wheel-drive contributing to a sub-five-second 0-60mph time, about three-tenths quicker than before.