SEAT Tarraco (2019-2024) Review

Like most seven-seat SUVs, the SEAT Tarraco isn’t going to cut it if you really need to carry seven adults regularly. But it’s still a very practical choice, with a stylish cabin that feels well up to the job of dealing with day-to-day family life. It’s also good to drive, with a wide range of efficient petrol and diesel engines.

We think the 2.0-litre TDI is the pick of the bunch, although you’d be better with a petrol if you only cover low miles. In terms of models, go for a mid-level trim. The SE Technology has everything most buyers will need without breaking the bank.

If you’re considering a SEAT Tarraco, you should also consider the Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace. Both of which share engines and a platform with the Tarraco, making choosing between them difficult. The Tiguan Allspace is a bit more upmarket than the SEAT, although you’ll pay for that, while the Kodiaq is slightly waftier to drive (which may or may not be a good thing, depending on your requirements).

Outside of the Volkswagen Group, you should also consider the stylish Peugeot 5008 with its futuristic interior. The Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento represent good value for money, while the Ford Kuga is another strong choice (although it’s not available with seven seats).

The SEAT Tarraco’s interior feels significantly plusher than we’re used to from Volkswagen’s Spanish brand. You’ll find lots of soft-touch materials and neat finishes, meaning it’s almost as classy as the pricier Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace.

Initially, an 8.0-inch touchscreen media system was standard across the range, including navigation across all but basic SE models. Later on, the screen was upgraded to 8.2 inches on the SE and 9.2 inches on all other versions.

Reardless of which iteration your car has, it's a really simple device to use, with useful shortcut buttons and quick responses. It might look like it’s plonked on the dashboard like an afterthought, but it’s conveniently positioned close to the driver’s eye line, which means it isn’t too distracting, although we’d like it more if it had a Mazda-like rotary controller between the seats. That said, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are fitted as standard and both have excellent voice recognition systems that mean you barely have to take your hands off the wheel to do simple tasks. 

If you’re looking at the SEAT Tarraco, you’re probably most concerned with how spacious it is. There’s loads of room in the front, with big comfortable seats and lots of useful storage spaces. In the back, the middle row of seats can slide backwards and forwards as well as recline, meaning you can prioritise comfort or boot space.

The rear doors open 90 degrees giving you superb access to the back seats, which is a boon when you come to fitting a child seat. The Skoda's tall height and roominess make manoeuvring that seat into position easy, and the Isofix points are clear to see, allowing you to get the chair quickly slotted into place. 

There’s plenty of space back there, although the same can’t be said for the rearmost seats. These really are for occasional use by children only. And when they’re in use, they eat up boot space - leaving just 230 litres for luggage. The SEAT Tarraco has boot space of 700 litres with five seats in use.

The SEAT Tarraco has dimensions of 4735mm long, 1674mm wide and 1839mm tall. 

There are a few turbocharged petrol engines to choose from. The most popular were a 1.5- or 2.0-litre TSI, the former with a manual or automatic gearbox and two-wheel drive, while the latter comes with 4Drive all-wheel drive and DSG automatic transmission.

The 1.5-litre petrol will be sufficient for most buyers, although it does feel a little strained when fully-loaded. The 2.0-litre is noticeably punchier, although it’s not a frugal choice. Another version of the 2.0-litre had 245PS, but this was only offered for a short time and we never got to try it.

If you cover a lot of motorway miles, we’d recommend looking for the 2.0-litre diesel engine, which is available in a variety of flavours. The standard 150PS model is potent enough and can be combined with a manual or automatic gearbox and two- or four-wheel drive. For the ultimate in pulling power, look for a 2.0 TDI 190 engine (later uprated from 190PS to 200PS), which comes as standard with the DSG auto transmission and all-wheel drive, though strangely it doesn't feel that much quicker than the 150 model and isn't quite so smooth.

The Tarraco suffers from a little bit of wind noise from around the windscreen pillars and the mirrors, but it's no more than a distant flutter unless you go well beyond legal speeds. Tyre rumble is only really an issue on cars with larger wheels while engine noise is very well muted at a cruise. 

The SEAT Tarraco got a five-star rating for safety when it was crash tested by Euro NCAP in 2019.

Standard safety kit includes the usual collection of airbags as well as eCall, which will phone the emergency services if the car is in an accident, and automatic emergency brakes that can detect cars and people. You also get lane assist that gently steers the car in lane and hill-hold assist that stops the car from rolling when you're setting off on a hill. 

SEAT didn't come in for particular criticism in our sister website Honest John's Satisfaction Index, but Volkswagen, which SEAT shares many of its parts with, came in fourth place in our list of the top ten least reliable manufacturers. SEAT's cars come as standard with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which isn't a patch on the seven-year cover you get with a Kia Sorento. 

The cheapest SEAT Tarraco to insure is the 150PS 1.5-litre petrol model in SE trim, which sits in insurance group 19. Group 31 insurance means the 2.0 TSI 245 Xcellence model with a DSG gearbox and 4Drive four-wheel drive costs the most to insure. 

Taxing the SEAT Tarraco won't cost the earth, because it's taxed at the same £190 flat rate as all other petrol and diesel cars, but it pays to avoid top-end models that cost more than £40,000. These are subject to the UK's premium car tax, meaning you'll have to pay an extra £390 on top for the first five years of ownership, which transfers to the new owner if you sell the car on.

The SEAT Tarraco range kicks off with the SE grade. This comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, a touchscreen media system (with DAB radio and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto), the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, rear parking sensors and three-zone climate control.

SE Technology models build on this with 18-inch alloy wheels, tinted rear windows and navigation with 3D mapping. Later versions also got a bigger touchscreen.

The stylish Tarraco FR adds 19-inch alloy wheels, black exterior highlights (including the grille and roof rails), a rear spoiler and a twin exhaust system. Sports seats trimmed in Alcantara and cloth are standard, along with electric seat adjustment for the driver’s seat. The FR also comes with adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and go and an electric tailgate. The park assist feature is also standard with self-parking functionality and front parking sensors.

The FR Sport builds on the FR trim with 20-inch alloy wheels, leather seats, a rear- and top-view camera and the Winter pack (with heated front and rear seats as well as heated washer nozzles).

The posh Tarraco Xcellence (later renamed Xperience) comes with 19-inch alloy wheels, chrome exterior trim (including roof rails and window trim), along with front sports seats in cloth with Alcantara. Technology includes the adaptive cruise control, keyless start, electric tailgate, park assist and a rear-view camera.

Topping the range is the Tarraco Xcellence Lux (later renamed Xperience Lux). This comes with 20-inch alloy wheels, leather sports seats (with electric adjustment for the driver), a top-view camera and Winter pack.