SEAT Alhambra Review 2023

The seven-seat SEAT Tarraco might look better and be nicer to drive, but it can’t match the SEAT Alhambra when it comes to space and practicality. Thanks to seven individual seats, it offers the kind of flexibility an SUV can only dream about.

You won’t win any style points in the SEAT Alhambra, but while your friends are using their Tetris skills to cram children and luggage into their SUV, you’ll be off your driveway faster than you can say: “The last one to the seaside is cotton-headed ninny muggins.” Other insults are available.

It’s not perfect. The SEAT Alhambra lacks the latest safety systems and smartphone connectivity, so modern tech is one reason why your head might be turned by the Tarraco. Aside from that, you’ll love the frugal engines and the fuss-free approach to motoring.

Trust us: as your children get older, anything fuss-free is a bonus. The SEAT Alhambra will slot into family life like that golden retriever you promised your kids.

An updated SEAT Alhambra went on sale in October 2015. Highlights included more efficient diesel engines, an improved cabin, subtle tweaks to the styling, an updated infotainment system and enhanced safety equipment.

Even the basic SE trim level offers a generous level of kit, but it’s worth upgrading to the SE L for the electric sliding doors and tailgate, rear-view camera and heated seats. The SE L is the range sweet-spot, but the Xcellence gets a brilliant electric panoramic sunroof.

The 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine is surprisingly good and could be ideal if you spend most of your time in the city. But it can’t hold a candle to the 2.0-litre TDI, which offers a terrific blend of performance and economy.

We’d recommend the 177PS version over the 150PS unit, as the extra pace is welcome and you should achieve around 40mpg on a good run.

The seven-seat MPV is a dying breed, as buyers flock to the perceived prestige and glamour of the SUV. The Alhambra is mechanically identical to the Volkswagen Sharan, but you’ll pay more for the Volkswagen badge.

Elsewhere, the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso is an excellent alternative, while the Ford Galaxy and S-MAX are worthy contenders. The BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer is worth a look if you require a posh badge, while the Citroen Berlingo is the MPV to buy if you’re after something with space to rival an Amazon warehouse.

If you fancy a seven-seat SEAT, the SEAT Tarraco is a stylish alternative to the Alhambra, but the platform-sharing Skoda Kodiaq offers better value for money.

Considering it dates back to 2010, the quality and finish of the SEAT Alhambra is very good. This is hardly surprising considering it’s essentially a German MPV with the lightest of Spanish makeovers.

The front doors shut with a reassuring ‘thud’, while the sliding doors and tailgate open and close with an action that would please Alan Partridge. It’s clear that a great deal of thought has gone into what families want from a vehicle, right down to the ease with which the rear seats slide and fold away.

Although the base-spec SEAT Alhambra is well-equipped, it can feel a bit ‘rental’ or airport taxi without the leather upholstery of other trim levels. It’s also worth noting that the top trim adds door and dashboard inserts, plus chrome door sills, which helps lift an otherwise sombre cabin.

As we said earlier, the quality extends to the second- and third-row seats. LED interior illumination, three-zone climate control and dark tinted windows simply add to the feeling of quality.

Overall, there’s a sense that the SEAT Alhambra is more than up to the challenge of coping with family life. Years of Happy Meals, seaside adventures, dog walks in the forest and trips to after-school clubs are unlikely to leave their mark on its cabin. We can’t promise you won’t have a few grey hairs, mind.

The 6.5-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system is fine, but feels a bit small by today’s standards. It’s definitely worth opting for a facelifted Alhambra, as the pre-2016 media system is even more dated. The screen looks like that mobile phone you ditched a decade ago.

The new screen is mounted high on the dashboard so you won’t have to take your eyes off the road for long. Key options can be accessed via the eight buttons positioned either side of the screen. These are: radio, media, phone, voice, eject, nav, traffic and menu.

We also appreciate the rotary dials at the bottom of the screen, one of which controls the audio volume – a useful touch. Many of the functions can be accessed via voice control, although the results can be a bit hit-and-miss. More positive is the navigation, which includes dynamic route guidance to avoid traffic jams.

The infotainment system can also be controlled by the steering wheel controls, while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility is available via the USB port. You even get a CD player, which is a surprisingly retro feature in 2020.

This is the area in which the SEAT Alhambra excels. With the seats folded away, it offers a van-rivalling level of space, which will make you incredibly popular when friends and family have some furniture that needs moving. If you're interested, the SEAT Alhambra has dimensions that measure 4854mm long and 1904mm wide.

In the front, there’s enough headroom for you and your better half to arrive at a fancy dress party wearing an Abraham Lincoln hat or a Marge Simpson hairdo. There’s also a storage box atop the dashboard, a storage bin between the front seats, a pair of cupholders and a space in the centre console for your phone.

You even get a refrigerated glovebox, but the really cool details can be found in the back.

In the second row, all three seats slide forwards and backwards independently, with ample space for three adults. There’s an ISOFIX point child car seat mounting point on each seat, and because the seats move independently, it’s possible to fit three child seats at the same time.

Getting in and out is easy thanks to the wide opening created by the sliding doors: useful when you’re trying to load a child into a car seat. It’s worth noting that the electric versions of the sliding doors can be operated in three ways: via the key fob, a button on the dashboard, or via a switch on the car’s B-pillar.

Climbing into the third row can be a struggle, but once there you will find plenty of legroom and headroom, even with the second row of seats in their rearmost position.

With the rear seats in place, the boot of the SEAT Alhambra offers 267 litres of luggage space, which is two litres more than you’ll find in a Suzuki Swift supermini. Not enough for a family holiday, but adequate for a day-trip to the seaside.

Fold away the rear seats of the SEAT Alhambra and you’re left with 2,297 litres of luggage space, which is more than most seven-seat SUVs can muster. The fact that the floor is perfectly flat is a bonus – still want that weekend rental van?

Finally, you won’t require a degree in origami to master the various seating configurations. The seats are light, easy to operate and a doddle to fold away. You won’t even require the operating instructions.

The SEAT Alhambra was launched in 2010 with a choice of turbocharged and fuel-injected petrol and diesel engines. The 1.4-litre TSI was the sole petrol unit, while the 2.0-litre TDI diesel was available in three outputs.

A six-speed manual gearbox was fitted as standard, but a seven-speed DSG transmission was available on all but the lowliest output diesel engine. The latter is more suitable to the relaxed nature of an MPV, but can be a little hesitant at low speeds and when pulling away from junctions.

In October 2015, the diesel engines were modified to meet Euro 6 emissions standards. This means all cars from the 2016 model-year onwards require AdBlue additive, but this is offset by a 15 percent improvement in fuel efficiency.

The smallest 2.0-litre TDI engine was dropped towards the end of the Alhambra’s production run, leaving the 150PS and the 177PS versions as the only diesel engines available. We’d recommend these over the 1.4-litre petrol, as the additional torque comes in handy when travelling with a full load.

Of the two diesels, we’d prefer the 177PS unit, but the cheaper and slightly more economical 150PS is up to most challenges. As mentioned earlier, the DSG auto transmission is recommended, even if it can be a frustrating experience.

Refinement is an area in which the petrol engine in the SEAT Alhambra claws back some points, as it’s more refined than the diesel. It’s quieter unless you’re working it really hard, which is something you might have to do when going uphill when seven-up.

The 2.0-litre TDI is less refined, sounding too vocal on start-up and when pressing on. This is another reason to opt for the more powerful version, as it requires less work to make swift progress.

Another factor working in the SEAT Alhambra’s favour is a low drag coefficient of 0.29, which means wind noise is kept to a minimum on the motorway. Notice the slippery shape of the SEAT Alhambra – that’s aerodynamics at work. This is something your chunky SUV-owning friends might appreciate. Even tyre noise is kept to a minimum, which is another factor working in the SEAT Alhambra’s favour.

The SEAT Alhambra achieved a maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating when it was tested in 2010. Highlights included a 96 percent rating for adult occupant protection and 80 percent for child occupant protection.

Nine years later, the SEAT Alhambra was tested again. This time it was awarded a four-star rating, with adult and child occupant protection dropping to 89 and 78 percent respectively. The test is more stringent than it was in 2010, with more emphasis placed on driver assist technologies.

Early cars came with brake assist, trailer stabilisation, tyre pressure monitoring, lane assist, traffic sign recognition, automatic headlights and tiredness detection. Blind-spot recognition was added as part of the 2016 model-year facelift. 

There are seven airbags: driver and front passenger, front side, curtain airbags (front, second and third row) and driver’s knee. The passenger seat airbag can be deactivated. There are also three ISOFIX points across the middle row.

The SEAT Alhambra scored an impressive 9.13 out of 10 for reliability in the recent HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index, while there have been no common issues reported. 

SEAT as a manufacturer came in 20th in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index, with a satisfaction score of 85.9%.

Insurance groups for the SEAT Alhambra range from 20 to 22, depending on the engine size. The 1.4 TSI falls into group 20, regardless of trim level. The 150PS version of the 2.0 TDI slots into group 20 in SE trim, or 21 in SE L and Xcellence trim. The 177PS version is the only Alhambra to receive a 22 group rating.

For some context, the insurance groups for the SEAT Tarraco range from 19 to 30, so the Alhambra should be cheaper to insure.

You’ll pay £150 a year for a SEAT Alhambra registered from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2020. For cars registered before 31 March 2017, the rate is £150 to £205, depending on the CO2 emissions. It’s worth noting that pre-facelift cars before the engine modifications cost £165 to £285 a year, so it’s definitely worth buying a later Alhambra.

The SEAT Alhambra in SE trim offers everything you need, including 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, a 6.5-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, integrated sunblinds, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and three-zone climate control.

However, we’d recommend the SE L, if only for the electric sliding doors and rear-view camera. You’ll also be grateful for the heated seats when the temperature drops during the winter months.

The SEAT Alhambra in Xcellence trim is arguably a touch OTT, but the electric sunroof and keyless entry and go are welcome touches. Given the discounts we’ve seen on the Xcellence models, maybe the lavish route is the way to go.