NEW SEAT Alhambra From £25,380

Exterior

Many MPVs have a boxy appearance, and it’s no coincidence; boxy is always best when you’re looking to maximise space. The Alhambra follows this recipe unashamedly, but although its lines aren’t exactly what you’d call ‘flowing’, the looks aren’t too bland. All versions come with alloy wheels and colour-coded bumpers and DOOR handles, along with a chrome surround for the radiator grille. Go for the SE car, which most buyers will, and you also get chrome window surrounds, darkened rear windows and chrome roof rails. SE Lux and FR-Line cars, meanwhile, have a panoramic roof.

Interior

Life’s pretty sweet at the wheel of the Alhambra. You get a cracking view out in all directions – which helps you manage the car’s cumbersome size during low-speed manoeuvres – and all versions have the added security of front- and rear-parking sensors. Everything on the dashboard is logically located and really easy to use, and there’s a feeling of substance and solidity because most of the materials look and feel very nice indeed. Some of the plastics are a little hard and unappealing in places, but it all looks like it’ll last a lifetime.

Running costs

The Alhambra is significantly bigger and heavier than a lot of seven-seat MPVs, so it’s never going to be the cleanest option, but even so, it doesn’t do too bad a job. The cleanest version, the 2.0 TDI 150 Ecomotive S, returns 56.5mpg, along with CO2 emissions of 130g/km, and all versions bar the petrol will better 50mpg. Purchase prices are very competitive, especially considering the amount of space and kit you’re getting for your money, and resale values aren’t half bad, either.

Reliability

The Warranty Direct Reliability Index tells a bit of a mixed story where the Alhambra is concerned. As a manufacturer, Seat doesn’t do too badly, hovering around the mid-table mark in the brand rankings. Look at the results for the older version of the Alhambra, though, and the reliability score is about as low as it’s possible to get, with engine troubles being the biggest cause of mechanical issues. The owner reviews on our own website also report some rather nerve-wracking stories about the car’s dependability. A rather average three-year/60,000-mile warranty package is included.

Safety

We always like it when the safety kit you get in a car is the same no matter whether you have the most basic version or the range-topping version, and the Alhambra is one of those. Stability control, tyre pressure monitoring, tiredness recognition and multi-collision braking (which locks on the anchors after a shunt to prevent further collisions) are all provided, along with no less than seven airbags including a driver’s knee ‘bag and curtain ‘bags that cover all three rows of seats. 

The only thing that’s really missing is autonomous city braking, and it’s not even available as an optional extra. Nevertheless, the car has achieved the full five-star rating in Euro NCAP crash tests, even though that was back in 2010 and the tests have become considerably harder since then.