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SEAT to Introduce Sportier Ateca FR and SEAT 600 Concept Car in Barcelona

Of all the high-volume brands in Volkswagen Group's portfolio, you have to feel SEAT is struggling the most. Even though having no presence whatsoever in the States meant it was almost unharmed by the whole Dieselgate fiasco, the Spanish manufacturer is currently enjoying a spell of mediocrity.
Concept Car SEAT 600 BMS 7 photos
Photo: SEAT
Concept Car SEAT 600 BMSSEAT Ateca FRSEAT Ateca FRSEAT Ateca FRSEAT Ateca FRSEAT Ateca FR
The Ateca SUV that was introduced recently is surely going to spur sales a little over the upcoming years, but it can't do wonders by itself. SEAT has lost its identity and is now just a more expensive Skoda or a lesser Volkswagen, and nobody wants any of that.

However, it's still the only carmaker in Spain, which means it will always be somewhat successful in its home market. Knowing that, SEAT has chosen the Automobile Barcelona 2017 fair for the international debut of the Ateca FR, a sportier version of the new SUV.

A few visual elements will help people identify the FR model including aluminum roof rails and window frames, a glossy black radiator grille, modified front and rear bumpers and if everything else fails, the FR badge at the back. The sporty touches continue in the interior as well where the four-by-four gets aluminum pedals, a sports steering wheel wrapped in leather and with glossy black insertions and red stitching all over the Alcantara seats.

Things don't sound that impressive under the hood, though, with the Ateca FR housing a 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit good for 190 hp and a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint of 7.5 seconds. That's hardly going to tell your glands to start pumping adrenaline through your body, but it's still better than a diesel version. Naturally, the car will get four-wheel-drive as standard together with the seven-speed automatic DSG transmission.

The SEAT stand will also display the Concept Car SEAT 600 BMS, a not very subtle nod to the brand's legendary 600D model which is now 60-years-old. The modern reinterpretation of the classic retains the same wheels and brakes as well as the suicide front doors and the retractable canvas roof, but a few touches of the 21st century are also promised. For now, though, all we have to look at is a sketch. The 2017 Automobile Barcelona starts in just under a week, on May 11, and ends ten days later on May 21.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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