That’s the claim the firm is making for its Altea Freetrack 4, which is on sale now. In fact, SEAT boldly describes the five-seater as three cars in one – with off-road capability, the space of a family estate, plus the handling and performance of a hot hatch.
Based on the Altea XL, the Freetrack 4 has plastic cladding on the wheelarches that flows into the chunky bumpers. There are also aluminium underbody protectors front and rear.
Compared to the standard car, the Freetrack 4 has an extra 40mm of ground clearance, and an electronically controlled four-wheel-drive system, which can send 50 per cent of the available power to the rear axle.
The car is surprisingly capable off road. Our test route sent us through thick mud tracks and rock-strewn inclines, and despite the absence of a low-ratio gearbox, the terrain proved no problem for the SEAT. In normal conditions, drive is directed entirely to the front wheels, and with its car-derived suspension, the Freetrack 4 is very much at home on tarmac.
| 
|