SEAT Tarraco Review & Prices

The SEAT Tarraco is a handsome, well-built and generously-equipped seven-seater SUV. It comes with a range of efficient engine options and it’s very practical, but it’s a bit boring inside and there are more comfortable alternatives to choose from.

It’s a bit like a waterproof jacket, because while it’s handy and practical on a day-to-day basis, there are more comfortable and more stylish options to choose from - such as the slightly more upmarket Volkswagen Tiguan, sensible Skoda Enyaq and enormous Kia Sorento.

Look closely and you can see the similarities between the Tarraco and the old Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace, with which it’s mechanically similar. The big SEAT looks a bit sleeker with its narrow headlights and pretty grille, but it's otherwise generic to look at. Far from ugly, but far from exciting, too.

SEAT has taken the same approach with the interior, because while there’s nothing wrong with the design, it’s a bit bland. A strip of trim across the soft-touch dashboard brightens up the dark interior, but otherwise it’s a boring cabin with few eye-catching features. The 9.2-inch infotainment system (8.3-inch on base models) is old-hat compared to the latest fare, but that’s to be forgiven since you can’t buy a new Tarraco any more.

You get loads of adjustment in the seats and steering wheel, though you’re always perched quite high up in the Tarraco, while FR models and above come with a pair of fantastic, supportive sports seats in the front. Middle-row space and all-round storage capacity is generous, though three adults in the middle or two in the rearmost pair of seats is a squeeze.

A trio of ISOFIX mounting points across the front seat and middle row make the Tarraco a family-friendly choice of SUV, while the 700-litre boot (with the last two chairs stowed away) is large, if not as big as in a Skoda Kodiaq or Peugeot 5008.

You can choose from a pair of engines: a 1.5-litre petrol or a 2.0-litre diesel unit, both of which can be had with a manual or automatic gearbox. Around town the petrol version is perfectly comfortable to potter about in town, while the 2.0-litre diesel is best suited to long-distance driving.

For such a large SUV, the Tarraco is surprisingly easy to manoeuvre around narrow roads and tight car parks - even if the rear pillars are rather thick. Annoyingly, the stiff suspension means you get jiggled around on bumpy roads, especially on upper-trim levels with 20-inch wheels.

It settles down on a motorway run, with little road noise and just a touch of wind noise around the mirrors. Getting up to speed isn’t a chore with either engine option, but don’t expect any typical SEAT sportiness from the Tarraco - it’s stable, but boring on a twisty road.

Check out the latest deals on a used SEAT Tarraco through Carwow’s network of trusted dealers, or deals on a new SEAT instead. There are other used SEATs to choose from, too, and you can even sell your car through Carwow when the time comes to change.

The SEAT Tarraco isn’t on sale anymore, but there are plenty of second-hand examples available through Carwow between around £14,000 and £30,000 (at the time of writing). If you fancy a new SEAT SUV, the smaller Ateca is still available - or there are a range of mechanically similar Cupra SUVs to choose from, too.

Competent and comfortable on the motorway, but it’s not the most comfortable around town

In town 

You sit up high in the Tarraco – no great surprise as this is an SUV. That gives a good view of the road ahead, although thick rear pillars obstruct the view over your shoulder a bit. An iffy view is not ideal when reverse parking, but every Tarraco comes with rear parking sensors, which helps. As we’ve already mentioned, from FR spec upwards you get a Park Assist feature that takes care of all that tricky wheel-twirling for you.

What’s not so great is the firm ride. It’s not so uncomfortable as to be a deal-breaker, but there’s no doubt the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace rides more smoothly at low speeds. The firmness is particularly noticeable on high-spec Tarracos with big alloy wheels. The 20-inch alloys on FR Sport and Xperience Lux cars make the ride that bit stiffer.

If you want to give your left leg a rest in traffic, every engine is available with a DSG automatic. In fact, some of the more powerful engine choices only come with an auto. The ’box changes gear smoothly although it can be a bit hesitant to change down for a quick burst of acceleration.

On the motorway 

While many SEAT Tarraco will be used on the school run, the car is even more at home on the motorway. There’s decent performance from any of the engines, even the entry-level 150hp petrol, while the 245hp petrol makes the SEAT surprisingly quick for a family SUV.

Once up to speed, there’s not too much noise to put up with whatever engine you choose. You might hear a bit of wind around the door mirrors, but otherwise the Tarraco is a quiet and comfortable motorway cruiser.

If you do a lot of motorway miles, think about one of the diesels. With 150 or 200hp, these perform well and will deliver better fuel economy on a long run than the petrol models.

On a twisty road

SEAT likes to make sporty cars, but it’s had an uphill battle making the Tarraco fun to drive. Don’t get us wrong, it can handle itself on a twisty road, but you’re conscious that this is a tall and fairly heavy car. Twist the Tarraco’s arm and it will come out and party, just so long as it’s home and in bed by 11.

If that country road is wet and greasy, you’ll be glad to drive one of the four-wheel-drive models. Badged ‘4Drive’, these cars will be more secure in bad weather but with a slight penalty to pay at the fuel pumps.

The Tarraco is very practical, although space is a bit tight in the third row, which is also difficult to access

The SEAT has a high seating position, just as you’d expect of an SUV. There’s plenty of adjustment, too, with a steering wheel that moves for height as well as reach and lots of scope to tweak the driver’s seat.

The standard seats fitted to SE and SE Technology cars are fine, but go for FR spec and above and you get sports seats that are more supportive, especially on bends and roundabouts. Adjustment is electric on FR spec and above, with moveable lumbar support and a memory function so you can save your driving position. Cloth upholstery is also swapped out for leather on FR Sport spec.

You don’t go short of storage space in the front of the Tarraco. The door bins are huge and felt-lined so that any odds and ends won’t rattle around. There are twin-cupholders between the front seats, and they adjust to grip different size cups, so you shouldn’t spill your coffee whether you choose a shot of espresso or an extra-large latte. Perhaps the glovebox could be a little bigger, but we don’t think many owners will complain.

There’s space for your phone at the base of the centre console, and storage for a pair of sunglasses in the roof. Just remember that you lose this storage for sunglasses if you tick the option box for a panoramic sunroof.

Space in the back seats

Every Tarraco is a seven-seater – unlike the Skoda Kodiaq, there’s no option to go with five seats for a lower price and more boot capacity.

There’s lots of space for two in the middle row with plenty of head and legroom, although three is a bit of a squeeze. You’ll be bashing elbows if you do sit three adults in the middle row and the chunky transmission tunnel gets in the way a bit. The seats recline for a quick nap on a long journey.

The third row is pretty cramped and best kept for kids, although it’s more bearable if those in the middle row slide their seats forward a bit.

ISOFIX mounting points are fitted to the outer two seats in the middle row, as well as the front passenger seat.

Boot space

Like a lot of seven-seat cars, the Tarraco’s boot is fairly small if all seven seats are upright – at 230 litres it's less than you'd get in a Ford Fiesta. There’s definitely less luggage room with every seat occupied than you’d find in a Kia Sorento.

Things improve a lot once you have folded the third row into the floor using the levers on either side of the boot. With an impressive 700 litres of space, there's loads of room for holiday suitcases. It sits around the middle of its alternatives, with more space than a Skoda Kodiaq (630 litres), but less than a Peugeot 5008 (780 litres).

There’s more space under the floor, too, so long as you stick with the standard tyre repair kit rather than opting for a spare wheel.

With the middle row folded down as well, the Tarraco is big enough to cope with really big loads, and has more space than a Hyundai Santa Fe. However, its 1,775 litres is down on the circa-2,000 litres you get in a Kodiaq and 5008 .

The cabin is really well laid out, but it's not the most stylish design and the quality of materials is hit and miss

Being so similar to the Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace is a good and bad thing. It’s good, because the SEAT’s dash is sensibly laid out and easy to use. It’s not so good, because the look-alike cabin design is a bit dull and samey. There’s not a lot in the way of Spanish flair.

The build quality appears impressive at first, but on closer inspection some of the Tarracos we’ve driven had fit and finish problems. The plastics on the top of the dash look and feel upmarket, but they get a bit hard and scratchy on the lower centre console and doors.

There’s good news if you hate scrolling through touchscreen menus to change the temperature in the cabin – the Tarraco has separate air-con controls beneath the infotainment screen. It’s a lot easier to reach for a physical button to make a quick adjustment than to navigate a touchscreen menu.

Go for SE spec and you get an 8.25-inch touchscreen with a DAB radio, three USB-C charge ports and one aux-in jack, eight speakers and Bluetooth connectivity. The other models have a larger 9.2-inch screen with satellite navigation.

Shortcut buttons make the infotainment easy to use, and the screen is reasonably responsive. It is an absolute magnet for mucky fingermarks, though.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard fit on every SEAT Tarraco. With SE spec you’ll need to connect through a cable, but go for any other level and the connection is wireless.

Every Tarraco comes with a package of online services called SEAT Connect. There’s a 10-year subscription to the safety and service features, including private emergency calling. There’s a one-year subscription to driving data, parking position, and remote locking and unlocking of the car.

FR spec and above have more SEAT Connect functions, including online traffic information and over-air map updates.

There are no electric or plug-in hybrid versions of the SEAT Tarraco. Buyers have a choice of one petrol engine and one diesel engine, both with 150hp and a choice of manual and automatic transmissions (though the manual is only offered on lower trims).

For high-mileage drivers looking for low fuel bills, the 150hp 2.0-litre diesel is the most economical. The front-wheel drive manual version returns an official 47.1-52.3mpg, which is pretty good for a seven-seat SUV. The DSG automatic is only a little thirstier (47.1-51.4mpg).

Go for the petrol, and the 150hp front-wheel drive car is still pretty good on fuel. The official tests suggest you can expect 38.2-42.2mpg.

There’s no first-year road tax to pay as you can’t buy a new Tarraco, but if you buy a late model that cost over £40,000 when new, beware the luxury car supplement will still apply between years two-to-six after its first registration.

The Tarraco scored five stars out of five when it was tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP in 2019.

Every model comes with autonomous emergency braking that will apply the brakes if the driver isn’t paying attention and a collision is likely. SEAT’s clever system can detect pedestrians as well as other cars.

All Tarracos also come with an emergency call button and a lane assist system to help keep the car in the middle of its lane. Every car comes with an alarm.

SEAT came 24th out of 31 brands in the 2025 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, which isn’t a particularly impressive result. You won’t be able to get a new warranty with a used Tarraco, unless you purchase a late model that’s still within the three-year, 60,000-mile period.