The XL should be reasonably cost effective to run with all models economical and with reasonably low emissions. Insurance groups are 4 or 5 for most models going up to 11 for the newer TDI 170 Sport, while servicing tends to be good value at SEAT dealers. Depreciation is the biggest burden. The Altea XL is quite expensive if looked at as a five-seat hatchback – e.g.

a Ford Focus or Vauxhall Astra – and used values have fallen to reflect this. For the most cost effective model, go for the Ecomotive, introduced in 2010. It’s cheap to tax thanks to CO2 emission of 119g/km.

The Altea XL is a fairly environmentally friendly choice for green buyers. With an average of 175g/km CO2 across the range, its emissions are quite low for a people carrier. The 1.9 TDI is pretty clean, emitting 146g/km of CO2 and averaging 52mpg, but the newer 1.6 TDI Ecomotive, launched in 2010, is even better with emissions of 119g/km of CO2 and average fuel economy of 63mpg.

The Altea has proved extremely reliable and we’ve heard of no problems. The XL uses the same engines and components, so should prove equally as durable and trouble-free.