- Second consecutive award for SEAT Alhambra from the motoring weekly
- Eleventh UK award for the class leading seven-seater
- Praised for its flexibility, value and running costs
The SEAT Alhambra has taken the coveted Best MPV prize at the Auto Express New Car Awards, for the second year in a row.
Held last night (26 May 2012) in Covent Garden’s Grand Connaught Rooms, the weekly motoring publication gave the Alhambra the award ahead of a raft of strong competition.
It’s the eleventh national award the Alhambra has collected since it was launched in 2010, and comes just after it picked up Diesel Car magazine’s MPV of the Year prize, also for the second consecutive year.
The Alhambra’s ever swelling trophy cabinet now includes awards from a breadth of prestigious motoring magazines and websites, including What Car?, Fleet News, Fleet World, Car Buyer and, of course, Auto Express.
Britain’s best-selling motoring weekly clearly has a soft spot for the seven-seat Alhambra, with editor-in-chief Steve Fowler praising its flexibility – particularly its easy-to-fold seats and wide-opening sliding rear doors, which can be electrically operated on all models. “When it comes to moving families around, there is nothing that does it better than the Alhambra,” he said.
“It’s good value and cheap to run, too,” he continued, “and what you don’t expect from such a talented MPV, it’s also really good to drive. All-in-all, it’s the ideal car for all the family.”
Despite boasting class-leading quality, space and flexibility, with luxury car refinement, the Alhambra also represents astonishing value for money, with prices starting at just £23,535 RRP on the road.
The standard equipment list is generous: entry-level S models include 16-inch alloy wheels, three-zone climate control, Bluetooth hands-free phone operation with voice control, and a cooled glove box.
Every Alhambra comes with fuel-saving Ecomotive Technology as standard, including Start/Stop engine shut-off and an Energy Recovery System.
The Alhambra range is powered by a line-up of highly efficient petrol and diesel engines, comprising a 1.4-litre TSI petrol unit with 150 PS (148 bhp), and a 2.0-litre TDI common rail diesel with outputs stretching from 115 PS (113 bhp) to 170 PS (168 bhp).
Fuel consumption is especially low, with combined economy figures ranging from 37.2 mpg to 50.4 mpg, and CO2 emissions from 146 g/km to 178 g/km. All engines are available with either a six-speed manual transmission or a twin-clutch DSG automatic.
