In a nutshell:
- SEAT grows range of electrified vehicles with new Tarraco e-HYBRID.
- Electrified large SUV joins the line-up alongside Leon e-HYBRID and Mii electric.
- Tarraco e-HYBRID mates a petrol engine and an electric motor to offer 242bhp of power and 400Nm of torque combined.
- Unlike standard Tarraco, however, will not be offered with seven seats.
- Deliveries to the UK will commence in second half of 2021
Good news for fans of the multi-award winning SEAT Tarraco - because there’s a plug-in hybrid version of the popular SUV in the pipeline.
The Tarraco, first released in 2018, has been a runaway success for SEAT.
Built as a rival to the likes of the Peugeot 5008, Hyundai Santa Fe and Skoda Kodiaq, it’s racked-up industry prizes galore - including the Auto Express’ ‘Best Large SUV’ gong two years in a row.
Until now it’s come with a choice of four engines - diesel and petrol mills which both come in 150hp and 190hp guise.
Now, however, a new ‘e-HYBRID’ has joined the fray, due to hit UK roads in the second half of 2021.
And with power of 245PS combined with significant improvements in fuel economy, it’s sure to win the Tarraco even more admirers.
There is just one fly in the ointment - and it’s not good news if you’ve got a large family to ferry across the UK.
The Internal Combustion Engine Tarraco comes with seven seats as standard. The new e-HYBRID, however, will only be able to accommodate five, due to space being taken up by a large battery.
Power itself comes from a 1.4 litre, 150 PS TSI petrol engine combined with a 115PS electric motor linked with a 13kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
When channelled through a six-speed DSG transmission, the set-up offers 242bhp of power and 400Nm of torque.
While SEAT hasn’t revealed quite how fast the plug-in Tarraco will be, or how efficient, there’s a similar set up in the Leon e-HYBRID and that car returns a colossal 217.3mpg and sprints from 0-62mph in just 7.5 seconds.
You can expect something similar to those figures with the electric Tarraco, though factor in the fact it is larger and heavier than a Leon.
The battery can be plugged in to an AC charging point and replenished in as little as three and a half hours using a 3.6kW Wallbox charger, or in less than five hours using a standard home 2.3kW charger.
And, crucially, the Tarraco e-HYBRID can travel for up to 30.5 miles in all-electric mode.
The Tarraco should also synch perfectly with your smartphone, too.
A SEAT spokesperson adds: “The Tarraco e-HYBRID is fully connected with in-car and out-of-car connectivity. The electrified powertrain gives even more control once out of the vehicle; through the SEAT Connect app, users can access their vehicle’s data remotely, manage the charging process and control the climate control remotely, including pre-warming the cabin on cold mornings.”
The SEAT Tarraco e-HYBRID will be available in sporty ‘FR’ and luxury ‘Xcellence’ trims.
And it’s being built at the Volkswagen Group’s advanced manufacturing plant in Wolfsburg, Germany.
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