FUN-loving  SEAT has finally ripped the wraps off its first SUV.

And for the assault on the booming sports utility sector they’ve called it Ateca.

SEAT has its all-wheel drive estate, the Leon X-Perience, but the distinctive sculpted Ateca promises dynamic drive, versatility and sporty utility with all-wheel drive available.

This is a taster ahead of the sports utility vehicle’s (SUV) official debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

The Ateca will be offered with a choice of powerful turbocharged TSI petrol and TDI diesel engines, with power outputs ranging from 114bhp to 188bhp. There is the choice of either front-wheel or all-wheel-drive, plus either manual or dual-clutch DSG transmissions.

In the street the new SEAT Ateca follows the family styling cues seen on already popular models such as the current Leon. These include the trapezoidal grille, muscular side body styling with  sharp creases and the triangular light signatures.

Go for the optional full-LED headlamps with the triangular signature of the daytime running lights and the overall impact is utterly unmistakable. In the Ateca the indicator lamps are also an integral part of the design signature.

Move inside and the cockpit is driver-focussed with controls closely grouped while the displays such as for infotainment, measuring up to eight inches, are just a brief glance away.

The high centre console is a further example of how well the Ateca combines the SUV sense of solidity with the sporty feeling of a shortened gearstick.

The inside of the 4.36 metre long SEAT Ateca is spacious too. It offers the best use of space in the segment, with an impressive interior length and a 510 litre boot as standard (bigger than the Nissan Qashqai!) or 485 litres in all-wheel-drive versions.

The Ateca is not just all about space and style – if you choose the new SEAT SUV you won’t want for advanced technology. It starts with something as simple as the Start button that pulsates, indicating it’s ready to go. The SEAT Driver Profile also means you can personalise this car to the driving situation, road conditions and personal tastes.

There’s also an extensive bundle of driver assistance systems available in this new SEAT. One example is Traffic Jam Assist, which is almost an autonomous driving function – designed to makes progress in heavy stop-start traffic far more bearable.

In traffic jams, the Ateca can steer, accelerate and brake itself automatically within the system boundaries. At higher speeds, the system provides support with speed control and lane keeping.

Another new safety function is Emergency Assist, where If the driver is inactive for a certain period, the Ateca gives first a visual alert then an acoustic warning, which is then followed finally by a brief pulse of the brakes.

Then, if there’s still no reaction, the SEAT slows to a standstill, while staying in lane. Other Ateca technical highlights are adaptive cruise control (ACC) with Front Assist to minimise risk of shunts, Traffic Sign Recognition, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross Traffic Alert or Top View.

On top of the driver assistance systems, SEAT boast that the Ateca has the highest level of connectivity – with the latest generation of Easy Connect infotainment systems, SEAT Full Link and the exclusive SEAT ConnectApp: Media System plus, with its eight-inch screen and the Connectivity Box in the centre console that for the first time enables wireless smartphone charging.

SEAT Full Link is the connectivity world for users of virtually all smartphones. Alongside MirrorLink, Full Link also incorporates the functions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The SEAT Ateca launches in the UK this September, but potential buyers can register their interest on the SEAT site from February 11. According to a SEAT source, it will be keenly priced compared with rivals Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage.

We look forward to getting a drive.