SEAT Freetrack

Too big, too fuel-inefficient and too darn expensive to run, car manufacturers are exploring new ways of offering today's motorists 4x4 fun but without the drawbacks.

One of the first out of the traps is the SEAT Freetrack.

Let's be clear about one thing, the Freetrack isn't a pukka off-roader. It doesn't have the ground clearance or the wheel articulation needed to follow a Land Rover through a muddy bog or forge across a ford (of the watery, not Dagenham, variety) without a second thought.

But how often do owners of regular off-roaders really push their vehicles to the limit?

I've done it, but never with a car I'd bought with my own money. Behind the wheel of my car the prospect of paying for a new exhaust or replacing a damaged panel was enough to bury my spirit of adventure for good.

Off-roaders sell on the perceived notion that they are safe in all-weathers, roomy for all the family and easy to drive because the sight line of even the smallest driver is usually over the roofs of normal' hatchbacks and saloons.

And they are.

But so is the Freetrack.

It boasts a very sophisticated fourwheel drive system devised by parent group VW, has more than enough room for the kids and sits higher than usual thanks to a hitched up ride height.

The Freetrack can also claim hothatchback levels of handling and performance, attributes that make it fun to drive in addition to its family runaround duties.

Based on the popular Altea XL - the stretched version of the Altea MPV that was launched last year - the Freetrack really does live up to SEAT's boast that it is three cars in one: a large family estate, a modest off-roader and a hot-hatchback.

I'd be the first to admit that the Freetrack is something of an acquired taste, looks-wise at least.

The transformation from Altea to Freetrack consists mainly of a load of black plastic cladding stuck to the bumpers, wheel arches and sills. They do nothing for the Altea's generally sporty looks but I'd guess all that thick plastic would resist car-park scrapes rather well.

SEAT has also added silvered under-body protectors to the front and rear but I really can't see anyone with serious off-road inclinations buying this car. Those protectors may save the sump but they wouldn't stop the same rock ripping off the expensive twin pipe exhaust.

Families, though, that's another story.

Silver roof rails are standard and you can lash down up to 75 kg of luggage to the roof. One minor but useful point is the mirrors, which are bigger than those on the Altea and afford a better view of what happening behind.

Sadly, SEAT could do nothing about the wide windscreen pillars that still cut into your forward peripheral vision.

As I'd expect of a car based so closely on the roomy Altea XL there's plenty of space inside.

It's 21.3 cm longer than a standard Altea, and those extra centimetres have been put to good use in the boot as well as liberating extra passenger legroom.

The Freetrack has the same simple-to-operate sliding rear seats as other Alteas. Need a bigger boot? Then just hook your hand beneath the back seat and slide it forward, thereby increasing storage from 490- litres to nearly 600 litres.

If that cavern isn't enough, the seat backs fold down completely when the Freetrack's luggage capacity maxes out at 1,562-litres.

If that still isn't enough then you don't need a Freetrack, you need a Ford Transit.

SEAT claims the driver sits around 12cm higher in a Freetrack than owners of humble hatchbacks.

I had no problems seeing over the top of stationary traffic and the Freetrack is just like a normal 4x4 in this respect.

This greater height has been partly achieved by the simple solution of mounting the car's front seats higher than usual.

A Freetrack doesn't have the ride height of something like a Freelander or even a Nissan Qashqai. The good news is that shorties won't have a problem climbing aboard and mums can load their kids into child seats confident they won't need to book a session with an osteopath.

So far so SEAT Altea. However, it's the way the Freetrack drives that makes it something special.With its car-derived suspension, the Freetrack's natural habitat is on the road.

Although the suspension is 40mm higher there is absolutely no roll through sharply taken bends and the shockers are just the right side of sporty.

Two engines are available - a 2.0-litre 168bhp diesel and 197bhp petrol - and it was the petrol version SEAT sent for testing duties.

Essentially the same unit as used in the Golf GTi, the 2.0- litre turbo offers terrific performance allied to excellent manners.

The electronically controlled drive system sends power to the front wheels in dry conditions but can switch up to 50 per cent of that to the rear if things turn tricky.

And you'll appreciate the extra grip because the Freetrack begs to be driven like a GTi - rewarding with a smooth, fluid motion across country that is a real joy to experience.

Believe me, no other small or medium-sized SUV could live with the Freetrack on those kinds of roads.

The price you'll pay is mainly at the pumps. Our tester averaged 27mpg in a week and it didn't take much provocation to see that tumble closer to the 20-mpg mark.

There's just one trim level and it is a generous one - all the usual goodies, plus a fold-down TV monitor in the roof lining.

Connect up a DVD player or a games console to keep the kids occupied for hours.

Parking sensors, high back sports seats and cruise control round out an excellent package.

The Freetrack pretty much has this market to itself at the moment. Its only challengers - the Renault Scenic Conquest and the VW Cross Touran - are token efforts that don't have a tenth of the off-road ability or on-road performance of the SEAT.

OK, so some people buy an SUV to look good and the Freetrack has a touch of the ugly stick about it, but there's no denying it is an impressive machine to drive.

Take one for a test, I reckon you'll be pleasantly surprised.

SPECIFICATION

Engine: 2.0-litre turbo
Max power: 200bhp @ 5,100rpm
Max torque: 280 N/m
Top speed: 128 mph
0-62mph: 7.5 seconds
Consumption on test: 27mpg
Equipment: Cruise control, alloys, climate control, six-speed gearbox, multimedia system, MP3 ready CD, iPod link, electric windows, hidden storage beneath the front seats and overhead lockers.