Car companies don't seem the least bit bothered that 4x4s are now public enemy number one, with Citroen, Peugeot and Seat all unveiling their first ever SUVs.
Seat's prototype is based on the Altea XL, which might make you suspect that it's a faux-4x4 along the lines of its VW CrossGolf cousin (a car not sold in the UK). In fact, Seat has come up with a pretty serious dual-purpose car with a Haldex-type all-wheel drive arrangement powered by a 2.0-litre TFSI engine, as found in the Golf GTI.
The aggressive exterior styling is matched by underpinnings that have been jacked up to give the kind of ground clearance - 310mm - needed when crossing rough terrain. The width has also been increased by 60mm, mainly to accommodate bigger tyres, but it won't do the centre of gravity any harm either.
At the front there's a smooth new bumper with hexagonal air intakes. The Altea Freetrack also features 19" wheels, aluminium-trimmed bi-xenon headlamps and LED foglights, two triangular tail pipes integrated into the bumper, and plastic cladding on the wheel arches and doors.
The show car is finished in matt white, which Seat said 'marks the Freetrack out as having a positive, open character with an affinity for nature'. An affinity for the car wash would perhaps be more accurate, especially if it's used for the off-road shenanigans Seat says it's designed for.
Inside, the Freetrack is set up as a four-seater with a relatively luxurious interior that is unlikely to make the final production model: individual bucket seats trimmed in two-tone brown and white leather would be expensive and, for a genuine 4x4, impractical. The brown and white leather theme is extended to the dashboard and steering wheel.
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