SEAT Tarraco Killed, Cupra Terramar Will Take Its Place

Autocar recently learned about this move, and it quoted a spokesperson as saying: "The SEAT Tarraco has been a success. But there will be no Tarraco successor. From mid-2024, we will focus on the new Cupra Terramar in the segment, and it will fill this space very well. The Tarraco will then be phased out. It will end its production in Q2 2024."

SEAT unveiled the Tarraco in the fall of 2018, shortly before it made its public debut at the Paris Motor Show. Named after an ancient Roman city, it was based on the MQB A2 platform, the same one used by the old VW Tiguan (Allspace included), Tayron, previous-gen Skoda Kodiaq, and the current Audi Q3 and Q3 Sportback, as well as several models that Volkswagen sells in China.

Measuring roughly 20 cm (inches) longer than the Cupra Terramar, the Tarraco was offered with an assortment of diesel, gasoline and electrified engines, with optional all-wheel drive, a manual, and an automatic transmission. It was built at the VW factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, and wasn't exactly a best-seller, with GoodCarBadCar stating that SEAT parted ways with 12,872 copies in 2022, 21,694 in 2021, and 21,229 in 2020. In 2019 and 2018, it sold 29,615 and 258 examples, respectively.

Despite being dead, the SEAT Tarraco is still listed on the company's UK website. The lineup comprises the SE, SE Technology, FR Sport, and Xperience Lux trim levels, with respective starting prices of £33,450 ($43,495), £34,985 ($45,490), £40,965 ($53,265), and £40,000 ($52,010). Power was supplied by a 1.5L gasoline and a 2.0L diesel engine, both rated at 150 ps (148 hp/110 kW), available with a 7sp DSG or a 6sp manual gearbox.

Picking up the base SE would've gotten you LED headlights, 17-inch alloys, rear parking sensors, keyless go, digital cockpit, three-zone climate control, etc. The SE Technology added 18-inch wheels, larger navigation, and tinted rear windows. The FR Sport came with 20-inch wheels, leather upholstery, and heated front and rear outer seats, and the Xperience Lux was pretty much the same, save for a few other extras.

With the demise of the Tarraco, SEAT's family currently comprises the Ibiza subcompact hatchback, Leon compact hatchback and estate, Ateca compact crossover, and Arona subcompact high-rider. These models will be further updated, with the Spanish automaker being quoted as saying that it will keep "offering plug-in hybrid and fuel-efficient cars until the end of the combustion era."

As for the SEAT Tarraco's indirect successor, the Cupra Terramar, it is still in the testing and fine-tuning phase. We've seen multiple spy shots of various configurations, including some scoops that revealed prototypes with no camouflage whatsoever. We wrote about the first naked Terramar at the beginning of the month, and a couple of weeks later, our man with the cam encountered another tester believed to be the hotter VZ flavor judging by the uprated brakes.

The latter was cooped in Spain, and hearsay points to this model supposedly launching with two powertrains. The first one is expected to enjoy 242 horsepower (245 ps/221 kW), and the second one might make over 296 horsepower (300+ ps/221+ kW). As you can expect, mild hybrid assemblies will also be available for the Cupra Terramar and a few plug-in hybrids, with the most frugal believed to offer a battery-electric range of around 62 miles (100 km).

That would be akin to the latest VW Tiguan, which shares the same construction. The VW Group’s MQB Evo is the Terramar's foundation stone, and it can also be found on the Golf Mk8, Caddy Mk4, Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, latest Skoda Superb, Kodiak, Octavia, SEAT Leon, Cupra Formentor, Audi Q6, A3, and many other models made under the Volkswagen Group's roof. Thus, it is compatible with a whole bunch of powertrains, yet it should launch with 2.0L and 1.5L units, some of which (or maybe all) feature some sort of electrification.

Cupra still hasn't announced when the Terramar is due, yet reports indicate that we might see it in an official environment sometime next month (August 2024). Production will take place alongside the Formentor and Audi Q3 in Hungary, and deliveries should commence later this year. Cupra intends to launch in the United States, yet it won't be with the Terramar, but the next generation Formentor, which will be a battery-electric vehicle. The latter is believed to enter production locally for our market.

Now, will you miss the SEAT Tarraco? And do you believe the Spanish auto brand should have kept it around a bit longer? Your opinion matters, so drop a line below and tell us all about it.