Seat’s electrification roll-out has begun with a plug-in hybrid Tarraco, which will make its public at next month’s Frankfurt motor show.
Available to order in the first half of 2020, the petrol-electric large SUV will be the first launched by any of the Volkswagen Group’s non-premium brands. That includes the Volkswagen brand itself, which revealed a Tiguan GTE back in 2016 that never made production.
The Tarraco PHEV makes use of a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine, putting out 148bhp. This is mated to a 113bhp electric motor fed by a 13kWh lithium ion battery. The total system output is quoted at 242bhp and 295lb ft. It's a similar powertrain to that in the Volkswagen Passat GTE, albeit with a chunk more power, meaning it becomes the most powerful version of the Tarraco.
The powertrain is sufficient to enable a top speed of 135mph and a 0-62mph time of 7.4sec for the five-or-seven-seat SUV. Official fuel economy has yet to be quoted prior to homologation, but CO2 emissions are said to be less than 50g/km. Seat claims an electric-only range of “more than” 31 miles. The model will go on sale in the first half of 2020.
Seat has also taken the opportunity to debut a new FR trim level for the Taracco with the PHEV variant. Expected to roll out across the range at the same time as the hybrid, it brings sporty styling details including a bespoke grille and bumpers, wider wheelarches housing FR-specific 19 and 20in wheels, a restyled rear end and new badging.
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