The Seat Alhambra is the fruit of a relationship with Ford and Volkswagen, and remains a strong seller long after launch of this, the second generation, in 2000.

But while some of the newer MPVs offer state of the art features, does the Alhambra still have what it takes to appeal to buyers of large MPVs on a bit of a budget?

Read on for the full review, or click the links below to skip to a section.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor | Rivals

1. Looks
In black, with the big 17-inch wheels which are standard on our top of the range Stylance test car, the Alhambra looks imposing and sporty. That not might be the biggest pull for an MPV, but it’s nice nonetheless. There's no getting away from its girth – it’s a fully-fledged seven-seater; but it's boxy with it, and is starting to look a little dated against Ford and Citroen latest efforts.

7/10

2. Looks inside
The interior has weathered time better, with a typically VW Group cabin. That means pleasant, tactile plastics, clear dials and bright red illuminations. It won't come as a surprise to learn there's plenty of storage space in reach of the driver, including an air-conditioned glovebox. Rear passengers are served equally well, with storage bins in the doors and separate heater controls and vents. There's room for some nice design touches, too. The heater vents fold flat like Venetian blinds, and most of the storage areas open and close slowly, rather than pinging open like a mousetrap. Our top of the range Stylance also came with black leather seats, which are heated in the front.

7/10

3. Practicality
The Alhambra is a big car, offering huge interior space. There's a massive amount of headroom for first and second row occupants, although it’s a bit of a squeeze for those in the rearmost seats. With all the seats in use, the boot is just 259 litres, although all of the seats can be removed making for a van-like loading area. The floor is flat from the bottom of the bootlid forward, so proved the plastic seat bracket surrounds are avoided, big and heavy loads can be slid in with ease. Unlike modern MPVs, the seats don't fold into the floor, and have to be removed. But they're bulky and weight around 20kg each, so it can be hard work removing them on your own. And then there's the question of where to store them when removed.

8/10

4. Ride and Handling
The big 17-inch alloys and lowered suspension on our Stylance test car help improve the steering feel, and the Alhambra copes with most sensible driving pretty well. But there's no getting away from the fact it feels enormous, and feels tricky to thread through small gaps or winding roads. There's a lot of body roll around bends too. The soft ride, while comfortable on shorter runs, could leave the kids reaching for the sick bag over bumpy roads.

7/10

5. Performance
We drove the larger of the two diesel engines on offer. The 140bhp 2-litre (there's also a 115bhp 1.9 diesel and a 115 2-litre petrol on offer) is definitely the pick of the range, and offers lively performance – 0-62mph is dealt with in a blink over 12 seconds, and it will carry on to a top speed of 119mph. With 228lb/ft of pulling power at just 1,900rpm, meaning overtaking is effortless in any of its six gears.

7/10

6. Running Costs
The Alhambra was the cheapest of the Seat, Ford and Volkswagen trio, and used values have followed a similar pattern. At £21,000, our top of the range Stylance has some impressive rivals, but you can expect dealers will be prepared to do a deal to get your business. The 2-litre diesel we tested returns an average of 41.5mpg, and its Group 12 insurance is about average for seven seaters of this type (the more seats, the more potential claims are involved). It'll need a minor service every 10,000 miles, with major work required at 20,000 and 40,000 miles; but Seat's workshop rates are lower than Volkswagen, so it shouldn't be too hard on the wallet. Road tax is quite costly, with its 175g/km of CO2 placing it in Band E.

7/10

7. Reliability
The Alhambra feels like a quality product built from durable materials. The mechanicals are all proven pieces of kit and can be found in various other Seats, VWs, Skodas and Audis. Seat appears in the Reliability Index's top ten for the scarcity of its breakdowns and low repair costs.

9/10

8. Safety
The Volkswagen Sharan, which is the Alhambra's cousin, scored three out of five stars in the EuroNCAP crash test programme. Although there are several five star MPVs on sale, it should be remembered, this generation of Alhambra was launched in 2000. Our Stylance test car came with driver, front passenger, front side and curtain airbags, ABS and skid preventing electronic stability programme.

9. Equipment
All models in the Alhambra range sport a high level of equipment, including a six speed gearbox, ABS, electronic stability programme, brake assist, climate control, front and rear electric windows and heated and electrically-adjustable wing mirrors. Our range-topping Stylance test car added sports suspension, dual zone climate control, headlight washers, heated windscreen, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control and 17-inch alloys. Our test car also sported optional sat-nav – with a screen which could be angled towards the driver – and leather seats.

8/10

10. X-Factor
With the market awash with MPVs all claiming their uniqueness, the Alhambra can still bring plenty to the party. It’s a very solid and reliable choice, which has an appealing price tag.

8/10

Rivals
You might also want to consider:
Ford Galaxy
Kia Sedona
Citroen C4 Grand Picasso

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