SEAT Tarraco

Bought the TARRACO STYLE 1.4T as it gives us more bang for buck than kodiaq at the time.

Not too shabby as it has all the safety features that our family of 6 needs.

- electric tailgate = use our leg to open the boot

- 7-airbag

- Emergency brake assist = have helped us to avoid accidents in the road

- Driver attention assistance

This car is the cousin of VW Tiguan and Skoda Kodiaq, having the same underpinnings, and same engine and transmission range as the other two cars. To be more specific, Tarraco is the similar model asTiguan Allspace 1.4 litre (with seven seater),. The local Tiguan are only sold with 5-seater and you need to pay more for the R-Line variant to get similar features and specs as Tarraco. Allspace is available in Malaysia.

After driving the Tarraco for 1 year, I have absolute no regret purchasing it compared with Tiguan and Kodiaq, which I have also test drive both. Tarraco has a slightly lower suspension, which allows better handling on cornering, and yet it has a more comfortable ride somewhat, whilst handling are similar compared to the cousins. Personally I found the Tarraco more desirable in terms of the front and back design, especially the headlights and taillights. The real test was when I drove to Cameron Highland (through Tapah Route), Lojing Highland, Simpang Pulai, Ipon, Kuala Selangor and Melaka in an 8-day trip in May this year after the borden reopened. My family grew even fonder of the car with its comfort, drivability, and safety features providing us assurance when driving at very FAST speed through Tapah, Lojing, Simpang Pulai and NSH.

The car was also purchased at a much lower price than the Tiguan and Kodiaq despite the same specs and being made in the same VW Wolfsburg factory as Tiguan. I also take comfort that VW parts can be used for my Tarraco and are easily available both in Singapore and Malaysia authorised stockists.

The Tarraco also came with 5-year FACTORY warranty and 3-year free servicing through Vertex (local distributor) , which is slightly better deal than the Tiguan and Kodiaq. Vertex although lesser well-known distributor has nonetheless being fairly good in after-sales service and the overall experience with salesman Eugene Ang was nothing less than what I had experienced with Cycle & Carriage for my previous Mitsubishis and Merc purchases. In fact, I like it that my servicing season didn't have to be full day affair since the number of cars are lesser compared to C&C workshops.

Last but not least, no reget with the Seat Tarraco after 1 year and the car should be with my family for many years to come.

Having driven the Excellence version for 3 months, I must say this Spanish car is actually value for money. Assembled in Wolfsburg in Germany, it drives more like a Bavarian SUV than anything else. Heck even the windows comes with little VW stickers!

I like how the Adaptive Cruise Control is able to work effortlessly in heavy traffic.

The space in the car is also excellent with lots of head and legroom. Even with 3 adults in the 2nd row, it's very comfortable. The last row is for small kids tho... 3rd row Space is comparable to Kodiaqs.

The drive is spirited although it is a 1.4l engine, but feels more like a 1.6l Turbo. Steering control is light but u can change it to sports styled heavier handling via the driver profile. I have test driven the Kodiaq, Forrester and Qashqai and the Tarraco is the most quietest.

Cloth,alcantara seats may not be everyone's cup of tea but hey u can swap it out for leather seats.

Overall, good for families and also for the sporty dad and mum who likes the handsome styling of the Tarraco.

It is a understated car. U have to drive it to believe how good and value for money the car is.

It was love at first sight when my family and I test drove the tarraco. The first impression of the tarraco was the car looks stunning, well-built and commands road presence.

Once inside the car, there's a nice feeling of knowing that you are safe and being cocoon by the car as well as the higher driving position gives the driver more confidence.

Very typical VW driving characteristics with their turbo engine and dual-clutch gearbox. Gently step on the accelerator pedal and the car accelerates effortlessly and not to mention very quiet and smooth. Floor the pedal a little harder and the car comes alive and gives you a very satisfying low-end torque. The handling of the Tarraco is spot on.

Despite the size of the tarraco, there's not much body roll when turning and the suspension takes the road humps and bumps pretty well. Steering is responsive, precise and not provides good feedback to the driver.

I love how adaptive cruise control follows the car in front and automatically brakes and stops the car in a traffic light.

Overall, I think the Tarraco is a very good buy with so many features added into the car and for the impressive drive and handling.