The Seat Ateca has been put through its paces in 45°C desert conditions in southern Spain in a three-week program involving 50 Seat engineers and 40 prototypes. The team performed 80 tests, covering 25,000km.
Some of the tests carried out included:
Traction and controlled descent test: this tests the traction control systems on declines of up to 35% and how the hill descent control performs.
Towing control test: this verifies the performance of the trailer stability program, which is a system that helps the car remain stable when it has a hitched trailer.
Klapper test: this ensures that all the components work in perfect harmony and do not cause any irritating noises for the passengers, no matter the type or condition of the surface being driven on.
Dust intake test: a lead car drives through the desert leaving a large dust cloud in its wake. It is immediately followed by the test car to determine the service life of the air filter.
Gravel test: the vehicles are driven 3,000km on a specific gravel course to analyze the impacts made by gravel on the entire undercarriage, wheel arches, and the exterior and under surface of the bumpers. The goal is to ensure all the parts will resist damage during the vehicle’s service life.
October 13, 2016
