The engine, gearbox and four-wheel-drive system are essentially the same as you’ll find in a VW Golf R, so there’s more than enough firepower to get your blood pumping.

The 296bhp 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine can slingshot the Cupra Ateca from 0-62mph in just 5.2sec and onto a top speed of 152mph, numbers which, incidentally, embarrass an entry-level Porsche Macan and are a close match for our favourite hot hatch, the Honda Civic Type R.

It’s just a pity the Cupra doesn’t sound a bit more enthusiastic; there’s no grin-inducting engine roar when you put your foot down, nor is there any popping or cracking from the exhaust.

If you have even a basic grasp of physics, you’ll know not to expect cornering skills to rival the best low-slung hot hatchbacks from what’s still a tall-riding SUV – and you won’t get them. Compared with, say, a Civic Type R, there’s more of a delay between you turning the steering wheel and the nose of the car reacting, and when it does there’s more body lean and ultimately less grip.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun because the Cupra Ateca actually handles very well by SUV standards. The standard Seat Ateca is already one of the best-handling family SUVs, and with its lower and stiffer suspension the Cupra’s body is propped up even better through fast corners. And while the steering isn’t blessed with as much feedback as a Macan’s, it’s always accurate and, as long as you avoid the most aggressive ‘Cupra’ setting, pleasantly weighted.

So far, our experience of the Cupra Ateca is limited to a race track and a few county roads on the outskirts of Barcelona, but that’s enough to allay any major concerns about ride comfort. Choose the more comfortable of two damper settings and the Ateca’s suspension is certainly firm, but never to the point that you find yourself cursing every expansion joint or avoiding roads you know to be littered with potholes.

There’s some road noise when you get up to motorway speeds, but no more than in the more sedate Seat Ateca, while the engine’s muted nature means you barely hear a peep out of it at a steady cruise.

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