Spanish slalom in South Tyrol - The Seat Alhambra FR - Line

The family-friendly van with Spanish roots

If you walk to your car in the parking garage of Germany's largest airport, you can easily see that Germany is a combined country. Sometimes more, sometimes less stylish roof lines, sometimes with, sometimes without roof rails, which swing towards the tailgate. But when it comes to space in the load compartment, suitability for families and space, a van cannot be beaten. The Seat “Alhambra”, the first generation of which was introduced 20 years ago, remains the successful model for family, hobbies and leisure time, but of course also for business and fleet customers. mein-auto-blog tested the Alhambra, which was updated for model year 2106, with the FR-Line package in South Tyrol.    

If you want to wave, you have to be agile. This applies to skiers, cyclists and motorcyclists, but also to motorists. Now, one certainly does not think of a van first, when there is talk of fast descents on winding asphalt roads. Unless there is one in which the name seems to be the program. The abbreviation FR for Formula Racing features at Seat not only the small or compact models as decidedly sporty. Last year, the Spaniards also granted the Alhambra a FR-Line equipment in addition to a gentle facelift. In addition to slight retouching on the radiator grille with now transversely extending slats and the new LED tail lights, the FR line with a decorative strip on the side panels, Bi-Xeon headlamps, 17-inch alloy wheels and above all a sporty outfit on the inside draws attention , We glide into the chic sports seats made of a leather-Alcantara mixture with red stitching, which are also found on the bottom flattened and handy steering wheel and in the cuff to the gear lever.

Despite 340 Newtonmeter torque is sometimes missing in tight turns uphill sometimes the necessary pressure

That raises high expectations. On the way to the Jausenpass in South Tyrol, which is a little more than two thousand meters high, the 150 PS strong 2,0 liter of diesel will be demanded in view of the two-tonne seven-seater. Even diligent shifting of the six gears does not help, that despite the 340 Newtonmeter torque one or the other time in a narrow hairpin bend, it lacks the necessary pressure. But the white sparkling fresh snow cover on the pass can not disturb our Alhambra. Undaunted, he works his four-wheel drive ahead, while others have already capitulated. The electronic Haldexkupplung closes whenever the front wheels are overwhelmed alone with the propulsion and distributes the power to the rear. The ride down into the Passeier Valley, the Spanish Van moves again front-wheel drive. Despite its length of 4,85 meters, it moves with the well balanced between suspension comfort and dynamics suspension handy as a car.

The electric sliding doors are not cheap, but valuable in tight parking spaces

It swings smoothly through the innumerable curves, without painful comments from behind, the second and third rows of seats remain empty today. In one of the overcrowded panorama parking lots, we learn to appreciate the advantage of the electric sliding doors when we reach for the camera on the back seat. Even if they are not exactly cheap with a surcharge of 1190 euros. The third row of seats also costs 965 euros. Nevertheless, the entry-level version of the structurally identical Sharan costs around 3000 euros less than its brother from Wolfsburg. The cheapest Alhambra as a 150 hp petrol engine starts at 30.065 euros, the Alhambra Fr - Line is available from 37 euros.

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