Class Large MPV (M) | Production 1996–present | |
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Body style 5-door multi-purpose vehicle | ||
The SEAT Alhambra is a large multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) designed to compete with the Renault Espace, the Citroën C8 and the Peugeot 807. It is manufactured under the SEAT brand since June 1996, at the Volkswagen Group's AutoEuropa plant in Palmela, Portugal. It shares the same platform with the Volkswagen Sharan, and the first generation was also related to the Ford Galaxy. The vehicle is named after the Alhambra of Granada, a famous monument in Spain.
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First generation (Typ 7M; 1996–2010)
A prototype of the first generation SEAT Alhambra was presented at the 1995 Geneva Salon International de l'Auto. The following year the production Alhambra was launched at the same motor show and went on sale in June. The Alhambra shares most of its components and design with the VW Sharan Mk1 and Ford Galaxy Mk1. However, the Alhambra has more options fitted for a given price range. The Alhambra has seven seats—the five rear seats can be folded down or unclipped and removed completely. When removed the seats leave a flat-floored load space, a unique feature for SEAT vehicles at that time. The load volume varies, from 256l with seven seats, to 852l with five seats, and 2610l with only the two front seats fitted.
The Alhambra was essentially unchanged from 1996 to 2010 but a major restyling in 2000 reflected the new SEAT image. Even so, the Alhambra remained faithful to the original design produced under the Volkswagen Group and Ford technology sharing agreement. When Volkswagen and Ford lost market share to other manufacture's MPVs, including the Toyota Previa and Mitsubishi Space Wagon, they changed the design of their versions.
The Alhambra, Sharan, and Galaxy were built on the same production line at the joint venture AutoEuropa plant in Palmela, Portugal, and were essentially the same but with different engine options and interiors. This led to the three vehicles being referred to collectively as the "Sharalaxy" or "Shalambraxy". Ford has now withdrawn from the collaboration, and the Galaxy Mk III and the S-Max (a seven-seater based on the Mondeo Mk IV platform) are built in Genk, Belgium, alongside the Mondeo. The AutoEuropa plant now produces the VW Scirocco III.
Introduced in 2009, the environmentally friendly SEAT Alhambra Ecomotive is fitted with the 2.0 TDI 140 PS (103 kW) engine producing 159 g/km CO2 emissions.
Awards
Engines
Second generation (Typ 7N; 2010–present)
The second generation SEAT Alhambra was announced on 19 April 2010 and went on sale in October 2010. At 4.85m long, it is 22 cm longer than the first generation: it is also 9 cm wider. Like the new Sharan, access to the middle row of seats is via sliding doors.
In February 2011 SEAT presented the Alhambra four-wheel-drive version featuring a permanent all wheel drive combined with the 2.0 TDI 103 kW diesel engine and a manual six-speed gearbox.
Safety
In 2010, the safety of the second generation SEAT Alhambra was assessed under the Euro NCAP scheme; it achieved a 5-star overall rating:
Awards
Engines
Sales and production figures
Since its launch in 1996, more than 250,000 SEAT Alhambras have been sold.
In the year 2009, the total annual retail sales number of SEAT Alhambra cars was 5,923 vehicles,
The total production per year of SEAT Alhambra cars, manufactured in SEAT and other Volkswagen group's plants, is shown in the following table :