The seven-seat Tarraco sits at the top of SEAT’s SUV family, being the bigger brother to the Ateca and Arona.

As the variety of SUVs and crossover vehicles continues to grow, SEAT has brought a dash of Spanish flair to the marketplace.

With its sharp styling, state-of-the-art technology, agile handling and excellent interior space, it’s certainly a worthy contender in an ever-expanding field.

The clever thing about the Tarraco is that it never really feels like you’re driving a vehicle of this size, until you look back and see the extra row of seats.

That’s because the sharp steering and supple multi-link rear suspension make the vehicle as nimble as many smaller vehicles, with the overall impact being a car that gives you enough driving feedback to feel sportier than many of its rivals.

In terms of acceleration, the 1.5-litre petrol engine does well to get this sizeable vehicle up to 62mph from a standing start in under ten seconds, helped by a fairly slick manual gearbox that seems to combine well with the engine for consistent power delivery.

It felt sufficiently powerful in most everyday situations but there were times when I thought the car could have benefited from the extra grunt offered by the190PS 2.0-litre petrol version.

The car's handling into corners is confidence-inspiring, with the steering feeling accurate and weighty and body roll being very well contained.

When it comes to looks, it’s a handsome machine, with a crisply-shaped grille complementing the angular headlights.

The bonnet features some sharp and chiselled creases, while roof rails and twin exhausts add to the vehicle’s purposeful appearance.

One inside, the SEAT seems to have benefited from all the Volkswagen Group’s stylish design ethos.

A large central screen controls the sat-nav and audio, while many of the other dials are user-friendly and within easy reach of the driver.

With Full Link, you can access your smartphone apps directly from your touchscreen via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

You also get three-zone climate control, so the driver and passengers can choose their own temperatures in the front and second rows.

In the recent chilly weather, the heated front and rear seats were also an advantage.

This XCELLENCE version of the Tarraco, which sits one rung below the top-spec model, had a nice array of equipment.

Among those, it has 19" exclusive machined alloy wheels, Alcantara sports seats and Park Assist.

Considering the length of the vehicle, the latter proved very useful when trying to squeeze into tight parking spaces.

The driver and front seat passenger have acres of space to get comfortable, while the second row of seats also offer decent levels of head and leg room. When in place, the third row of seats create a seven-seat vehicle, but you’d only want to use them for children really because leg room of so lacking.

They also fold away easily, creating a larger boot when the need arises and adding to the car’s flexibility. It means you can enjoy up to 1,775 litres of space with both rows of seats folded and a minimum of 230 litres when all seats are in use. All that interior space comes about thanks to the fact the vehicles is 4,735mm long and 1,658mm tall - larger than many in its class.

The vehicle also has a range of safety systems, including Front Assist, whereby the car brakes instantly and automatically if a bicycle unexpectedly crosses your path or the car in front brakes suddenly.

Those who wish to do so can add a range of extras, including a bike rack, roof box, surf rack or ski rack.

In conclusion, you get all the advantages of a vehicle with larger dimensions, but the vehicle’s bulk doesn’t spoil the driving enjoyment.

Seat Tarraco XCELLENCE

PRICE: £30,320

ENGINE: 1.5-litre petrol TSI EVO 150PS

PERFORMANCE: 0-62mph in 9.7 seconds and top speed of 125mph

EMISSIONS: 137g/km

ECONOMY: 36.2 - 37.7mph combined

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual