New Alhambra??

[wheelwright]

Does anybody know when the all "new Alhambra" is due to be released?

I see the galaxy has got a new model so i take it the Alhambra will get a new face, Asking as i dont want to buy a 140bhp Stylance if a new model is just around the corner.

Cheers WW

 

[Tom B]

The Altea XL is the new Alhambra.

 

[wheelwright]

The Altea XL is the new Alhambra.

But thats a 5 seater aint it?

 

[SHADY-NINJA]

i'll wait and watch the press

 

[wheelwright]

Any seat employees got any inside info??

 

[Tom B]

But thats a 5 seater aint it?

As far as I'm aware, thats the best SEAT will get! 7 seaters don't really fit the sporty profile!

 

[INSIDER]

in a recent meeting with seat uk to discuss quarter 1 we were told that production of the new Alhambra had been shelved until 2009

 

[wheelwright]

Tom B, the Altea XL cant be the new Alhambra then as it would be pointless to a family of 6 like us.

Insider, thanks for the info, so i guess its worth getting the 140 then.

Anybody got any comments about the 140? good or bad !!

 

[INSIDER]

There was talk of the XL having 7 seats the rear two folding into the floor but looking at the one here there is no chance.

as for the 140 Alhambra its a good work horse with a powerful engine, the only thing i could fault it on is the interior door handles Seat insist on putting that awful rubber coating on an it peels off.

 

[fredt]

There was talk of the XL having 7 seats the rear two folding into the floor but looking at the one here there is no chance.

as for the 140 Alhambra its a good work horse with a powerful engine, the only thing i could fault it on is the interior door handles Seat insist on putting that awful rubber coating on an it peels off.

what about the constant AC failures, the drop link failures, the MAF sensor failures, the wiper motor splindles, the rear hatch loom failures, the door loom failures...................... have they finally fixed all those faults

 

[wheelwright]

what about the constant AC failures, the drop link failures, the MAF sensor failures, the wiper motor splindles, the rear hatch loom failures, the door loom failures...................... have they finally fixed all those faults

Any offers??? on the above....

Feck me the 1.9td se i had 4 year ago was a peach, have Seat gone backwards????

 

[INSIDER]

ok so i admit the air con compressor and the drop links but it sounds like you got a bad one there which dealer do use?

 

[MrRob]

Anybody got any comments about the 140? good or bad !!

I've had my 140 Stylance for 6 weeks and 3k miles (its now on 11.5k miles)

So far I would say its fast, with surprisingly good mpg, comfy and refined, though the engine makes itself heard at licence endangering speeds. For me thats a good thing.
"Lambar" eats motorway miles AND is still great fun (for the driver) to chuck around the lanes of North Yorks.

My only niggles are that the stereo does not like my iPod .... the wipers are set up for left hand drive and their FAST is often too slow...... oh! and it will need a new par of front boots v soon

I certainly have no regrets in my choice of car particularly over the new Ford offerings which have child only rear seats .... have none of the reviewers who praise them so highly sat in them?

 

[wheelwright]

Cheers MrRob for the info can i ask what sort of MPG are you seeing as you say you like to drive it.....

 

[MrRob]

Cheers MrRob for the info can i ask what sort of MPG are you seeing as you say you like to drive it.....

wheelwright Yep I enjoy my driving and car ownership .... Ive owned far too many cars and over the years ive progressed from 16v hot hatches to Diesel versions Via an Elise

"Lambar" is the perfect compromise (for ME)

I wanted a single vehical to seat six & the dog, be fun to drive, woft down motorways with 35+ MPG, and not have a stuffy (german) image or a ford badge .... easy eh?

Ive not worked MPG out accurately but the trip comp shows 37 mpg overall during my ownership, with individual trips ranging from 32 mpg, into a strong headwind fully loaded at "motorway" speeds, to 46 MPG coming back LOL

..... cruising speed seems to have a big impact on 90+= 30MPG, 80= 35MPG, 70= 37MPG, 55=45MPG

Tank range is 450 to 550 miles till the refuel warning comes on (50 miles range remaining)..... and cost me £65 to fill at a MOTO last night.

Town/country roads make little difference..... though thankfully I dont do much city driving, "Lambar" handled Dublin last week showing 35+MPG over 300 miles.

He uses no-more diesel than the 9 month old 150bhp CRD PT Cruiser I part-Xed driven at similar speeds.

I nearly bought a VR6 version a few years back .... in the real world the 140 is just as quick (Autobahns excepted) and is nearly 50% better on fuel.

What other Six seaters are you considering?.... the Honda FRV might suit you if you can get away with the narrow seats and Honda image LOL

 

[WaveyDaveyGravy]

Does anybody know when the all "new Alhambra" is due to be released?

I see the galaxy has got a new model so i take it the Alhambra will get a new face, Asking as i dont want to buy a 140bhp Stylance if a new model is just around the corner.

Cheers WW

The new Galaxy has nothing to do with VW, unlike the old one, so just because there is a new Galaxy/S-Max doesn't mean there will be a new Alhambra. Do you mean that Seat will be facelifting it now Ford have gone their own way?

 

[MrRob]

The new Galaxy has nothing to do with VW, unlike the old one, so just because there is a new Galaxy/S-Max doesn't mean there will be a new Alhambra. Do you mean that Seat will be facelifting it now Ford have gone their own way?

Im sure The 2.0 TDI 140 Engine IS the mildly face-lifted (version 2.5??) model, with a large "ALHAMBRA" across the back and a mp3 compatible (but not iPodable LOL) cd player, Which Seat/VW released after the Ford tie-in contract came to an end on 31/12/05.

 

[WaveyDaveyGravy]

I see

 

[engle]

Any chance of the PD170 engine making it into the Alhambra? The Superchips upgrade for that motor makes it pretty awesome!
I sold my Alhambra PD115 SE (which I had from new for about six years) a year ago, but I still miss it.
As said before, the new S-Max and Galaxy are built on a Ford-only floorpan, so there won't be a SEAT version. Car magazine had an article about a year ago on future SEAT models, and it said that the current Alhambra would not be replaced as such a vehicle did not fit in with SEATs 'sporty' image. Looking at the above, this opinion has obviously changed.

For my money, the new Galaxy (and others, like the C4 Picasso) are missing a trick with back seats that only fold down (i.e. not completely remove). Not only does luggage volume suffer (compare the cubic figures for the new and old Galaxy and you'll see what I mean) but the payload takes a hit as well. Taking the five back seats out of the Alhambra gives you about another 100kg of load capacity for nothing. The load bay floor on the old Sharalaxy knocks spots off of any of the new breed models, as well as the likes of the C8 and Espace. When I asked a Ford salesman about how much load the folded seats in the new S-max would carry (they didn't look very robust to me) he said that someone else had asked him the same question last week, so he phoned Ford Head Office. They couldn't tell him!

I once had THREE Dyson washing machines plus a very substantial metal display unit for them in the back of my Alhambra. Try doing that in the new Galaxy and you'll need a can opener.

If the PD170 motor makes it into the Alhambra (and the DSG, please, please, please!) and I'd be sorely tempted to rejoin the fold!

 

[MrRob]

engle ... be tempted .... if you want another 'bamma go test drive a 140 its only slightly down on toque 236v244lb/ft on the 170 and Ive not found a crisper 6 seed manual box that the standard one.

Ive only driven my 140 in winter but would comment that the standard 140 engine tune can easily overpower the grip of the front tyres in 1st, 2nd and even in 3rd gear, particularly uphill ... overtaking is effortless as is XXX cruising speeds ... more power will not be much use most of the time and will certainly reduce tyre life considerably [Mine needs new fronts at 12k miles]

I think he new breed of Large MPVs are just large cars (MultiPasengerVehicals rather than MultiPurposeVhicals!) and they now have ALL the same compromises as the smaller cheaper versions - none of those fancy new folding rearmost seats are comfy to sit in !?? and where would you put a wet dog??

Removing one of the rear seats (and storing it safely in the garage) allows us to place a large dog carrier securely on the floor on one side rather that perching it on the delicate assembly which would not protect the seat from all the water/mud etc that escapes.

When I asked questions (ie 6 full size pasengers + Dog/lugage floor loadings etc) at my ford Dealer, he pointed to a customer's 2005 Galaxy and says Id need one of them .... or the New Transit Minibus (which Id already test driven in my new car search)

VW dont put the DSG in the Caravelle either but the Auto is fantastic.