What is SEAT Ecomotive? Is it worth it?

Ecomotive models feature SEAT’s ultra-efficient engines. Other manufacturers produce similar cars – Volkswagen has Bluemotion and Vauxhall has Ecoflex. After hybrids and electric cars, these models tend to be the most efficient and economical on the road. Here’s an explanation on what Ecomotive is, and how it manages to be so efficient. Remember you can save money off your new car with our car configurator.

What is SEAT Ecomotive?

Instead of making use of hybrid or electric technology to save fuel, SEAT uses its existing range of engines. That said, they’ve been significantly tweaked and refined in order to produce the lowest fuel consumption and emission levels possible.

How does SEAT Ecomotive work?

Although the engines have very similar power and performance figures to their non-eco siblings, lots of tiny little changes have been made to drastically improve fuel economy – a special turbocharger provides the power when it’s needed. It’ll use much less fuel than other turbos when you don’t though. A Stop/Start system is fitted to most Ecomotive models – this’ll help you get the most out of every last drop of fuel. Other fuel-saving aids include an energy recuperation system meaning you waste less of the car’s energy when you brake. In some Ecomotive cars, you’ll also find low-resistance tyres fitted, meaning less work for the engine.

What difference does SEAT Ecomotive make?

All these changes may seem relatively minor, but the differences are clear. Taking the Seat Ibiza Ecomotive as an example, its 1.2-litre turbocharged diesel engine achieves 80mpg while producing 92g/km of CO2. A non-Ecomotive 1.2-litre diesel Ibiza manages just over 70mpg and sits in the higher road tax bracket. This is the same across the range – anywhere you select an Ecomotive over a normal model, you’ll pay minimal tax and see an increase of between 10-20mpg.

Is SEAT Ecomotive worth it?

Price-wise, Ecomotive models cost marginally more than mainstream engines do – this means you’ll be getting a very efficient car for not a lot of extra money. However, it’ll take you a long time to recover the extra purchase price through fuel savings so might only be sensible for those doing very high milages. Nevertheless, if you’re aware of your carbon footprint but need something that’s more versatile than a fully electric car, SEAT’s Ecomotive engines make a fine choice.

Save money on your SEAT

If you’re interested in an Ecomotive SEAT, use our car configurator to get the best deals from the best SEAT dealers. Alternatively, have a look at our fully aggregated SEAT reviews or, if you’re still not sure what you want, our car chooser will whittle through the 400+ new cars on sale to find the ones that suit you.