2020 SEAT Tarraco FR Sporty Trim Debuts With PHEV Powertrain

SEAT's biggest vehicle ever, the Tarraco midsize SUV will be heading to the Frankfurt Motor Show this month in sports apparel courtesy of the newly introduced FR trim in a fresh Fura Grey paint scheme. Spain's alter ego of the Skoda Kodiaq gets a new set of 19-inch alloys exclusive to the FR specification, but buyers willing to spend more will have the option of larger 20-inch machined wheels.

To further separate the FR guise from the lesser members of the Tarraco range, SEAT is spicing things up with an FR-exclusive front grille and electric sports bucket seats for the driver and front passenger, with memory function for the former. Aluminum pedals and a sporty design of the steering wheel rounds off the FR-specific list of upgrades. The new range-topping trim level also welcomes an updated infotainment system with a 9.2-inch touchscreen.

SEAT is not only introducing the Tarraco FR, but it's also using the sporty trim level to inaugurate a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The PHEV system combines a 148-horsepower 1.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline combustion engine with a 114-hp electric motor to enable a total output of 242 hp, thus making the electrified version the most powerful Tarraco available.

The PHEV setup is derived from other VAG plug-in hybrids like the Volkswagen Passat GTE and the Skoda Superb iV, but with considerably more power. It offers an ample 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters) of torque, which helps SEAT's flagship SUV to complete the 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) sprint in a decent 7.4 seconds.

Thanks to a 13-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the SEAT's very first production PHEV will be able to travel for more than 31 miles (50 kilometers) without sipping any gasoline.

SEAT will have the FR and PHEV flavors of the Tarraco on sale in Europe beginning with 2020. Meanwhile, a showcar combining the sporty trim with the eco-friendly powertrain will be exhibited at IAA in Frankfurt next month.