DURING A time when the SUV market is ultra competitive, you need to come up with something special to get noticed.

I remember first spotting the SEAT Tarraco at Stratford Westfield City a few years back and I have to say it caught my eye. Having driven it, it’s gone up a notch or two in my estimation. The Tarraco is a competent seven-seater.

In simple terms the Tarraco makes a very versatile family SUV. Nobody sitting in the first or second row of seats will have any cause for complaint when it comes to space. There’s enough driving seat adjustment to suit drivers of all sizes, and the Tarraco’s generous width allows plenty of shoulder room between driver and passenger.

It has a sharp-edged six-sided front grille with a chrome surround that gives it a premium air, one which SEAT models haven’t always exuded.

It’s quiet and comfortable on the motorway, calm and was composed on the capital’s dubious roads

Slim, angular headlamps are slightly inset in an attempt to give the Tarraco an individual look, while the side mirrors are mounted on the doors rather than the A-pillars for a more sporting feel.

Under the bonnet, you’ll find a 1.5-litre petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel, both turbocharged and both providing 148bhp, as well as a 187bhp 2.0-litre diesel. The latter is only available with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive, which you can also specify on the 148bhp diesel, but not on the petrol; there’s no two-wheel-drive auto option, either.

Whichever model you choose, the SEAT Tarraco is an easy car to get on with. Up front, you get loads of adjustment for the driver’s seat and steering wheel – so getting comfy is easy.

I felt quite fortunate that during my week’s evaluation I was actually very busy with several members of family and their respective loads. The Tarraco was just what I needed!

The middle row of seats has loads of room for two adults, in fact, even three won’t feel too crushed. The third row, generally aimed at kids, did actually accommodate an adult.

The Tarraco feels best as a long-distance cruiser. It’s quiet and comfortable on the motorway, calm and was composed on the capital’s often dubious roads and gets important safety features like automatic emergency braking as standard.

It’s not a sporty car, but as seven-seat SUVs go, it offers a fair amount of driver appeal. It feels good in corners and rides well over all surfaces, with only a limited level of body roll when cornering.

The dashboard has a smoother, more rounded look than previous SEAT designs, with a free standing touchscreen infotainment screen that’s modern and easy to reach when you’re on the move, but sports quite a thick bezel.

A recent update added Adaptive Cruise Control and the SEAT Connect app to all models across the range, so you can lock your vehicle remotely or find it in the car park.

There’s no electrified model available yet, but the petrol and diesel engines offer good economy as well as decent pace, while the Tarraco’s keen pricing means that it deserves some consideration.

It’s surely just a matter of time before the Tarraco becomes an electrical vehicle – and I can see that version working well too.

If you are looking for thrill-a-minute stuff from the Tarraco, probably look elsewhere. However, it does provide a more than decent ride and practicality.

Price: £33,415 – £45,825