Some family cars are dull. Grey boxes on wheels. Appliances with an engine. And then there’s this: the SEAT Altea XL, a car that looks at the school run, the weekly shop, the family holiday, the dog, the luggage, the pram, and your last-minute IKEA trip… and simply says: “Is that all you’ve got?” It’s the longer, roomier, more sensible version of the standard Altea — but crucially, without being boring. It drives like SEAT intended people to actually enjoy being parents. Paired with the DSG automatic gearbox, it’s smooth, quick on the gear changes, and makes city driving or long motorway runs feel effortless. It’s the sort of car that takes stress, swallows it whole, and asks for seconds. And this one has been looked after properly. The service history reads like a diary of constant attention: 1,106 | 4,045 | 8,448 | 12,408 | 18,193 | 22,341 | 32,414 | 36,470 | 39,258 | 41,279 | 45,433 | 47,005 | 45,522 miles… Basically, every time it breathed, someone serviced it. And, because we don’t mess about, we’ll service it again before it leaves us — a fresh clean bill of health to go with its new chapter. Inside, it’s pure practicality: loads of room, clever storage, commanding driving position, and enough space in the back to host a small birthday party. It’s the ideal combination of Spanish styling, German engineering, and everyday usability. If you want a car that doesn’t shout, doesn’t show off, but just quietly gets on with being brilliant — this is it. The SEAT Altea XL SE DSG: the family wagon that’s smarter than it looks.