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Prototype model previews next year's sporty new SEAT Altea FR

In case you were wondering what the big 'FR' letters written garishly across the sides of SEAT's prototype Altea FR stood for, it does not mean Frankfurt Show, where the car was revealed, but simply Formula Racing. FR is SEAT's mildly sporting trim level, a notch below the more hardcore Cupra R. The Altea FR is due for production early in 2006.

Marking the FR prototype out from lesser models in the Altea range is the distinctive silver and black colour scheme, with the main body in silver, but the roof, bonnet cover strip, the cover strips on the A-pillars and the headlight casings all finished in shiny black. At the front, the lower grille is larger and the lower lip of the bumper sportier. Similar changes have been made at the rear, with the addition of chrome-tipped twin exhaust pipes. The show car was also fitted with highly polished 18-inch alloy wheels fitted with 225/40 low-profile tyres.

No longer a taboo to fit a sporting car with a diesel engine, the Altea FR prototype comes with the latest development of the VW Group's 2-litre TDI engine, producing impressive figures such as 168bhp peak power and 177lb.ft of torque available between 1,800 and 2,500rpm. This engine is smooth thanks to the use of two balancer shafts, and more importantly conforms to the Euro IV emissions regulations. Top speed in the Altea FR is claimed to be 129mph and the 0-62mph sprint time is 8.6 seconds.

The interior of the show car receives a significant number of FR-specific changes, including four separate leather-covered sports seats, liberal use of the FR badge, a new 'Ona Silver' trim material and bespoke white instruments. It is unclear how much of this will make it into production as yet, but you can be sure that the black and red 'FR' lettering on the car's flanks won't even make it to the options list...

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