I just completed a 17 day, 3,000 mile journey in mine, 2-3 hours on driving, 2-3 hours as a passenger, rotated. To me there is something wrong with the passenger side legroom. I'm 6'1" the codriver 5'10", we are both in agreement that it isn't a patch on my old Altea. You can't get your left foot out. I wondered whether this was inherited from the Leon, so I jumped in one this afternoon. Seat back, jacked up. It's not as severe as the
Ateca and the angling of the crash cage isn't so great so effectively gives you more useable room.
I tried the Kodiak out the sister to the bigger
Ateca and passenger legroom is fine, none of the trapped left foot nonsense in RHD form. Personally I regard the
Ateca as a curious designed car where the VAG group have placed the design to give equal space to front and rear passenger, ditto the Karoq, pushed the back door into the wheel arch to create space in the back. A sensibly designed car would allow you to nick passenger space from the back and give it to the front. The Tiguan rails and placement at the front don't allow this.
All things being equal if I had a time machine and the larger
Ateca was out and it looked like this one at 30cm longer as per the Kodiaq, I would have bought that !. All other things are fine with the
Ateca and driving position if you are not bothered about the rear wheel getting dirt inside the frame and door. Other than that my TDI190 DSG drives very well and the leather bucket seats have finally been broken in so you fit snug into the seat back with reduced lateral movement good for people with backache. At 5,500 miles and the hot Mediterranean heat the leather finally relented so the seat back can be felt, least I think that's what happended unless the bolster gave way. Didn't want leather either so expect if you had a time machine you would have to add plus one year to get the FR
Ateca "XL" in Alcantara, couple of years away.
I think anyone who owns one of the bigger Seats would do well to hold to see what the larger
Ateca has to offer else you might be disappointed with the cramped front passenger legroom. Obviously if you aren't use to space on that side or don't want it, it's not an issue.