The Seat Altea is a compact monovolume designed by Italian designer Walter de’Silva and introduced a new direction in Seat design. The car is built on a Volkswagen A5 (PQ35) platform. The Altea is identical to the Toledo model but only has a larger luggage compartment, and an even larger version of the Altea XL is also available. The five-seater Altea is family-oriented but has a sportier image than most competitors. An unusual design detail is that the rear position of the windscreen wipers (when switched off) is vertical, and the wipers themselves are "hidden" in the windscreen struts. The result is a completely wipable windshield, but in this case the front pillars are much wider and limit visibility. The Altea is a safe car and is rated five stars in the Euro NCAP safety rating.