The upcoming of Seat is risk-free for the time remaining, inspite of being unprofitable and positioned along with its sibling manufacturer Cupra’s meteoric rise. Skoda chairman and Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schafer instructed Autocar: “We are not killing Seat. We just will need to determine on its foreseeable future.”
The VW Team-owned Spanish brand savored a great deal achievement with designs this sort of as the Seat Ateca and Seat Leon but has been battling in modern a long time, even though the a lot more-high priced, bigger-margin Cupra line-up has been a triumph.
Seat’s European gross sales yr-on-year dropped 45% in July and 42% in August, as it appears very last in the queue at the VW Team for semiconductor supply. It has no electrical autos on sale, a stark contrast to the relaxation of the team.
While Schafer insisted Seat will continue on, he also commented: “Cupra is the long term of Seat. Cupra is the reinvention of Seat heading ahead. Cupra will transfer considerably speedier into electrification.
“We are continue to doing the job on a approach for Seat, It is good till 2028 or 2029. It is an entry-amount manufacturer for young prospects. It actually performs to Europe, especially Spain, Uk and Austria,” he additional.
A person thought for its potential pointed out by Schafer is as a mobility brand name. This would ensure Seat neatly fitted into the broader VW Group line-up when not conflicting with other marques, specifically Skoda.
Seat is already tests the drinking water in the mobility area, having showcased its Renault Twizy-esque Minimo, furthermore a amount of electrical scooters this sort of as the Mo 125.
Meanwhile Cupra “is not a volume player” reported Schafer, but has “a sharp positioning” within just the group interesting to a a lot more “rebellious, younger audience”.
