Autocar confidential: Audi, Seat, Ssangyong, Renault

News

2 mins read

6 December 2016

This week's gossip from the automotive industry has news of Seat's record-breaking profits, no regrets from Ssangyong's UK CEO, Audi's success with its new factory in Mexico, the Renault Trezor's craftmanship.

Seat's record-breaking profits

Seat is on track to report its highest profits ever, even before sales of the eagerly anticipated Seat Ateca SUV have begun.

“Profit of €100m [£85m] in this industry may not sound much,” said boss Luca de Meo, “but when you have lost money for eight years, to be able to do that when many of your products are at the end of their life cycle is very encouraging.”

No regrets from Ssangyong's UK CEO

Ssangyong's UK CEO, Paul Williams, has no regrets about bringing the distinctive limited-edition Korando Sports DMZ pickup to the UK, despite unfavourable reviews in the motoring press.

“We used it as a way of shameless attention seeking,” he said. “When you’re small and you’re not known, you need to do that. But we’ve still sold most of them.”

Audi's succeeding in Mexico

Audi's new factory in Mexico will initially build 150,000 Audi Q5s a year. However, as well as having the capacity to increase on that figure within the existing facility, there is also the space surrounding the plant to double it in size.

It has the potential to become one of Audi’s largest manufacturing sites, exporting a range of models around the world.

Renault Trezor's quality craftmanship

The Renault Trezor concept, revealed at this year’s Paris motor show, took 18 months from start to finish because design boss Laurens van den Acker insisted it was completed to the highest standard possible.

“We could have rushed it, had parts that didn’t quite fit or that were hanging on,” he said. “But much better that it is just so, so you can get up close and see and feel it.”