Seat considering 'sports car-like crossover' says brand boss

Seat could launch a sporty small SUV by 2020; it would become the brand's flagship model
Julian Rendell
1 February 2017

Seat is considering whether a new “sports car-like crossover” could become its new flagship model, to launch around 2020.

A third, larger SUV is pencilled into Seat’s future plans, but its exact design and positioning is yet to be determined.

“A crossover – a Porsche Macan kind of concept – could be the emerging kind of model. A model that's a mix between a sports car and an SUV – this is one of the segments we see growing,” said Seat boss Luca de Meo.

Seat’s design chief, Alejandro Mesonero, also said that a bigger SUV than the Ateca is coming at some point, a model that he described as "something different".

The new model would be at the top of a range of three Seat SUVs. Currently, Seat only has the the Qashqai-sized Ateca; later this year the Juke-sized Arona, which is based on the new Ibiza, will arrive.

The new flagship SUV would be additional to the 300bhp Ateca Cupra that Seat is planning.

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Seat has ruled out a large saloon as a new flagship, because global sales are falling in this segment. “There is no comparison between the potential of the SUV market bodystyle and the saloon,” said de Meo, speaking at the launch of the new Ibiza in Spain.

The new SUV could be a five-seater or a five-plus-two, where it would complement Seat’s Alhambra seven-seat MPV. “If you give the option [of extra seats] to the owners, why not? Even if there are people who don’t use it,” de Meo said.

Seat is also planning new battery electric and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models for launch in 2020/21, when the EU's new 95g/km CO2 emissions targets come into force.

Seat’s chief engineer, Matthias Rabe, said the brand's first battery electric would be launched in 2019, followed a year later by a second model - possibly the PHEV. Rabe wouldn’t identify the exact models, but suggested they could be versions of existing electric technology, rather than based on the VW Group's new MEB electric car platform, which Volkswagen's ID concept car is built on.

A possibility could be the Leon, which is based on the VW Group's MQB platform; this also underpins the Volkswagen e-Golf and Audi A3 e-tron.

Another change to Seat’s long-term product plan is to drop the Toledo from its range. Launched in 2012 as a low-cost family hatchback positioned below the Leon, sales have been slow. The Toledo is based on a stretched version of the old Ibiza’s PQ35 platform and is shared with Skoda Rapid and Rapid Spaceback, both of which are also slow-selling.

Read more on the all-new Seat Ibiza

Seat UK boss Richard Harrison describes the Ibiza as "a huge change"

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Comments
5

TBC

1 February 2017
Maybe he should get in touch with Jean Marc Gales.......

Mikey C

1 February 2017
A baffling model which did nothing for Seat's brand positioning

supermanuel

1 February 2017
Mikey C wrote:

A baffling model which did nothing for Seat's brand positioning

Absolutely. And the Alhambra hasn't helped either.

supermanuel

1 February 2017
" Seat’s design chief, Alejandro Mesonero, also said that a bigger SUV than the Ateca is coming at some point, a model that he described as 'something different' ".

Oh come off it. It'll be a Skoda Kodiaq rebadging exercise. We all know it.

mpls

1 February 2017
Crazy..
Under the VW umbrella, there are very simliar products in th same market now.. what is the point ?

Skoda/Seat/VW and possibly Audi ( since the entry point is lowering it seems especially with crazy lease deals added)

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Our Verdict

Seat Ateca

Seat Ateca

Seat's first attempt at building an SUV is a cracker and knocked the Nissan Qashqai off its perch in the process, so we discover what makes the Ateca our class leader

Find an Autocar car review

Driven this week