Current Seat range comprises Ibiza, Leon, Leon Estate, Arona, Ateca (pictured) and Tarraco
Spanish car maker to move more into electric mobility and away from mainstream car making over the next decade as prominence of Cupra increases
Seat’s long-term future lies away from being a mainstream car maker and that role will instead be taken by Cupra, the company chairman has confirmed.
When asked about the future of Seat at the Munich motor show today, Thomas Schäfer said: “The future of Seat is Cupra.”
Schafer said that the existing Seat models will continue to be produced in their current lifecycles – several of which are planned to run through much of the 2020s – but the brand would ultimately have a new role in the future.
The Seat name will stay and won’t be retired and Schafer said the Volkswagen Group “would find a different role for it”. The company is instead likely to pivot into other vehicles and mobility solutions such as electric scooters, as it has started to do with the Seat Mo. Small cars remain an option for Seat, too.
Schafer said it was prohibitive to invest in both Seat and Cupra as mainstream brands, and the earning potential for Cupra was ultimately far greater. To that end, Schafer said the VW Group would “invest strongly in Cupra…this will ramp up”.
Cupra has moved into making its own bespoke models, having started as a performance arm of Seat. The Cupra Formentor is being followed by the Cupra Tavascan and the firm has also previewed a new entry level model with a concept called Cupra Urban Rebel as well as a Cupra DarkRebel electric sports car.
The production version of this car will go into production in 2025 at Seat’s Martorell factory in Spain alongside its platform twins from other VW Group brands, including the VW ID 2. Schafer said such an investment in Spanish manufacturing showed VW Group’s commitment to Spain, something further seen by VW being an investor in a new €10 billion battery gigafactory in Valencia.
“There are no problems with the government,” he said, on VW’s decision to move away from Seat. Schafer added that Spanish customers had also responded well to Cupra, and he highlighted that further afield Cupra was the fastest growing brand in Europe.
Schafer said the wheels in motion for Cupra to take Seat’s role had been set long ago and it had always been a long-term brand, but the success of Cupra had cemented the thinking that this was the right thing to do. It had been a debate to try and reinvigorate Seat but the brand had a history of making losses, and ultimately Cupra’s earning potential cemented the decision.
I think it was the right decision in hindsight, but it’s a gamble,” said Schafer. “I’ve seen lots of new names come up and go but this was a good decision. Cupra is bigger than Alfa Romeo and Polestar, so not just new brands but also old.”
It’s possible that the Seat name could be dropped completely from the Leon when that car is facelifted in 2024, and the car is sold solely as a Cupra Leon. The Ibiza is unlikely to be replaced in its current form when it is phased out, while Cupra is also planning to launch an SUV based on the Audi Q3 in 2024.
In effect, the more profitable and successful Seat models will be absorbed into Cupra, the new brand at the same time launching into higher segments with more strikingly designed cars. Longer term, Cupra is investigating a halo sports car based on the Cupra DarkRebel concept revealed at the Munich motor show.
