Many individuals raised their eyebrows when the Volkswagen Group determined to make Cupra a standalone model separate from SEAT again in 2018. Nonetheless, the newcomer is blooming as gross sales are on the rise and ought to be additional fueled by extra merchandise which are within the works. However what concerning the conventional Spanish model from Martorell? Wholly owned by VW since 1990, it seems as if Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo faces an unsure future.
In an interview with Autocar, SEAT chairman and Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer mentioned “we’re not killing SEAT. We simply must resolve its future.” He went on to say the troubled automotive producer – which noticed its gross sales plummet in Europe by 45 p.c in July and 42 p.c in August in comparison with the identical months of final 12 months – “is ok till 2028 or 2029.” Nonetheless, it’s unclear what is going to occur after that.
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Schäfer instructed the British journal that SEAT might be reworked right into a mobility model in the identical vein as Renault’s newly established Mobilize sub-brand. Happening this street would enable the VW Group to keep away from an overlap between the SEAT and Skoda manufacturers, which has cannibalized gross sales to some extent over time.
In the meantime, SEAT’s head honcho sees the corporate as “an entry-level quantity model for younger prospects,” which makes us consider Renault’s Dacia however with a extra upscale really feel. He specified it caters to the European market and stays notably widespread at dwelling in Spain but additionally within the UK and Austria. As for Cupra, Schäfer instructed Autocar it will not be chasing quantity and can have “sharp positioning” whereas interesting to a extra “rebellious, younger viewers” than the normal model.
Information about SEAT has been few and much between whereas Cupra is making the headlines extra typically lately. It goes to point out which of the 2 manufacturers is getting extra consideration from its mother or father firm.
